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Civil Engineering Masters/MSc/Diploma

Start date
September
Duration
1 year full-time, or on a part-time basis over 24 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.

This programme is designed for civil engineering graduates and graduates with related degrees wishing to study a general Masters-level course rather than specialise in one subject area. You can tailor your studies to meet the needs of your chosen career path by selecting from a wide range of modules.

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

Being flexible in its nature, this Civil Engineering MSc/PG Diploma permits you to tailor the programme of studies to suit your own chosen career, benefiting from the range of specialist modules available to all MSc students.

Flexibility also means that graduates of non-civil engineering disciplines may be eligible for study. Please enquire if this applies in your particular case and we will make an assessment based on previous study and experience.

The taught element of your course takes place between September and May, and your individual research project will be undertaken from May to September. You can transfer from the Postgraduate Diploma to the MSc programme, upon completion of the Diploma, provided you satisfy the MSc requirements.

You will develop a broad knowledge base and understanding of the civil engineering profession and acquire problem-solving, team working, and communication skills; all essential when dealing with complex issues in this multi-disciplinary profession. Our graduates enjoy worldwide careers in consultancy, contracting industry, or choose a career which is underpinned by a good understanding of civil engineering. 

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

Why study Civil Engineering Masters/MSc/Diploma at Birmingham?

  • 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.
  • MSc Civil Engineering graduates will go on to careers world-wide in consultancy, contracting industry, or choose a career in industry that requires a good understanding of civil engineering issues. They may also resume existing careers or enter new branches of the wider engineering industry.
  • The University of Birmingham has six decades' worth of experience delivering Masters level education to students from across the world in more specialised areas of civil engineering. This new programme meets the need for general, flexible civil engineering learning to Masters level for future Chartered and Incorporated engineers.
  • Being flexible in its nature, this MSc in Civil Engineering permits every student to tailor the programme of studies to suit their own chosen career, benefiting from the range of specialist modules available to all MSc students. Flexibility also means that graduates of non-civil engineering disciplines may be eligible for study. Please enquire if this applies in your particular case and we will make an assessment based on previous study and experience.

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).

Modules

The course is made up of a total of 180 credits, 120 of which are from taught modules and a research project forms the basis of the remaining 60 credits.

Learning is delivered via lectures, tutorials, workshops, industrial seminars and site visits, as well as your individual project. We have extensive laboratories and other facilities both on and off our campus for undertaking research in geotechnical engineering, water engineering, wind engineering and structural engineering.

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: £10,340
  • MSc part-time: £5,670
  • Postgraduate Diploma full-time: £7,560

International students

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

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

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

Applicants for admission to the MSc/PG Diploma should normally hold, or be expecting to achieve, a 2:1 Honours degree in Civil Engineering or a relevant non-engineering subject; industrial experience and CEng/IEng qualifications will also be taken into account. 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

This programme provides a solid basis for a career in the implementation of construction and civil engineering projects. It includes lectures, tutorials, workshops, industrial seminars, site visits and an individual project.

The course is delivered in intense week-long modules, so you can choose to study either full-time or part-time. Learning is delivered via lectures, tutorials, workshops, industrial seminars and site visits, as well as your individual project. We have extensive laboratories and other facilities both on and off our campus for undertaking research in geotechnical engineering, water engineering, wind engineering and structural engineering.

The taught element takes place between September and May. In order to achieve the MSc degree, students will go on to undertake a major individual project in the May to September period. Diploma students do not take the individual project.

The taught part of the programme consists of nominally 1200 student effort hours including some 400 contact hours of lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops. The individual project involves approximate 600 hours of student effort.

It is possible to study full-time or part-time, as modules are delivered in intensive week-long blocks. This means that students can combine work and study, attending university for these weeks only. A student's performance is assessed by written examinations and individual coursework.

The research project report is submitted and presented (end of August/early September) for assessment. Students must normally reach a satisfactory standard in the written examinations to be permitted to proceed to the individual project. Formal examinations are normally held during the week immediately before the Spring term, in early January, and during May; submission of the project thesis is usually due by early September.

Transfer between Postgraduate Diploma and MSc is possible upon completion of the Diploma for a Diploma student who satisfies the MSc requirements. The Diploma may be awarded to an MSc student who fails to complete the individual project.

Upon graduation, you can choose to begin or resume a career in civil engineering design consultancies, general management/engineering consultancies, civil engineering contractors, construction and structural engineering companies.

Your MSc counts towards achieving Chartered Engineer accreditation.

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.

Morgan Sindall Internship at the Molecular Sciences Building

Learn more about Haripreeth, a MSc Civil Engineering and Management student who has done an internship on the new Molecular Sciences building at the University of Birmingham.

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).