Structural Engineering MSc (Eng)

Structural engineers help to make, shape and maintain the built environment, from buildings and bridges to water supply systems, power plants and flood defences. They are professionals who enjoy innovation, challenges, opportunities, responsibility and excitement in a varied and very satisfying career. As a profession, structural engineering provides a tremendous opportunity to make a real difference to peoples' lives and their environment.

This Masters degree will equip you with the advanced knowledge and skills to succeed in this challenging industry. You’ll build your knowledge of a range of core topics such as concrete and steel design, structural analysis, design optimisation and how structures are designed and managed in earthquake zones. You’ll also develop your research skills and focus on a specific topic when you complete your own research project.

Taught by leading academics and practitioners, you’ll prepare to face some of the major challenges of the 21st century.
This course has close links with local and regional industry as well as the Yorkshire branch of the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) – and you’ll benefit from the expertise of our active research groups across the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

You’ll also benefit from using our specialist facilities, such as bench-top testing facilities to look at the fundamental behaviour of material soils and testing rigs for full-scale structures. We have all the specialist software you’ll need for your programme, and you’ll have access to a dedicated study suite for Masters students.

Course highlights

• Our courses are shaped by our world-leading research in areas such as infrastructure resilience, numerical and experimental analysis of coupled phenomena and adaptive, optimised structures to environmental influences.

• You’ll be taught by internationally renowned academics working at the forefront of their fields, who are passionate about the subjects they teach with strong industrial links.

• Project work enables you to develop skills as a researcher, asking and answering important questions about the way our world works.

• Being able to work in multi-disciplinary teams is essential skill for structural engineers. You will be working with other students on the programme and with students from other programmes on a number of laboratory and multi-disciplinary design exercises.

• Throughout your studies you’ll benefit from a structured support system, with a personal tutor who will offer help and advice about your approach to studying and how to become adept at independent learning.

Specialist facilities

You will have access to our specialist facilities, such as bench-top testing facilities to look at the fundamental behaviour of material soils and testing rigs for full-scale structures. We have all the specialist software you’ll need for your programme, and you’ll have access to a dedicated study suite for Masters students.

Find out more about our facilities.

Programme team

The Programme Leader, Dr Nikolaos Nikitas, is an Associate Professor in Structural Dynamics and Engineering. His research interests include: wind engineering, self-excited phenomena and nonlinear/stochastic dynamics, experimental dynamics and sensors, earthquake engineering and mechanics of structures on multiscale.

Active research environment

You will be taught by a team of academics and researchers who are actively engaged in cutting-edge research and part of the Materials and Structures, Cities, Infrastructure and Energy, Leeds Institute for Data Analytics and Robotics@Leeds research groups.

Accreditation

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.

This course is also accredited by EUR-ACE, the European quality label for engineering degree programmes at Bachelor and Master level.

You’ll study a set of core modules that give you a firm foundation in the key elements of structural engineering. You’ll develop and expand your understanding of structural analysis and foundation engineering, and explore design issues related to key building materials like concrete, steel and composites. From there you’ll explore design optimisation and examine real-life examples.

We place a strong emphasis on applying your knowledge to real-world problems. Over the 2 semesters, you’ll work on your own design project, where you’ll develop, evaluate and recommend concept design solutions to a structural engineering problem and even put together an outline construction programme for the project.

During semester one and two but particularly over the summer months, you’ll also develop and apply your research skills to a real-world problem when you complete an independent research project.

Project work

The dissertation project is one of the most satisfying elements of this course. It allows you to apply what you’ve learned to a piece of research focusing on a real-world problem, and it can be used to explore and develop your specific interests.

Recent projects by Structural Engineering MSc (Eng) students have included:

• Dynamic shear resistance of collar jainted masonry panels

• Performance of reinforced concrete tunnel linings in fire situations

• Comparisons of tensile and compressive creep in concrete

• Review of the latest developments in the design and construction of carbon composite bridges

• Structural health monitoring of full-scale bridges

• Dynamic performance of grandstands under various spectator actions

• Identification of soil-structure interaction within earthquake response data from real tunnels

A proportion of projects are formally linked to industry, and can include spending time at the collaborator’s site over the summer.

Want to find out more about your modules?

Take a look at the Structural Engineering 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 Structural Engineering MSc (Eng) Full Time in the course catalogue

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

Modules

Year 1

Learning and teaching

Our groundbreaking research feeds directly into teaching, and you’ll have regular contact with staff who are at the forefront of their disciplines. You’ll have regular contact with them through lectures, seminars, tutorials, small group work and project meetings.

Independent study is also important to the programme, as you develop your problem-solving and research skills as well as your subject knowledge.

Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme and modules.

You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

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’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including case studies, technical reports, presentations, in-class tests, assignments and exams. Optional modules may also use alternative assessment methods.

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in civil engineering or an engineering discipline where relevant subject areas such as foundations, structural mechanics, soil and fluid mechanics, structural analysis and structural design have been studied.

A bachelor degree with a 2:2 (hons) will be considered for candidates with at least 3 years’ relevant work experience, or associate membership of an appropriate professional engineering institution.

We expect all applicants to provide a statement detailing experience held in structural analysis and structural design using reinforced concrete and steel as part of their application.

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 Civil Engineering (6 weeks) and Language for Science: Civil Engineering  (10 weeks).

We are now offering online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals.  To find out more, read Online Academic English pre-sessional (10 weeks) and Online Academic English pre-sessional (6 weeks).

Read about differences between our online and on-campus summer pre-sessionals.

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.

29 July 2022 - international applicants

9 September 2022 - 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

University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2023

Fees

• UK: £11,500 (total)
• International: £25,750 (total)

Read more about paying fees and charges.

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

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.

A degree from Leeds and the experience you'll gain here will give you the edge to find the career you want. Your course will give you the experience and knowledge that employers are looking for to help you secure a job.

The University of Leeds is in the top five most targeted universities in the UK by graduate recruiters, according to High Fliers’ The Graduate Market in 2022 report.

This programme greatly enhances your ability to obtain status as a Chartered Structural Engineer. As a result, you may expect to find employment in the major structural engineering consulting practices, while opportunities also exist with multidisciplinary consulting organisations.

Examples of alumni graduate destinations:

• Arup
• AECOM
• Jacobs
• Delf Consulting Engineers (India)
• G2 Structural Ltd
• JN Bentley Ltd
• KA Tech Tips Ltd
• SkyCon Design and Construction Co. Ltd
• Sterling Engineering Consultancy Services
• WSP
• Atkins
• Mott MacDonald
• Curtins
• Kier

Read profiles of our alumni to find out more about where some of our graduates are working.

If you are taking the course on a part-time basis, you will return to your existing jobs with enhanced potential for progression.

Careers support

At Leeds we help you to prepare for your future from day one. Our Leeds for Life initiative is designed to help you develop and demonstrate the skills and experience you need for when you graduate. We will help you to access opportunities across the University and record your key achievements so you are able to articulate them clearly and confidently.

You’ll have access to the wide range of careers resources and support from your Careers Service. You’ll have the chance to attend industry presentations, book appointments with qualified careers consultants and take part in employability workshops and webinars. Our careers fairs provide further opportunities to explore your career options with some of the UKs leading employers.

You will also have full access to the University’s Careers Centre, which is one of the largest in the country.

There are also plenty of exciting ways you can volunteer during your time at Leeds. Find out more at the Leeds University Union website.