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MSc Safety and Risk Management

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Key information

Mode of delivery: Online
Start date: September, January, May
Duration: Varies
Qualification: MSc

Contact our enquiries team

Application Deadline

Applications now open for January 2025 intake – Apply by 15th December.

Overview

Public awareness of hazards and risks has enhanced the importance of safety assessment and management in today's increasingly litigious society. Risk and safety issues need to be evaluated in a structured and calculated manner but in the light of an overall organisational strategy.

This course aims to provide students with advanced knowledge of risk assessment techniques, the public and individual perception of risk, and how decisions are made in competitive business markets. The course focuses on practical applications of safety methodologies, ergonomics and human factors, and safety and risk management techniques. It will develop students' skills to undertake safety studies and manage safety and risk to the best national and international standards.

If you are interested in our courses you can join our Linked In group Safety Courses at Heriot-Watt where you can link up with other applicants, current and previous students and potential employers. Applying to join needs approval from the group owner which may take a week or two.

Online learning

This course can be studied via Online Learning, ideal for those in employment or with other commitments, providing flexible study options that fit around work or family. View our How online learning works pages to find out more. It can also be studied on-campus full-time or part-time.

Graduate profiles

Visit our Graduate Profiles page to learn what some of our graduates said about their experiences studying Safety and Risk Management at Heriot-Watt University.

Degree duration

Online Learning course - 2½ - 8 years. Most students intend to complete their studies via online learning within 2-3 years.

Industry links

This course and the associate course Safety, Risk and Reliability Engineering, have been developed with the assistance of staff and ex-graduates working in relevant companies. We are also developing links with a wide range of companies in the risk management fields.

In addition, this course is also supported by the Civil Engineering Industry Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from major multi-national employers AECOM, ARUP, Balfour Beatty, Halcrow, Jacobs and WSP Group. This committee convenes regularly and advises on the course content and structure, ensuring quality, up-to-date content and relevance to industry needs.

Meet our students

Heriot-Watt graduate, Peter Gennery, talks about his experience of studying a MSc Safety and Risk Management degree online.

Course content

The MSc/Postgraduate Diploma in Safety and Risk Management is only available by attendance-free distance learning.

The degree comprises eight taught courses. Heriot-Watt Online students must first take exams in two courses of the degree, Human Factors Methods and Learning from Disasters. Based on the results from these courses students continue on the degree at MSc or at PG Diploma level.

All courses have written examinations and some have compulsory coursework elements. MSc students are also required to complete a Masters dissertation.

Students can opt to sit the examination in any of the three semesters. The course will be accessible in self-study mode with access to all of the learning materials and tutor support.

Degree structure

Core

Human Factors Methods
Learning from Disasters
Risk Assessment and Safety Management
Fire, Explosions and Process Safety
Project Management: Strategic Issues

Optional

Statistical Data Analysis and Programming
Systems Reliability
Human Factors in the Design and Evaluation of Control Rooms
Climate Change, Sustainability and Adaptation
People & Organisation Management in the Built Environment
Project Management Theory and Practice
Sustainability for Construction Professionals
Value and Risk Management

Detailed degree guide

Understanding, Knowledge and Cognitive Skills

Demonstrate understanding of:

qualitative risk assessment procedures widely used in current safety management and in the writing of safety cases
project management and risk reduction for safety related scenarios
why safety management systems fail, how to predict failures, and how decisions are taken based on those predictions
how safety management can be applied across different industries
how safety management links to other management systems such as environmental management
the ability to anticipate failures of systems or in human behaviour, and how decisions are taken based on those predictions
the scientific principles that underlie many hazardous situations
the professional responsibilities of a safety manager

Scholarship, Enquiry and Research (Research Informed Learning)

Be able to:

demonstrate an understanding of technical advances in safety engineering
show familiarity with a broad range of technical literature;
plan, conduct and report a self-directed research project;
use problem-solving skills in a variety of contexts;
apply numerical and analytical skills and engineering knowledge in the analysis of safety related problems

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Tuition fees
Status	Per course ^{[footnote 1]}	Dissertation/Project ^{[footnote 1]}
UK / EU / Overseas	GBP1525	GBP1965

The tuition fees listed are for courses starting between September 2024 and August 2025. Fees normally increase annually. Find out more about our tuition fees.

Additional fee information

Financial support

Tuition fee loans are available to Scottish distance learning students on some taught postgraduate courses. Find out more from the Students Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS)

Scholarships and bursaries

We aim to encourage well-qualified, ambitious students to study with us and we offer a wide variety of scholarships and bursaries to achieve this. Each year, hundreds of students enhance their educational experience through a variety of Heriot-Watt and externally funded scholarships, including opportunities funded by the University's generous alumni community, based all over the world.

View our full range of postgraduate scholarships.

Entry requirements

Applicants to the MSc programme will normally:

have a good undergraduate degree (minimum 2:2 honours or equivalent) in engineering or a relevant science discipline, or
demonstrate equivalent academic ability based on industrial experience or membership of a professional institution.

Students will have access to the short course 'Introduction to Digital Study and Academic Skills', to prepare for postgraduate study.

Recognition of Prior Learning

We are committed to providing study opportunities to applicants who have a wide range of prior experiences through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). For more information on RPL, please contact the Online Admissions Team (egis-idl-apps@hw.ac.uk) ahead of application. We can only consider requests for RPL at the time of application to a course of study.

English language requirements

Applicants will need a good English Language ability to succeed in their programme. Those for whom English is not their first language should have,

Achieved a minimum of IELTS 6.5 or equivalent and
Or have successfully completed courses (of 1 year or more in duration) delivered in English.

Why Heriot-Watt?

Flexibility and affordability

Study at a time and pace that suits you, and even while you work. HW Online offers pay-as-you-study courses and fees inclusive of exams and study materials, meaning you can focus on success, not extra costs.

Your career

Employers around the world actively seek out our graduates because they are work-ready. All our degrees are career-focused and relevant to the needs of industry. Around 95% of our students are in employment or further study within six months of graduating.

Online events

We host online events throughout the year, giving you the opportunity to speak to our academic teaching staff, meet students, find out what it is like to study using our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and discover how to enrol.

Lifelong connections

Upon completing your studies you will automatically join the UK's oldest alumni association The Watt Club, with 147k members worldwide.

We are accredited by the following organisations

At Heriot-Watt University we develop degrees that are relevant for the world of work. We work with Professional bodies and Institutes to gain appropriate Accreditations and Professional Memberships for your industry. Find out below how this degree aligns to industry.