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
MSc Advanced Structural Engineering provides those of you with a bachelor-levels graduate degree the opportunity to build upon your existing knowledge and skills. For those of you from a different engineering background, the programme offers you the opportunity to develop key advanced knowledge in structural engineering to be able to work within the civil and structural engineering 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 the field of civil and structural engineering and understand the relevance of sustainability in professional practice. You’ll have an awareness of current global issues, the multidisciplinary relevance to solving industry challenges, and learn about necessary legislative frameworks at a national and international level.
This career-focused master’s programme will develop your technical, scientific, and managerial abilities, and provide you with a specialist education to set you up to become a professional structural engineer. Upon completion, you’ll have the skills and knowledge to prepare you for a wide range of technical and managerial careers across the sector, including roles in process and plant design, construction, commissioning, operation, management to specialist consultancy, and advanced research and development.
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 Advanced Structural Engineering 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.
This School is also part of the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Design, a leading body recognised by the Royal Academy of Engineering. The Centre is one of only four such centres established at United Kingdom universities that jointly form a national network to demonstrate and exchange best practice in teaching and research for the sustainable built environment.
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
Course content
September Intake - Edinburgh
Mandatory September
- Finite Element Method Linear Analysis
Optional September
- Advanced Design Of Reinforced Concrete Structures
- Geotechnics B- Geotechnical Applications
- Climate Change, Sustainability and Adaptation
- Structural Element Design
- Sustainability for Construction Professionals
- Structural Materials
- Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering
Mandatory January
- Plastic Analysis of Structures
- Advanced Design Of Steel And Steel-Concrete Composite Structures
Optional January
- Sustainable and Intelligent Buildings
- Design of Low Carbon Buildings
- Finite Element Method Nonlinear Analysis
- Foundation Engineering
- Safety, Risk and Reliability
- Energy Systems and Buildings
Mandatory May
- Research Dissertation (Civil Engineering)
Fees and funding
| Status | Full Time | Part 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).
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.
Entry requirements
We have standard entry requirements for all of our courses that you will have to meet.
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 (structural engineering)
- 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 at least 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 Studies and Programme Leader.
Non-graduating (e.g. CPD) study at master’s level:
Entry is based on CV or on formal academic qualifications or graduate (or incorporated) membership of a relevant professional institution. Admission via this route will be at the discretion of the Director of Studies and Programme Leader.
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.
We welcome applications from international students and accept qualifications from around the world. Please refer to the entry requirements for your country for more details.
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.
Student life
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