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MSc Civil Engineering and Construction Management

Key information

Level
Postgraduate Taught
Delivery type
Full Time, Part Time
Degree qualification
MSc
Mode of delivery
On-Campus
Duration
1 year
Location
Edinburgh
Start date
September, January

Civil engineering professionals often require an extensive understanding of construction management due to the strategic benefits it can bring to both individuals and project teams. As the industry becomes more competitive, organisations are increasingly demanding the combined time, cost and quality assurances that good project management practice provides.  

MSc Civil Engineering and Construction Management will interest you if you are a civil engineering professional looking to broaden your knowledge and technical expertise and expand your career opportunities. For those of you from a different engineering background, the programme offers you the opportunity to develop key civil engineering and construction management skills to be able to commence a career within the built environment industry. You’ll gain a deep understanding of the core technical skills and personal qualities required to work within the dynamic industry at the highest possible technical level and the programme will provide you with an accredited route to becoming a Chartered Engineer.  

During the master’s programme, you’ll gain relevant specialist expertise in civil and structural engineering that is of most interest to you, develop the applied mathematical skills required by professional engineers, and gain a comprehensive understanding of the concepts, principles, theories, and sustainability issues in construction.  

This career-focused master’s programme combines elements of construction project management, and civil and structural engineering to provide a broad and valuable education. Upon completion, you’ll have the skills and knowledge to prepare you for a wide range of technical and managerial careers across the sector, both nationally and internationally, working in areas such as general construction, transport, water and wastewater engineering. 

Your student experience

Your learning will be informed by the expertise of our research-active civil and structural engineers, construction professionals, industry-leaders, and academics. 

96% of Heriot-Watt University’s engineering research was classed as world-leading in the REF 2021 review, which ranked us 1st in Scotland and 3rd in the UK for engineering research through a joint submission with the University of Edinburgh. 

Our MSc Civil Engineering and Construction Management programme is directly informed by the world class research carried out by Heriot-Watt’s Institute of Sustainable Built Environment (ISBE) which sits within the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS). EGIS is one of the United Kingdom’s leading institutions for multidisciplinary research and teaching in areas critical to economic development and societal equity. The institute’s academic team conduct high-value and high-impact research on fields covering sustainability, digital innovation, design, and management of the built environment. The research relevance of this undergraduate programme ensures your studies remain innovative and industry focused.  

Go Global

With Go Global, Heriot-Watt's global student programme, you can carry your studies to new places and experience new cultures, expanding your horizons on the way. You'll discover what it means to be a true global citizen and emerge prepared for wherever your career journey will take you.

Inter-Campus Transfer: Dubai

Discover new friends and places with an inter-campus transfer to Dubai.

Course content

September Intake - Edinburgh

Optional September

  • Sustainability for Construction Professionals
  • Advanced Design Of Reinforced Concrete Structures
  • Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering
  • Structural Materials
  • Water Supply and Drainage for Buildings
  • Finite Element Method Linear Analysis
  • Structural Element Design
  • Geotechnics B- Geotechnical Applications
  • Machine Learning and Programming
  • Climate Change, Sustainability and Adaptation
  • Project Management: Theory and Practice
  • Value and Risk Management

Optional January

  • Plastic Analysis of Structures
  • Advanced Design Of Steel And Steel-Concrete Composite Structures
  • Finite Element Method Nonlinear Analysis
  • Foundation Engineering
  • Safety, Risk and Reliability
  • Urban Drainage Design and Analysis
  • Water and Wastewater Treatment
  • Construction Financial Management
  • Project Management: Strategic Issues

Mandatory May

  • Research Dissertation (Civil Engineering)

January Intake - Edinburgh

Optional January

  • Plastic Analysis of Structures
  • Advanced Design Of Steel And Steel-Concrete Composite Structures
  • Foundation Engineering
  • Finite Element Method Nonlinear Analysis
  • Urban Drainage Design and Analysis
  • Safety, Risk and Reliability
  • Water and Wastewater Treatment
  • Project Management: Strategic Issues
  • Construction Financial Management

Optional September

  • Sustainability for Construction Professionals
  • Advanced Design Of Reinforced Concrete Structures
  • Climate Change, Sustainability and Adaptation
  • Value and Risk Management
  • Project Management: Theory and Practice
  • Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering
  • Structural Element Design
  • Geotechnics B- Geotechnical Applications
  • Machine Learning and Programming
  • Water Supply and Drainage for Buildings
  • Finite Element Method Linear Analysis
  • Structural Materials

Mandatory Second January

  • Research Dissertation (Civil Engineering)

Fees and funding

/ intake tuition fees
StatusFull TimePart Time
UK£12,192£6,096
International£25,480£12,740
  • Status: Your residency status is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the three years before the start of your course.
  • International: 'International' includes applicants from European Union countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled status in UK. (This does not include students from the Republic of Ireland - see above).

Additional information

Note: the fees indicated above will apply if you begin your studies in September. If you choose to join us in January instead, the fees below will apply.

January 2025 intake tuition fees

Status Full Time Part Time
UK £10,600 £5,300
International £24,496 £12,248
  • Status: Your residency status is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the three years before the start of your course.
  • International: 'International' includes applicants from European Union countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled status in UK. (This does not include students from the Republic of Ireland).

Scholarships and bursaries

Postgraduate 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. Over £6 million worth of opportunities are available in fee and stipend scholarships, and more than 400 students benefit from this support.

View details

Entry requirements

We have standard entry requirements for all of our courses that you will have to meet.

A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree or non-UK equivalent with evidence of understanding subjects such as water, structures, geotechnics or materials. Degree must also include some numeracy.

Degrees with elements of construction may be considered with evidence of mathematical, numerical or engineering content.

We may consider applicants with relevant industry experience based on their CV. Admission via this route will be at the discretion of the Director of Recruitment or the relevant Programme Leader based on your CV.

Why Heriot-Watt

We're the top university in Scotland for graduate outcomes which means that more of our graduates are employed or in postgraduate education than any other institution in the country and we ranked 5th in the UK.

We're also rated number one in the UK for CEO or MD roles, meaning more of our graduates go on to become CEOs or MDs than any other university in the whole of the UK. On top of that, we have beautiful campuses, across the globe, so you'll get a truly international education. Our Edinburgh Campus is home to Oriam, Scotland's National Sports Performance Centre combined with plenty of wellbeing resources, prioritising fitness and mental health for all students. Our Global Research Institutes look at solving real world issues such as climate change and saving our oceans as well as working on the next medical technological breakthrough and the future of AI and robots.

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