Bonita Rickard - graduate profile

"I was looking for a career change, after 16 years working as an administrator. After successfully completing the Foundation Pathways in Technology course (now called the foundation year) I was able to progress to the BEng (Hons) Civil and Coastal Engineering degree and then decided to continue my studies on the MSc in Coastal Engineering in order to specialise within this field. 

The BEng (Hons) Civil and Coastal Engineering degree at University of Plymouth is widely respected within the engineering community and this has allowed me to secure a good job as a coastal engineer.

Since graduating from the MSc in Coastal Engineering I have been working in the Plymouth office of Hyder Consulting (with whom I spent my undergraduate placement year) as a Graduate Engineer. 

My work has included assisting with the project management of the design checks for a tender submission for a port redevelopment in Scotland, proposals for a hydro-electric power scheme - which has included the investigation of alternative methods of excavating the bed material from an existing tidal reservoir - and a study to determine the viability of a cross-Forth passenger ferry service, to relieve some of the congestion on the Forth Road Bridge."