The MSc in Civil Engineering gives you a thorough preparation for securing rewarding work in sectors as diverse as construction, business, management and finance and opens up opportunities across the world for you to make a difference.
The MSc in Civil Engineering offers you an opportunity to gain the knowledge and experience to create a professional and rewarding career within a diverse range of sectors including construction, business, management and finance and, at the same time, help to make positive changes in the world.
We aim to take on key global challenges such as the sustainability and resilience that support the infrastructure of economies and the societies within them. So, if you thrive on a mix of activity and have inventive and practical skills to create appropriate solutions, then this Civil Engineering MSc is ideal.
The modules will introduce you to key civil engineering topics including structures and structural design, hydrology and water resources, advanced geotechnical engineering and highways engineering while the design element will teach you how to apply the appropriate design standards and numerical analysis tools to carry out structural design.
You will be able to take advantage of the huge expertise that exists in the Department and learn through a combination of high-quality taught modules, a significant design element and a major individual project that will challenge you but also showcase your skills and abilities.
The research and development project is your opportunity to demonstrate your engineering aptitude and ability to innovate as you will be working independently on a complex topic and showing how to produce solutions to engineering challenges.
Civil engineering can be a rewarding career characterised by a high standard of professionalism and the ability to make a lasting difference in society. The course will give you the opportunity to create that future.
Course structure
Core modules:
Research and Development Project offers you both a stimulating challenge and an opportunity to develop your civil engineering knowledge. With the support of a staff supervisor, you will identify and apply the specific methods needed to investigate your chosen subject. You will then create a report of your findings which will include any background data, analysis and your recommendations.
Civil Design Project is an intensive activity that aims to enhance your understanding of the design process and the support contributed by theoretical work. You will learn some of the principles of structural steelwork and reinforced concrete design, and develop computer-aided design and numerical analysis skills used in Civil Design work.
Hydrology and Water Resources 4 offers an overview of the characteristics of hydrological systems and will enable you to use mathematical and fluid mechanics principles to solve a range of hydrological challenges.
Planning and Contract Law 4 is a key area within the civil engineering sector and this module will build an advanced knowledge and understanding of topics ranging from contract and tort law to planning techniques and construction site management.
Structural Design 4 gives you advanced-level knowledge and understanding of structural design using materials such as composite steel-concrete, timber, masonry and low energy and sustainable building materials.
Structures 4 focuses on engineering in earthquake zones and gives you a high level of knowledge and understanding around the fundamentals of the dynamics of structures required for such seismic areas. You will also become familiar with analysis and assessment methods relating to structural design.
Advanced Geotechnical Engineering 4 is a highly relevant study of the design and analysis for structures that serve as embankments, concrete dams and the foundations for offshore installations.
You will be taught through lectures, coursework including a significant research and development project, and time spent in the laboratories, offering you the opportunity to develop the skills and abilities that you will take into your working life.
The course is organised into four core modules featuring 38 hours of lectures, a group design project that is centred on the practical application of civil engineering technology and a major individual research and development project.
The group design project module will not only increase your knowledge of the technical aspects of engineering design but also enhance your presentation skills and your ability to project manage and to work in a team.
You will complete an individual research and development project, with the support of a supervisor who will hold regular meetings to check on your progress and to discuss any planning issues. This will include up to 12 hours of quality time with your supervisor and more than 500 hours of research work and preparation, during which you will be supported by the Department’s technicians and research staff.
As well as the core modules, you will also select one of three optional modules that you feel will fit comfortably with your civil engineering interests and meet any learning development needs.
Assessment
Course assessment is thorough and includes a combination of project work, written exams, a competency portfolio and presentations.
A mid-term assessment is carried out to ensure your research and development project is on track and following the completion of the project, you will be required to submit a report on your work, in the style and format of a research paper. You will also have an oral examination centring on the technical aspects of your project.
Finally, you will be required to create and deliver a presentation of your project in poster form to staff and colleagues.
Entry requirements
To be admitted to the MSc programme in Civil Engineering, you need the equivalent of a UK Honours degree to at least an upper second class standard (2:1). This should normally be in an appropriate Engineering or Engineering-related subject including modules in Geotechnics, Structural Engieering, Mathematics for Engineers or Scientists, Fluid Mechanics and coding/computer programming . Although in some instances we can consider industrial or other relevant experience if you have a different first degree.
If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take a pre-Masters pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.
The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of full time study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).
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 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.
For further information on career options and employability, student and employer testimonials and details of work experience and study abroad opportunities, please visit our employability web pages.
Department information
Engineering
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, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering and Renewable and Sustainable Energy. 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.
The Department of Engineering features a number of modern dedicated teaching laboratories including the newly refurbished electrical laboratory. Other facilities include a wind tunnel, state-of-the-art clean rooms for experiments in very controlled environments and a geotechnical engineering laboratory.
An investment of more than £4 million has boosted the computing resources available, providing large memory and high-end processor machines for projects requiring major computer capacity.
Our students benefit from the Engineering Open Access area, which was built to facilitate both group work and individual projects.
The Department is located on the main campus at Lower Mountjoy, close to the centre of Durham and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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