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Geotechnical Engineering Masters

MSc / Diploma / Certificate

Start date
September
Duration
1 year full-time, or on a part-time basis typically over 24–36 months
Course Type
Postgraduate, Continuing professional development, Taught
Fees

We charge an annual tuition fee. Fees for 2024/25:
£11,340 (UK students)
£29,340 (International students)
Further fee information is available.

Our Geotechnical Engineering Masters/MSc is designed for recent graduates or experienced professionals, The programme is ideal for civil engineers and geologists seeking to extend their professional scope or specialise in geotechnical engineering.

Scholarships for 2024 entry

The University of Birmingham is proud to offer a range of scholarships for our postgraduate programmes. With a scholarship pot worth over £2 million, we are committed to alleviating financial barriers to support you in taking your next steps.

Each scholarship has its own specific deadlines and eligibility criteria. Please familiarise yourself with the information on individual scholarship webpages prior to submitting an application.

Explore our scholarships

Modern structures, such as buildings, embankments and dams, must satisfy exacting stability and deformation criteria, and they may have to be sited on weak or compressible ground. It is the responsibility of the geotechnical engineer to plan and direct the necessary ground investigations and laboratory testing, interpret the results, and propose methods of design and construction to overcome difficulties caused by inadequate ground.

The long-term performance of the structure must be predicted, and instruments may have to be installed to check the prediction. This needs a sound knowledge of engineering geology, soil and rock mechanics, current civil engineering design, and of construction management and practice.

Our Geotechnical Engineering Masters/MSc programme is designed to support high-level training and enhance both your technical and managerial skills. With an excellent reputation across the industry, the course focuses on essential aspects of the subject, including: physical, chemical and mechanical properties of soils and rocks; ground investigation; field and laboratory testing; engineering geology and site investigation; analysis, design and construction of foundations, retaining walls, tunnels, embankments and slopes including methods of ground reinforcement and improvement.

You will develop a sound knowledge of soil and rock mechanics, current civil engineering design, and construction management and practice. The research project allows for detailed study into a particular area of geotechnical engineering and can focus upon laboratory testing, numerical modelling or management of geotechnical processes/applications. 

This will support your career as a geotechnical engineer, enabling you to plan and direct ground investigations and laboratory testing, giving you the basis for interpreting results and proposing the optimum methods of design and construction.

This course is offered in both full-time and part-time modes

  • Masters degree/MSc: 12 months full-time, 24-36 months part-time
  • Postgraduate Diploma: 10 months full-time, 24-36 months part-time
  • Postgraduate Certificate: 10 months full-time, 24-36 months part-time

Why study Geotechnical Engineering Masters at Birmingham?

  • Why study this course at Birmingham?...in short we offer two masters courses in Geotechnical Engineering that provide flexibility, broad subject coverage, high quality delivery and excellent job prospects on graduation. One course allows a full development of all the important technical aspects associated with Geotechnical Engineering while the other course builds on a strong technical core and yet allows new developments in management practice to be covered. Our courses are ideally suited to recent graduates or those seeking to boost their career prospects.
  • Study in our new state-of-the-art School of Engineering building which includes a 179-capacity Design Centre and 160 drop-in study spaces throughout the building providing flexible learning.
  • Birmingham has been providing a highly respected masters course in geotechnical engineering for more than 50 years now and has built up an excellent reputation for providing the graduates industry needs.
  • Our courses are continually updated to meet the ever changing environment faced by geotechnical engineering, underpinned by excellence in research with strong links from industry. Graduates often secure employment long before they graduate or use it as a stepping stone in their career development.

Accredited degree

This degree programme is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) comprising of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, Institute of Highway Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation and the Permanent Way Institution on behalf of the Engineering Council, as meeting the academic requirement for Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).

Chat with our postgrads

Zechariah against a colourful backgroundThe best advice about studying a Masters or PhD at Birmingham comes from our students. Our friendly and welcoming postgraduate students are ready and waiting to chat and share their thoughts on our courses, stunning campus and life in a vibrant and cultural city.

Chat with Zechariah

The University of Birmingham is one of the best educational institutions in the UK. It has been providing a Masters course in Geotechnical Engineering since 1956, which has developed an excellent reputation. Job prospects after graduation are excellent!

Petros Isidorou, MSc Geotechnical Engineering

Modules

This course consists of 180 credits. This comprises a 60-credit individual research project plus 120 credits in taught learning.

Core modules

Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Fees

Annual Tuition fees 2024/25

UK students

  • MSc full-time: £11,340
  • Postgraduate Diploma full-time: £7,560
  • Postgraduate Certificate: £3,780
  • Part-time fee £63 per credit

International students

  • MSc full-time: £29,340
  • Postgraduate Diploma full-time: £19,560
  • Postgraduate Certificate: £9,780

Are you an international applicant?

All international applicants to this course will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit of £2,000 on receipt of an offer, to secure their place.

Find out more about the deposit >>.

Postgraduate Loans (PGL) for Masters students

UK and EU students (with settled or pre-settled status) looking to pursue a Masters programme in the UK can apply for a non-means-tested loan from the British government via the Student Loans Company (SLC).

The loan will be paid directly to you, into a UK bank account. It is intended to provide a contribution towards the costs of Masters study and whether the loan is used towards fees, maintenance or other costs is at your own discretion.

Learn more about applying for PGL 

Scholarships

We offer a range of postgraduate scholarships for taught programmes and research opportunities to ensure the very best talent is nurtured and supported at postgraduate level.

University scholarships

Birmingham Masters Scholarship

Our Birmingham Masters Scholarship offers £2,000 via a tuition fee discount, to support the brightest and best applicants from UK or Ireland undertaking Masters study at Birmingham during 2024-2025.

Global Masters Scholarship

This £2,000 Gloabl Masters Scholarship award is available to all international students from a selection of countries who are seeking to study a taught Masters degree at Birmingham in the 2024-25 academic year.

 

How To Apply

This course is offered in both full-time and part-time modes

  • Masters degree/MSc: 12 months full-time, 24-36 months part-time
  • Postgraduate Diploma: 10 months full-time, 24-36 months part-time
  • Postgraduate Certificate: 10 months full-time, 24-36 months part-time

International applicants requiring visas

Applications to this programme from students who are international for fees will close 7 May 2024. We will close applications as soon as the programme is full, early applications are encouraged.

UK and non-Tier 4 applicants

Applications will close 31 August 2024. We will close applications as soon as the programme is full, early applications are encouraged.

Application routes

Please note that the duration of this programme is one year full-time, while part-time study can be up to three years.

However, part-time programmes are only eligible for Government Masters Loans if they are no more than twice the length of the full-time version. Therefore any UK part-time students wishing to apply for Government Masters Loans must complete the programme within two years.

If you plan to study over two years and/or would like to apply for a Masters Loan, please select the fixed part-time application route shown. If you would like the flexibility to study over up to three years, and are not seeking funding, please select the standard part-time application route.

How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate taught programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online. We have put together some helpful information on the taught programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page. Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

Apply now

Our Standard Requirements

A 2:1 Honours degree in a relevant subject (eg, Engineering, Science, Geology or Mathematics). Practical experience will also be taken into account. Evidence of adequate knowledge of English is required. Learn more about entry requirements. 

International Requirements



International Students

English language

For students whose first language is not English, one of the following English language qualifications is required:

 
  • IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any band
  • TOEFL: 88 overall with no less than 21 in Reading, 20 in Listening, 22 in Speaking and 21 in Writing
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE) including online: PTE Academic 67 with no less than 64 in all four skills
  • Cambridge English (exams taken from 2015): Advanced – minimum overall score of 176, with no less than 169 in any component

Our MSc programme is designed to support high level training and enhance both the technical and managerial skills of recent graduates or experienced personnel who work in, or aspire to a career in, the construction or related industries.

This programme is aimed at Civil Engineers and Geologists who wish to widen their professional scope or to specialise in geotechnical engineering with the addition of modern managerial skills. To summarise the detailed information above, the teaching concentrates on four essential aspects of the subject:

  1. Physical, chemical and mechanical properties of soils and rocks; ground investigation; field and laboratory testing
  2. Engineering geology and site investigation
  3. Analysis, design and construction of foundations, retaining walls, embankments and slopes including methods of ground reinforcement and improvement.

Assessment 

Candidates must pass the written examinations, achieve a satisfactory project assessment, submit satisfactory coursework, satisfy practical training requirements and comply with University Regulations.

Staff details

The course is taught by several University staff and by visiting lecturers who provide material that is enhanced by a depth of research and industrial experience.

Graduates are held in high regard by the geotechnical and related industry, and often secure employment before they graduate. They often join a specialist geotechnical engineering company or a general engineering organisation, as a specialist engineer in this area.

Many of the most senior positions in industry are filled by graduates of this programme and industry prizes are regularly awarded to graduates.

For the past years Atkins has recruited students from the MSc course at the University of Birmingham. I have found that the MSc course provided the students with a comprehensive and diverse understanding of Geotechnical Engineering, which has allowed the recruits to develop their careers. The course is successful in providing the essential technical aspects in the subject, but also allows a sound practical application of the skills learnt.

Neil Fraser, Divisional Director, Atkins Ltd, Birmingham

University Careers Network

Preparation for your career should be one of the first things you think about as you start university. Whether you have a clear idea of where your future aspirations lie or want to consider the broad range of opportunities available once you have a Birmingham degree, our Careers Network can help you achieve your goal.

Our unique careers guidance service is tailored to your academic subject area, offering a specialised team (in each of the five academic colleges) who can give you expert advice. Our team source exclusive work experience opportunities to help you stand out amongst the competition, with mentoring, global internships and placements available to you. Once you have a career in your sights, one-to-one support with CVs and job applications will help give you the edge.

If you make the most of the wide range of services you will be able to develop your career from the moment you arrive.

Professional Accreditation

Accredited degree

This degree programme is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) comprising of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, Institute of Highway Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation and the Permanent Way Institution on behalf of the Engineering Council, as meeting the academic requirement for Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).