MSc Civil Engineering with Industry Placement (2 years)

The course

Delivery
Full-time
Course type
Taught
Location
Edinburgh
Entry date
January, September

Civil and Structural Engineering at Heriot-Watt is ranked in the top 150 universities in the world, top 18 in the UK and 2nd in Scotland (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021).

Contact

Got questions about this programme?

Contact our enquiries team.

Overview

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. Civil and Structural Engineering at Heriot-Watt is ranked in the top 150 universities in the world, top 18 in the UK and 2nd in Scotland (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021).

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. 

To enhance your career prospects and international experience, we are now offering our standard one year Civil Engineering and Construction Management Masters over two years through offering a ‘with Industry Placement’ alternative. 

This ‘with Industry Placement’ option offers a practical experiential element over the traditional one-year degree structure, allowing you to reflect on theory and practice. 

January 2023 entry

The application deadlines for January 2023 entry are 1 December 2022 for EU and overseas applicants and 18 December 2022 for UK applicants. We guarantee to consider any completed applications received by the appropriate date. Unfortunately, we will not be able to consider any applications received after these deadlines for our January intake.

September 2023 entry

The deadline for applications from UK students is 31 August 2023. For EU and overseas applicants, we guarantee to consider applications submitted by 1 August 2023.

Programme duration

This alternative ‘with Industry Placement’ degree is offered over two years. The taught part of the programme is the same as its standard Civil Engineering and Construction Management Masters counterpart.

The Industry Placement is undertaken between the taught part of the programme and the research dissertation. If you cannot or decide not to do the placement option, then you will revert to the standard programme.

Industry placement

Although, the responsibility of finding a suitable placement lies with you, to support you, we are partnering with civil engineering and construction industry professionals and will provide advice on recruiters who offer placement opportunities. You will also have access to the University’s award winning Careers Service.

Accreditation

This programme was newly launched in May 2019. We are seeking accreditation.

Course content

Students study 8 courses plus a research dissertation. The placement is undertaken between the taught element and the research dissertation. 

The courses offered are the same as for the standard one year Civil Engineering and Construction Management degree.

The Industry Placement

As the placement is credit bearing, to progress onto the placement year you will need to reach the designated attainment status beforehand. If you can progress onto the placement year and do not secure a placement with industry, we will either offer a University based placement (working on an ongoing research project) if possible or transfer you to our standard 1-year Civil Engineering and Construction Management counterpart (without placement). We will support students in finding industry placements and help them get in touch with industry partners.

Entry requirements

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)

Fees

Tuition fees for entry
Status Full-time
UK £9632
Overseas £22264

Footnotes

  1. 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. Find out more about tuition fees.
  2. Overseas includes applications from European Union countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled status in the UK. Read more about the application process for EU nationals.

Additional fees information

Year 2 fees: Fees are payable for both years of this degree. The fees listed above apply to Year 1 of this MSc. The fees for the Industry Placement year are indicated below.

Placement Year Tuition fees (by residency status)
Status* Full-time
UK £3,000
Overseas £3,000

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.