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Road Management and Engineering Masters/MSc/Diploma

Start date
September
Duration
1 year full-time, or on a part-time basis over 24 or 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 Road Management and Engineering Masters programme will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need for the planning, appraisal, design construction and maintenance of road networks.

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

At Birmingham, you will learn to originate innovative research, transfer current thinking into practice and respond effectively to the road industry needs. The programme is relevant to conditions found in both developed and developing countries and are suitable for road engineers and civil engineering graduates who want to pursue a career in road management.

Our Road Management and Engineering Masters/MSc/Diploma course has been devised to meet the demands of both the UK and overseas road industry. It offers advanced training to engineers aspiring to higher or middle management in public and private sector road management. Course content is geared towards conditions found in developed and developing countries, and the course is suitable for road engineers and civil engineering graduates seeking to take their career into road management.

Management-focused modules complement the range of subjects taught in the engineering oriented modules and include state-of-the-art principles and practices associated with road asset management, economics and financing, HDM-4 (the World Bank’s de facto standard for road investment appraisal) and planning.

  • Modules are delivered via a variety of lectures, tutorials, team exercises, projects and site visits.
  • Those taking the MSc programme undertake a research project which accounts for 60 credits (one third of the overall programme).
  • An important feature is flexibility of delivery, allowing primarily UK-based practising road engineers to attend on a part-time basis.
    • Master of Science degree, MSc (12 months full time, 24-36 months part-time)
    • Diploma (10 months full-time, 24-36 months part-time)

Why study Road Management and Engineering Masters 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.
  • Postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham is a chance to learn from world leaders in their fields. This guarantees you a first-class learning experience, leading to a qualification that is respected the world over, making you an attractive prospect in a very competitive job market. We offer a stimulating, thriving research environment, and offer a warm welcome to postgraduate students seeking to contribute to our work.
  • Discover how civil engineering, in all its aspects, is a cornerstone of both the development and sustainability of civilisations.
  • Benefit from our broad range of academic staff and research skills, giving you the opportunity to study subjects that lie between the traditional disciplines or which focus in depth on a particular field.
  • Research at Birmingham places a strong emphasis on tackling the problems faced by society today, and many of our projects have already made a significant impact on society.
  • We have a long tradition of distinguished research that benefits from being funded by industry, charities and research councils, encouraging innovative thinking and creating internationally recognised results.
  • Alumni from our MSc programmes are found in nearly every country around the world, and we are held in high regard by the engineering community.

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).

Holding a full-time job and studying in my free time was never easy because it required a lot of sacrifices and strategic planning which often led to very difficult trade-offs. Nonetheless, when I factor in the fun I had on the course, the great people I met and the wealth of knowledge I learnt, the benefits were priceless in the long run!

Mike Butler, MSc Road Management and Engineering

Modules

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

Your development is through a combination of lectures, tutorials, site visits and major and minor projects. Student-centred, computer-based and flexible learning are important elements. Coursework and oral presentations are required for many projects. 

The programme is also designed with part-time students in mind, and is formulated specifically to facilitate the career development of individuals working in the roads sector and meet the demands of both the UK and overseas road industry. Part-time students take the same modules as full-time students, but can opt to take the programme over a two or three-year period. 

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
  • MSc part-time: £5,670 (year 1)
  • Postgraduate Diploma full-time: £7,560
  • Postgraduate Diploma part-time: £3,780 (year 1)

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.

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, Sciences, Geology, Geography or Mathematics). Practical experience may also be considered. 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

...it's a very international focused programme which actually develops leaders in their field.

Dr Michael Burrow, Programme Convenor

The primary teaching interest is to provide postgraduate taught programmes (MSc, Diploma and Certificate) for both practising road engineers and Civil Engineering graduates that want to pursue a career in road management. 

The programme is taught by experts in their field with a wealth of international experience using modern teaching methods which mix traditional lectures, tutorials, small group activities, e-learning resources, projects, computer based activities and field work to foster learning. These are complimented by site visits and a series of lectures delivered by distinguished guest speakers from industry on pertinent and current topics. 

The programme is designed to provide current knowledge in management procedures for the planning, appraisal, design, construction and maintenance of road networks. The programme will also be relevant to conditions found in both the developed and the developing countries. A key feature of the programmes delivery is flexibility that allows primarily UK-based practicing road engineers to attend the programmes on a part-time basis.

Graduates are held in high regard and many of today’s senior executives in road authorities throughout the world are graduates of the programme.

Our excellent links with industry ensure that the vast majority of graduates find rewarding employment and amongst our recent graduates are those who have joined the World Bank, government road agencies, local authorities, international arms of consulting engineers, niche asset management specialists and road contractors as well as those who have gone on to PhD study.

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.

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).