This dynamic MSc blends contemporary engineering management with the latest developments in data-informed project planning, control and leadership. It prepares graduates to lead complex cross-disciplinary engineering projects that drive innovation and strengthen collaboration across the sector.
Engineering projects are evolving rapidly and growing increasingly complex. Success in any project relies on data-informed management in areas such as technical design, sustainability and cost. And at the heart of every project lie two essential elements: effective leadership of people and efficient management of systems.
You will gain knowledge, understanding and skills in four core areas:
Sustainability: How can sustainability underpin management and decision-making? Can sustainability values and goals be achieved in an environment with competing priorities?
Management of engineering design and innovation: How can creativity be fostered within a pressured, high-pace project environment? How can leaders balance cost with innovation?
Project planning, control and recovery: How can projects be designed for success? How can projects be delivered on time and on budget? What happens when things go wrong?
Modelling of engineering data for data-informed management and leadership: How can data and information help in the planning, implementation and closing phases of a complex project? How can engineering managers interpret complex data and analyses?
The course is underpinned by a theme of sustainability, focusing on the vital role engineers play in driving responsible innovative and development. It is designed to produce graduates who recognise sustainable engineering management as an opportunity for society and treat it as fundamental to their ethos and, most importantly, their actions.
Through a combination of taught modules and an independent engineering management research project, the MSc equips engineering and science graduates with the ability to successfully navigate the complexities of modern, multi-disciplinary engineering projects and organisations.
Course structure
Year 1 modules
Core modules:
Concepts of sustainable engineering management underpin your studies. They will provide you with knowledge and understanding of sustainability within engineering management and leadership, including environmental, social, ethical and economic dimensions. Topics such as environmental impact assessment, regulatory compliance and corporate social responsibility lead to frameworks for decision making for sustainability.
Innovation and design management ideas will equip you with the strategies, processes and methodologies to foster creativity and innovation with engineering design contexts. You will understand and demonstrate how leadership and external considerations influence innovation within organisations and project teams.
You will also focus on the role of engineering data, information and modelling in effective management. You will explore the opportunities and limitations of modelling and how frameworks allow leaders to make data-driven ethical decisions.
Project planning, control and recovery explores the full project lifecycle, examining how management and leadership approaches evolve from inception to delivery. You will learn how to plan for success, apply effective control strategies, and implement recovery techniques to keep projects on track and achieve desired outcomes.
Alongside sustainability, multidisciplinary engineering is central to your studies. You will examine the additional complexity of modern engineering projects and organisations. You will consider how multidisciplinary approaches can address contemporary and future engineering challenges through a systems-thinking perspective. In this context, you will examine team dynamics, communication and collaborative decision-making.
The strategic Engineering Management Project is a substantial piece of research into strategic engineering management in practice. You will demonstrate your skills in independent research, data analysis and critical thinking through the detailed study of engineering management situations and processes.
The MSc places a strong emphasis on active engagement in learning. Beyond structured environments such as group workshops, projects and lectures, you will be encouraged to develop your own approach to learning and to become a part of the learning process. The course will nurture your development, both academically and personally, and instil in you a lifelong commitment to continuous education and self-improvement.
Assessment
Assessment includes a diverse range of group and individual tasks including presentations, case studies, portfolios and written reports which are designed to replicate the communication skills required of an industrial leader. Assessments might be focused on specific content or might take a broader approach, allowing you to demonstrate the full breadth of your knowledge and skills. In all cases, effective communication is a key outcome.
Entry requirements
We require a 2:1 Bachelor (Honours) degree or international equivalent in engineering or a relevant related subject.
A good knowledge of undergraduate-level mathematics is also required.
International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year.
Home students who do not meet our direct entry requirements, may be eligible for our Foundation Programme which offers multidisciplinary programmes to prepare you for a range of specified degree programmes.
The fees for this academic year have not been confirmed yet.
The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase and are expected to rise throughout the programme of study. The fee listed above is for the first year of the course only.
We take great pride in our reputation for producing engineers who make a successful and significant contribution in a wide range of professional career roles around the world.
We have strong links with industrial partners and our postgraduates have achieved rewarding and stimulating positions in bio, civil, mechanical, electronic, electrical, manufacturing, design, aeronautics and systems engineering. They work as consultants, technology analysts, and software developers and as entrepreneurs, and also gain prestigious positions in banking and finance.
The Department has a dedicated careers contact who is available to offer advice and carry out mock interviews.
Our Industrial Partnership Committee of around 20 local, national and international companies will ensure you have access to the best employment opportunities.
Department information
Engineering
Engineering at Durham combines dynamic teaching led by subject experts with opportunities to carry out cutting-edge engineering research. Our courses provide the skills to plan, design and analyse innovative and forward-thinking projects that will meet the demands of industry.
The Department of Engineering is a general engineering department that works on the principle that engineering is an integrated subject rather than a series of unconnected topics. The world-leading teaching and the research opportunities that we offer underline this academic positioning.
We guide postgraduate researchers so that they are able to make a significant contribution in the Department’s key areas of engineering focus. These topics range from the development of energy systems of the future, through next generation materials and microsystems to creating sustainable infrastructures. All reflect the challenges now facing the modern world.
Taught courses include MSc qualifications in Advanced Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Renewable and Sustainable Energy, Environmental Engineering and Engineering Management. We also offer the Doctor of Philosophy and the Master of Science by Research, which involve individualised training and require an extensive research project or thesis to be completed.
Teaching and supervision are provided by the Department’s subject specialists, who have an outstanding reputation for their expertise. An extensive range of facilities is available to support research work and we have strong and productive links with industry partners, ensuring that the research is relevant and applicable at this challenging yet exciting time to be in engineering.
Facilities
The Department is located on the main campus at Lower Mountjoy, next to the main University library and Teaching and Learning Centre. We are also situated close to the centre of Durham city and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Apply
Find out more:
Apply for a postgraduate course (including PGCE International) via our online portal.
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