MSc Structural Engineering

A minimum of 60 per cent in an honours degree in civil engineering accredited to CEng, or a minimum of 70 per cent in an honours degree in civil engineering accredited to IEng. Overseas equivalent qualifications are also welcome. Alternatively, at least five years’ relevant industrial experience (preferably codified design) or a professional qualification (for example, CEng).

English language requirements

IELTS minimum overall: 6.5

IELTS minimum by component: 6.0

All fees are subject to increase or review for subsequent academic years. Please note that not all visa routes permit part-time study and overseas students entering the UK on a Tier 4 visa will not be permitted to study on a part-time basis.

Funding

Overseas students should contact the British Council in their home country for available funding.

Module Overview

To achieve the MSc Structural Engineering, you will need to pass eight modules, with at least four being chosen from the Structural Engineering group of modules and a further two being chosen from the Structural or Bridge Engineering groups of modules. The remaining two modules are a free choice from all the Civil Engineering module groups.

There are over 30 modules available, each worth 15 credits, covering the general areas of bridge engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, water engineering, transport planning and construction management. The MSc is classified as technical for the purpose of accreditation by the relevant professional bodies.

Modules include:

Steel Building Design

Important characteristics of structural steelwork; limit state design of tension, compression, beam and beam-column members; principles of plastic design; analysis and design of single- and multi-bay industrial buildings; portal frame stability, sway, snap-through and deflection calculations; analysis and design of welded and bolted connections; design of cold-formed steel elements.

Concrete Building Design

Code requirements for fire safety, robustness, stability and durability; design for flexure, shear, torsion, deflection and crack control in beams and flat slabs; design of short and slender columns; design of foundation rafts and/or piles; structural forms and layout of low- and high-rise reinforced concrete buildings; braced and unbraced frames; analysis of shear walls, cores and tube structures; load combination and moment redistribution.

Space Structures

Description of the main types of space structures, including grids, domes, towers, radar dishes, membrane structures and cable systems; notable space structures; methods of analysis applicable to space structures; computer-aided analysis of space structures, techniques for efficient generation of data, graphical presentation of results; formex configuration processing; polyhedral and geodesic forms, tensegrity systems, retractable structures; use of material, loading, safety, cladding and foundations.

Design of Masonry Structures

Introduction to masonry construction; use of Eurocode 6 and the Construction Products Directive; design for vertical, lateral, combined and concentrated loads; reinforced masonry; design of diaphragm and basement walls.

Structural Safety and Reliability

Theory and application of reliability concepts; component and system reliability methods; application in code calibration and design optimisation; risk-based re-assessment, inspection and maintenance optimisation; whole-life planning of structures and optimum strategy optimisation; application case studies (for example, on bridges and offshore structures); benefits from the application of these techniques.

Earthquake Engineering

Geotechnical aspects of earthquake engineering; dynamic analysis of SDOF systems under free and forced vibrations; analysis of generalised SDOF systems; time domain dynamic analysis and earthquake spectra; modal analysis; general earthquake design concepts; general EC8 requirements; design of steel buildings according to EC8; design of steel members according to EC8 and EC3.

Structural Mechanics and Finite Elements

The Finite Element Method (FEM) is the most commonly used tool in practice for the structural design and analysis of bridges, buildings and other types of structures. In order to carry out a successful FE analysis, a basic knowledge of the theory behind the FEM is required as well as an understanding of the applications to different types of structural elements and analyses. This module covers both of these two aspects, which are essential for learning how to perform a FE analysis.

Civil Engineering Module Groups

MSc programmes in Bridge Engineering, Civil Engineering and Structural Engineering share module options. The modules fall under six streams of study:

Bridge Engineering modules

• Bridge Management
• Bridge Deck Loading and Analysis
• Durability of Bridges and Structures
• Pre-stressed Concrete Bridge Design
• Steel and Composite Bridge Design
• Long Span Bridges

Structural Engineering modules

• Steel Building Design
• Space Structures
• Structural Mechanics and Finite Elements
• Concrete Building Design
• Structural Safety and Reliability
• Earthquake Engineering
• Design of Masonry Structures

Construction Management modules

• Construction Organisation
• Project and Risk Management
• Construction, Management and Law

Geotechnical Engineering modules

• Soil–Structure Interaction
• Geotechnics Engineering 2

Water Engineering modules*

• Environmental Health
• Water Treatment
• Wastewater Treatment and Sewerage
• Applied Chemistry and Microbiology (Intensive)
• Pollution Control and Waste Management
• Groundwater Control
• Regulation and Management
• Water Resources Management and Hydraulic Modelling

* Students must meet prerequisites for some of these modules to be able to take them.

Transport Planning and Practice modules**

• Transport Policy
• Transport Strategies and Interventions
• Developing Transport Solutions
• Transport Appraisal Methods
• Design and Analysis of Transport Schemes
• Asset Management and Maintenance
• Transport Modelling

** Currently under review

Programme Structure

The modular arrangement is intended to tailor the programme to your individual needs and provide maximum flexibility in terms of attendance of full-time and part-time students.

The majority of modules run for eleven weeks and comprise approximately 33 hours (three hours per week) of class time and 120 hours of self-study and assignments.

Successful completion of four modules is required for a student to gain a Postgraduate Certificate, eight modules for a Postgraduate Diploma. Eight modules and a dissertation are required for the award of an MSc.

Individual modules can be used to contribute towards a continuing professional development programme.

This degree is accredited as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for candidates who have already acquired a Accredited CEng (Partial) BEng(Hons) or an Accredited IEng (Full) BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree.

See www.jbm.org.uk for further information.