MSc Structural Engineering

Year of entry: 2024

Overview

Degree awarded
MSc
Duration
12 months full time
Entry requirements
The standard academic entry requirement for this Master's course is a minimum Upper Second Class UK Honours degree or international equivalent in a relevant science or engineering discipline.  Please note that we consider grades achieved in key relevant modules in your undergraduate degree as well as the overall degree result.     

Full entry requirements

How to apply

Apply online

As there is high demand for this course we operate a  staged admissions process  with selection deadlines throughout the year. Please find more information in our  Application and Selection section.

Course options

Full-time Part-time Full-time distance learning Part-time distance learning
MSc Y N N N

Course overview

  • Study specialist topics, including fire and earthquake engineering, taught by leading researchers in the field
  • Graduate from the Number-One Most Sought-After University by Top Graduate Employers (THE Graduate Market, 2023)
  • Balance theoretical and practical work with our state-of-the-art facilities, including wave flumes, geotechnics centrifuge, materials testing, 3D laser scanners for surveying - all in our Engineering and Materials Building
  • Benefit from our 200 year history of innovation, here at the first English University to offer an Engineering Degree
  • Accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators, this MSc course completes your full educational base for Chartered Engineer Status

Open days

For details of the next University Postgraduate open day, please visit  open days and visits .

Fees

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

  • MSc (full-time)
    UK students (per annum): £15,500
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £35,000

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

Across our institution, we offer a number of postgraduate taught scholarships and awards to outstanding UK and international students each year.

The University of Manchester is committed to widening participation in master's study, and allocates £300,000 in funding each year. Our Manchester Masters Bursaries are aimed at widening access to master's courses by removing barriers to postgraduate education for students from underrepresented groups.

For more information, see the Fees and funding page or visit the University of Manchester funding for masters courses website for more information.

Contact details

Department
Department of Mechanical, Aerospace & Civil Engineering
Contact name
Postgraduate Admissions Team
Telephone
+44 (0)161 543 4016
Email
Website
https://www.mace.manchester.ac.uk/
School/Faculty

The School of Engineering creates a world of possibilities for students pursuing skills and understanding. Through dynamic research and teaching we develop engineering solutions that make a difference to society in an ethical and sustainable way.  Science-based engineering is at the heart of what we do, and through collaboration we support the engineers and scientists of tomorrow to become technically strong, analytically innovative and creative. Find out more about Science and Engineering at Manchester .

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

The standard academic entry requirement for this Master's course is a minimum Upper Second Class UK Honours degree or international equivalent in a relevant science or engineering discipline.  Please note that we consider grades achieved in key relevant modules in your undergraduate degree as well as the overall degree result.     

English language

All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is:

• IELTS: overall score of 7.0 with no sub-test below 6.5.

• TOEFL iBT: at least 100 overall with no sub-test less than 22. We do not accept 'MyBestScore'. We do not accept TOEFL iBT Home Edition.

• Pearson PTE: at least 76 overall with no sub-test below 70.

• Pre-sessional English run by the University Centre for Academic English

• An acceptable equivalent English Language qualification.

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Application and selection

How to apply

Apply online

As there is high demand for this course we operate a  staged admissions process  with selection deadlines throughout the year. Please find more information in our  Application and Selection section.

Staged admissions

Applications to this course are considered through a staged admissions process with selection deadlines throughout the year. Due to the competition for places, we give preference to applicants with grades above our minimum entry requirements. If we make you an offer, you will have 6 weeks in which to accept. Offers that are not accepted within the 6 week period will be withdrawn so that an offer can be made to another candidate in the next application stage.

Stage 1: Application deadline 15 December 2023. Decision by 16 February 2024.

Stage 2: Application deadline 1 March 2024. Decision by 26 April 2024.

Stage 3: Application deadline 3 May 2024. Decision by 21 June 2024.

We aim to give you a decision on your application in the decision period for your application stage. However, in some instances it may be necessary to roll your application forward to the next stage due to the competition for places and the volume of applications received. 

All places are subject to availability and some courses may close before the later stages. We therefore recommend that you apply early. Applications received after the final deadline may be considered at our discretion if places are still available.

Applicants who are made a conditional offer of a place must meet all the conditions of their offer by 31 July 2024.

Advice to applicants

We require the following documents before we can consider your application:
  • Transcript of your studies to date including credit weighting and grades achieved. If your academic documents are in languages other than English, please provide them in their original version and official translations. 2+2 and 3+1 applicants must provide official transcripts and certificates from both institutions.
  • An official document from your university verifying your current weighted average mark (not arithmetic average) if this information is not included in your transcript of study.  Please note : where grades are given as a percentage, the weighted average mark must also be recorded as a percentage, not as a GPA grade. 
  • If still studying, please provide an official list of all the modules you are taking in your final year.
  • Degree certificate if you have already graduated.
  • A CV if you graduated more than three years ago.
References and personal statements are not required for your application for this programme.

How your application is considered

We consider your full academic history including which course units you have taken and the marks obtained. Even if you have met our minimum entry requirements, we will take into account your marks in relevant course units in our final decision making.

If you graduated more than three years ago, we will also consider the information contained on your CV and any relevant work experience you have to assess if you are still able to fulfil the entry criteria.

Interview requirements

No interview is required for this course.

Overseas (non-UK) applicants

CAS Information

Please upload a copy of your current valid passport with your application showing the photograph page with your application. For CAS purposes, this must show your full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number and the date the passport is valid until, which must be later than the date of your planned arrival in the UK, and the start date of your course.

If you have previously studied in the UK on a Tier 4 visa as an undergraduate or postgraduate student, please send a copy of your previous CAS statement to us as it will assist with the issue of your new CAS statement. This includes study in the UK on study abroad programmes and any study that you did not complete.

You cannot use your CAS to apply for a visa more than three months before the start date of your course. The Admissions Team will contact you at the appropriate time.

Your CAS number is only valid for one Tier 4 application.

Deferrals

Applications for deferred entry are not accepted for this course. If you receive an offer and wish to be considered for the following year of entry, you will need to place a new application. Please be aware there is no guarantee of receiving another offer, and offer conditions are subject to change in line with entry requirements.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry. In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

Course details

Course description

Structural engineering is the foundation of our built environment, and in the age of climate change and urbanisation, innovation in this specialisation has never been more important.

Taught across eight course units, each worth 15 credits, combined with a research dissertation worth 60 credits, you will cover advanced aspects of theory and design - looking at both the static and dynamic behaviour of structures in steel and concrete.

Specialist, topical elements covered include studying the behaviours of structural designs against extreme loading, including both fire and earthquakes - brought to you by internationally leading researchers and engineers. You will also explore an introduction to finate element modelling, experimental work, and research methods.

Within both the discipline of Civil Engineering and the wider School of Engineering, our experts focus in on a broad range of research areas and have a wide spread of professional, real-time experience in industry.

In addition to the world-class teaching, you will be learn in our world-class facilities - the Engineering and Materials Building . This space is the largest dedicated engineering building in the UK, and home to excellent equipment to enable you to supplement your theoretical learning with hands-on work.

Teaching and learning

Traditional lecture and tutorial-based teaching is supported by well-equipped laboratories for demonstrations and for experimental work and all taught units are also supported within a modern e-learning environment.  Dissertation research provides our students with training in research by investigating a novel and complex problem under the personal supervision of a MACE academic experienced in supervision for higher research degrees. Our teaching and learning philosophy involves teaching our students advanced techniques and supporting them to apply their knowledge to solve problems both in a research context and in industry when they graduate from The University of Manchester.

Course unit list

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Experimental Methods (MSc Structural Engineering) AERO61021 15 Mandatory
Dissertation CIVL60000 60 Mandatory
Advanced Structural Analysis CIVL60012 15 Mandatory
Principles of Structural Engineering Design CIVL60031 15 Mandatory
Earthquake Engineering CIVL60912 15 Mandatory
Practice of Structural Engineering Design CIVL63052 15 Mandatory
Fire Engineering CIVL64042 15 Mandatory
Research Methods MECH60041 15 Mandatory
Finite Elements MECH60561 15 Mandatory

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Careers

Career opportunities

For the second year running, The University of Manchester has been named the Number-One Most Sought-After University by Top Graduate Employers (THE Graduate Market, 2022 and 2023), and that is only one of our more recent accolades.

For over 50 years, we have run a one year programme in Structural Engineering - an area which only continues to grow in demand and opportunity. As our student, you will enjoy our long-enduring links with industry and the potential connections you can make along the way.

Our students go on to work in a rich and varied range of construction areas across the UK and beyond. With names including some of the best multinationals in the world, our graduates have gone on to work at companies including:

  • Accenture
  • Arcadis
  • Balfour Beatty
  • EDF
  • Mott Macdonald
  • Network Rail
  • WSP
  • And many more
 Examples of graduate roles include:
  • Consulting Structural Engineer
  • Design Engineer
  • Structural Engineer
  • Project Manager
  • Sustainability Consultant
  • Urban Designer
  • And many more

Accrediting organisations

This degree is accredited 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.