MSc Civil Engineering and Construction Management
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Key information
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Mode of delivery
- On-campus
- Delivery type
- Full-time, Part-time
- Start date
- January, September
- Duration
- 1 year
- Qualification
- MSc
Contact
Contact our enquiries team
Contact usOverview
Civil and Structural Engineering at Heriot-Watt is ranked in the top 200 universities in the world. (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023).
Modern 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 and their clients are increasingly demanding the combined time, cost and quality assurances that good project management practice provides. Furthermore, the industry now recognises that there is a need for engineers to gain specialist technical knowledge which compliments their academic and professional background.
The course uses experience from our internationally recognised Construction Project Management course and combines it with our high-profile Civil Engineering postgraduate course to provide a broad and valuable education. As a result, our recent graduates have been employed by a range of both national and international employers.
September 2024 entry
The deadline for applications from UK students is 30 August 2024. For EU and overseas applicants, we guarantee to consider applications submitted by 2 August 2024.
Our students and graduates
Our students are recruited mainly from the civil engineering profession and are typically looking to broaden their knowledge base, extend their technical expertise or gain further learning to meet the needs of the professional institutions. Applicants from other backgrounds planning to develop a career in civil engineering and construction management will also be considered. Graduates of this course are much sought after by employers, working in areas such as transport, water and wastewater engineering and the energy sector.
Flexible study options
This course can be studied full-time or part-time on campus. It is also available to study via Online Learning, ideal for those in employment or with other commitments, providing flexible study options that fit around work or family.
Industry links
This course is supported by the Civil Engineering Industry Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from major multi-national employers AECOM, Arup, Atkins, 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.
Postgraduate Masterclass Series
We’re running a series of free online masterclasses throughout July and early August to showcase our postgraduate taught study options. Take a look at the exciting topics our academic experts will be speaking about and book to attend.
Course content
Year 1
Eight taught courses, all optional - (plus Research Dissertation for MSc). Students must select a minimum of five technical options and a minimum of two non-technical (NT) options.
Semester 1
Optional courses
- Sustainability for Construction Professionals (NT)
- 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
- Project Management: Theory and Practice (NT)
- Value and Risk Management (NT)
Semester 2
Optional courses
- Plastic Analysis of Structures
- Advanced Design Of Steel And Steel-Concrete Composite Structures
- Finite Element Method Nonlinear Analysis
- Foundation Engineering
- River Flow and Flood Modelling
- Safety, Risk and Reliability
- Urban Drainage and Water Supply
- Water and Wastewater Treatment
- Construction Financial Management (NT)
- Project Management: Strategic Issues (NT)
Semester 3
Research Dissertation (Civil Engineering)
Course summaries
Advanced Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures
This course aims to provide a comprehensive description of the behaviour of structural concrete under different loading conditions based on the relevant published test data. It also aims to provide a comprehensive description of the mechanics underlying the response of reinforced concrete structural forms when subjected to different loading conditions based on the available test data and describe the different modes of failure exhibited. The course also aims to introduce the learner to the concepts underlying reinforced concrete design and the available assessment methods, to enable the learner to develop a deep understanding of the physical models and their assumptions (adopted for describing the mechanics underlying RC structural behaviour) that form the basis for the development of the available design/assessment methods. It also gives the learner the opportunity to apply different methods for developing design solutions for a range of RC structural configurations capable of safeguarding specific performance requirements set by the relevant standards/codes. The course also introduces students to the methodology adopted for the design of RC structures under seismic and dynamic actions, and the methods available for enhancing the performance of existing reinforced concrete members.
Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering
This course aims to provide students with an understanding of the nature of seismic forces and the response of structures subjected to such loading, as well as to provide learners with an introduction to earthquake-resistant design and the seismic assessment of structures.
Structural Materials
The course aims to provide students with an appreciation of traditional and new cement-based materials, their applications in construction, and the recognition of the importance of durability. It also aims to provide an understanding of the core principles in designing a structure using a novel material where the design specification is not available and thus requiring the students to work using fundamental methodologies. The course also aims to provide students with an integrated knowledge about the key engineering properties of structural concrete and relevant design specifications.
Advanced Design of Steel and Steel-Concrete Composite Structures
This course aims to introduce the learner to the advanced analysis and design of steel and steel-concrete composite structures, to allow the learner to model the structural behaviour of steel and composite structures using commercial software. It also aims to provide the learner with a variety of techniques to analyse and detail steel and steel/concrete composite structures and to strengthen the learner's ability to model structures and to understand the relationship between the mathematical models used in analysis and the behaviour of the real-world structures.
Foundation Engineering
The overall aim of this course is to provide the student with knowledge and understanding of the geotechnical design process, equipping learners with appropriate methods of analysis for settlement and bearing capacity calculations, as well as in examining appropriate national codes and Eurocodes and their implications in geotechnical design.
Plastic Analysis of Structures
This course aims to introduce the learner to plastic analysis of beams, frames and plated structures, and to allow the learner to model structural behaviour in a laboratory environment where s/he is aware of the health and safety risks. It also aims to provide the learner with a variety of techniques to analyse and detail plate/slab elements of structures, and to strengthen the learner's ability to model structures and to understand the relationship between the mathematical models used in analysis and the behaviour of the real-world structures.
Urban Drainage and Water Supply
This course introduces the learner to the broad theme of Urban Drainage and Water Supply, with the aim of providing understanding of the following topics: runoff estimation, rainfall estimation, system layout/design, pump system design, sediment transport, Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems, the role of computer simulations, service reservoirs, water distribution practice and groundwater supply. The course includes instruction on the use of Infoworks CS.
Water and Wastewater Treatment
The aim of this course is to enable learners to understand the processes and technologies for water treatment including conventional and advanced wastewater treatment and the sizing of various treatment units. The course also provides awareness for the learner of the importance of effective wastewater treatment for river pollution control.
Safety, Risk and Reliability
This course aims to provide the students with an appreciation and understanding of the basic principles of structural reliability theory. It provides an introduction to concepts of structural safety and risk, as well as probability theory and probability distributions.
Sustainability for Construction Professionals
This course aims to equip students with the contextual awareness, self-reflective abilities and interdisciplinary Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge necessary to allow them to contribute to the delivery of Sustainable Development as part of their professional role in the Built Environment Sector. It also aims to develop an understanding of the role of the Construction Professional in supporting a holistic approach to development, which emphasises Stakeholder Engagement in options appraisal. The course also aims to develop Consultation and Consensus building skills.
Project Management: Theory and Practice
This course aims to provide the student with an understanding of the concepts and practices of construction project management used to provide value added services to clients. The course develops understanding of the issues related to the management of construction clients and other project stakeholders and how their needs can be co-ordinated, managed and delivered from the project's design stage through production to occupation and maintenance within the context of client satisfaction and the overarching construction project constraints of time, cost, quality sustainability, health and safety management.
Value and Risk Management
The course aims to introduce the concepts of value and risk management, apply them to strategic and tactical problems and illustrate their tools and techniques through case studies.
Construction Financial Management
The aim of the course is to enable students to appreciate and make an intelligent contribution towards the managerial and financial aspects of construction companies in general and construction projects in particular. This includes developing awareness and understanding of the need for financial planning and monitoring and the cost control process.
Project Management: Strategic Issues
This course aims to further develop the learners' theoretical and practical knowledge in the implementation of Project Management Principles in the construction industry. The course is designed to raise student awareness as to why the construction industry under-performs when compared to other industries. This enables learners to appraise and critically analyse the performance of the project management discipline in order to explore what is needed to improve this performance, with emphasis on the UK construction industry.
Dissertation
MSc students are also required to submit a research dissertation, the research topic normally aligns with the research interests of the staff in the School but can be tailored to suit the interests of the student or student's employer. Distance learning and part time students are encouraged to suggest project topics based on their own work experience.
Assessment
In the MSc marks are gathered from a combination of examination and project work – overall 66% examination and 33% project work. Students are supported and guided by coursework to prepare them for taught course examination assessments.
Additional information
The MSc course consists of 8 taught courses and a dissertation. To progress to the dissertation an average mark of 50% or higher and no course marks below 40% is required in the taught courses.
The Postgraduate Diploma course consists of the same taught courses but does not continue to the dissertation phase. PG Diploma students must achieve an average mark of 40% or more and have no marks below 35%. PG Diploma students may choose to transfer to the MSc cohort if they meet the MSc progression standards stated above.
Go Global
Some of our Postgraduate Taught Masters Programmes are eligible for Inter-Campus Transfer. Please contact studywithus@hw.ac.uk for further information.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Status [footnote 1] | Full-time | Part-time |
|---|---|---|
| UK | 10600 | 5300 |
| Overseas [footnote 2] | 24496 | 12248 |
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 our full range of postgraduate scholarships.
Entry requirements
Entry
Masters (MSc) level entry applicants must have one of the following:
- Minimum of 2:2 honours degree or equivalent academic qualification in a related subject area
- For postgraduate conversion courses, non-related degrees will be considered
- Corporate (or chartered) membership of relevant professional institutions will also be considered
PG Diploma level entry applicants must have an ordinary degree in a related subject area and relevant post qualification industry experience.
Candidates who do not meet the above entry requirements or have no formal academic qualifications will be considered individually based on their CV and possibly interview. Admission via this route will be at the discretion of the Director of Recruitment.
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 Admissions Team (studywithus@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
If English is not the applicant's first language a minimum of IELTS 6.5 or equivalent is required with all elements passed at 6.0 or above. Please refer to English language requirements for further details.
Some applicants may be asked for alternative evidence in line with UKVI recognised English speaking countries. Applicants who have previously successfully completed courses delivered in the medium of English language may be considered and will be required to provide documentary evidence of this. Examples would be secondary school education or undergraduate degree. A minimum of at least one year of full time study (or equivalent) in the medium of English language will be required.
All evidence of English language needs to be dated within two years of the commencement of study.
We also offer a range of English language courses to help you meet the English language requirement prior to starting your master's programme:
- 20 weeks English (for IELTS of 5.0 with no skill lower than 4.5)
- 14 weeks English (for IELTS of 5.0 with minimum of 5.0 in writing and no skill lower than 4.5)
- 10 weeks English (for IELTS of 5.5 with no skill lower than 5.0)
- 6 weeks English (for IELTS 5.5 with no skill lower than 5.5)
Why Heriot-Watt?
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.
Joint Board of Moderators (JBM)
This degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the academic requirement for Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). To hold accredited qualifications for CEng registration, candidates must also hold a Bachelor (Hons) degree that has been accredited as partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).