Engineering Geology MSc

Our Engineering Geology Masters degree provides concentrated one-year training in engineering geology and related geotechnical subjects to prepare you for professional practice in engineering geology and geotechnical engineering.

It gives you a grounding in the application of geological principles to a wide range of fields appropriate to civil, ground and mining engineering.

Studying engineering geology will provide you with excellent job opportunities as a result of high calibre academic training, as well as the development of strong skills in terms of both critical and independent thought and team work.

Most of our graduates join consulting engineering and environmental consulting companies, while others go on to PhD studies.

Engineering Geologists

Engineering geologists are found worldwide working on a wide range of problems, from foundation and mine design to the assessment of seismic and landslide risk.

Their understanding of how groundwater and pollutants travel through the ground may impact on the safe design and construction of excavations and waste disposal sites.

They use geological and geomorphological mapping to identify geological hazards and allow for safe development. Their understanding of the ground and how it responds to static and dynamic loads can influence safe and sustainable siting and design of engineering structures.

Engineering geologists, with a unique understanding of the ground, and a broad appreciation of rates of geological processes over engineering time, are intimately involved in many construction and infrastructure projects.

Course highlights

• Your teaching will be delivered by the School of Earth and Environment with input from the School of Civil Engineering.

• The University regularly hosts the Yorkshire Geotechnical Group (Institution of Civil Engineers) and is involved with the Yorkshire Regional Group of the Geological Society.

• Complete a significant individual dissertation project often involving organisations outside the University such as consulting engineers, civil engineering contractors and the British Geological Survey.

• Our School is home to world-class research, teaching and laboratory facilities, many of which will be available to you throughout your studies.

• We have been training Engineering Geologists for over 50 years and maintain links with alumni who can be found in many companies across the globe.

• Industry colleagues contribute to the taught programme and an Industry Advisory Board informs the content of this course.

Accreditation

When you choose a degree with accredited status, you can be assured that the teaching is of the highest standard.

This degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) comprising of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, Institute of Highway Engineers, and the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for candidates who have already acquired a partial CEng accredited undergraduate first degree.* See www.jbm.org.uk for further information.

*It should be noted that candidates completing the MSc who hold an underpinning accredited IEng degree or a non-accredited bachelor degree will need to apply for an academic assessment to determine whether they will meet the educational base for CEng registration.

You will take two terms of lectures (class and computer-based practical work) and laboratory classes, as well as a significant period of individual work, leading to the submission of a dissertation.

You will also take part in supervised fieldtrips, and where opportunity allows, ground investigations and construction site visits.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork will be an important element of your MSc and is one of the most enjoyable and sociable parts of the course for students and staff alike. An introductory trip will be held during induction week, serving as an excellent introduction to the field of Engineering Geology. You will also take a weeklong trip around the Easter period which is a more focused trip and gives the opportunity to put into practice everything you have learned in the first two terms.

There are also a number of potential one day trips through the year to visit active construction sites. The timings and details of these will vary from year to year, but they are always a beneficial window into the world of professional practice

Study options

You can also study this course part-time over two years. Please contact the Admissions Team if you are interested in pursuing this route and we can be more specific with the part-time study requirements and time commitments. However, please note that there is one single mechanism for studying this course part-time, which involves the equivalent of full-time attendance on a Monday and Tuesday in the first year and Thursday and Friday in the second.

Want to find out more about your modules?
Take a look at the Engineering Geology module descriptions for more detail on what you will study.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Engineering Geology MSc Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Engineering Geology MSc Part Time in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

Learning and teaching

You will be taught via lectures, individual and group class-based practicals, laboratory practicals, field courses and independent project work.

Facilities

• Access your own dedicated computing suite for use by Masters students only.

• Collect and interpret data related to the geotechnical and mining sectors around the world in our Rock Mechanics Engineering Geology and Geotechnical laboratories.

• Carry out soil and rock description and testing including uniaxial, triaxial testing, direct shear tests, slake durability and permeability tests all to ISRM, CIRIA, EuroCode and other recognised standards.

• For independent project work, access state-of-the-art methods for establishing the composition of rocks and soils through thin section analysis, X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electon Microscopy and other advanced techniques.

• Use a suite of industry-standard software packages including RocScience, ArcGIS and gINT.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

You will be assessed on your written and oral assignments, field-based assessments and exams, as well as seminars and a dissertation project.

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in an earth science, engineering, civil engineering, mining or a related discipline.

We require Mathematics or Physics to AS level (pass grade) or international equivalent, but this requirement can be waived on an ad-hoc basis given appropriate mathematical content of your first degree or industrial experience.

Applicants with a 2:2 will be considered on a case by case basis where applicants can demonstrate significant relevant work experience in a relevant specialist field.

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. For more information please contact the Admissions Team.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Engineering (6 weeks) and Language for Science: Engineering (10 weeks). 

If you need to study for longer than 10 weeks, read more about our postgraduate pre-sessional English course.

How to apply

Application deadlines

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

31 July 2021 – International applicants

10 September 2021 - UK applicants

Apply (Full time)

Apply (Part time)

This link takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.

If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

Faculty of Environment Taught Admissions Policy 2021

Fees

• UK: £10,000 (total)
• International: £24,750 (total)

Read more about paying fees and charges.

Brexit 
Visit our Brexit page for the latest information on the effect of the UK's exit from the EU on current students and applicants to the University.

For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.

Part-time fees
Fees for part-time courses are normally calculated based on the number of credits you study in a year compared to the equivalent full-time course. For example, if you study half the course credits in a year, you will pay half the full-time course fees for that year.

Additional cost information

Because we recognise the value of field experience the school heavily subsidises or covers the transport and accommodation costs for all compulsory taught field courses.

We hope to run our fieldwork activities as planned for the 21/22 academic year, but it might not be possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are continually reviewing the situation and will communicate any decisions to applicants and offer holders at the earliest possible opportunity.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government.  Find out more at Masters funding overview.

We have strong company links which typically offer a number of industry scholarships. Available scholarships can be viewed on our website.

Here are some of the roles that our recent graduates are now in:

• AECOMM, Consulting Engineers

• Amey, Consulting

• Arcadis, Design and Consultancy

• Arup, Consulting Engineers

• Atkins, Consulting Engineers

• Golder Associates, Consulting Engineers

• Hyder Consulting

• Jacobs, Consulting Engineers

• Mott MacDonald, Consulting Engineers

• Network Rail

• RSK, Engineering and Environmental Consultancy

• Soil Engineering, Geotechnical Contractors

• Wardell Armstrong, Consulting Engineers

• WSP, Consulting Engineers

We have a strong commitment to enhancing student employability and our own dedicated school Employability Officer. We offer extra support and activities to help you stand out in your chosen field and achieve your career goals. In particular, employers frequently advertise opportunities via the programme team.

There is also an opportunity to network with industry sponsors at a dedicated Industry Recruitment Day, the School of Earth and Environment Careers Fair, as well as opportunities to undertake dissertation project work with potential employers.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.

You will benefit from our excellent links with the civil, ground, and mining engineering industries and during your studies you may have the chance to attend seminars given by colleagues from professional practice, or perhaps make site visits that allow you to see current practice in the field.

We also have an active Industry Advisory Board which meets once per year to consider feedback from students and external examiners, as well as the need to ensure course content is updated to reflect current advances in the subject.

A number of industrial sponsors have donated prizes which can be awarded annually to high achieving students:

• Soils Engineering Prize for Excellence in Geotechnical Studies at Postgraduate Level, for outstanding all-round performance

• Atkins Prize for excellence in project work

• Wardell Armstrong Prize for Engineering Geological Fieldwork.

The Masters Programme has a strong and historical alumni association in Leeds Engineering Geological Society.