MSc Reliability Engineering and Asset Management / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course description

Our teaching style is unique compared to other postgraduate engineering courses. The taught units are explained through industrial case studies to demonstrate the application of theory.

Our MSc course offers excellent teaching with real industrial applications ranging from maintenance systems and modelling, audit maintenance, turnaround management, reliability and maintainability, approaches in condition-based maintenance (CBM) and maintenance in design. Many of the students on this course are professionals already working in the industry. However we also have recent graduates on the course who benefit from sharing classes with professionals with industrial experience and awareness of the real-world challenges in the workplace.

Prof Jyoti Sinha / Course Director

Reliability Engineering and Asset Management are critical to industries throughout the world.

It is estimated that a significant amount of annual plant cost is spent on maintenance. Maintenance costs are likely to influence competitiveness on a global scale and therefore those working in maintenance can impact their company's bottom line in a positive way.

This course intends to equip candidates to do just that. The MSc course embraces management techniques, organisation, planning and the application of substantial electronic, engineering and analytical knowledge to manufacturing processes, transport, power generation and the efficient operation of industrial, commercial and civic buildings. The aim of the course is to give companies the technical and managerial expertise to thrive in the global marketplace.

Course content

The course includes taught units which cover various aspects of applied management and technology in the field of reliability engineering and asset management. The course is designed to be suitable for professionals already working in the industry as well as recent graduates who have studied an undergraduate degree in this field. Our teaching staff are internationally recognised professionals with years of experience working in industry and academic institutions.

The course is offered as indicated below:

  • Full-time on campus, 1 year
  • Part-time on campus, 3 years  (4 x 1 week teaching blocks per year) This option is only available for Home students
  • Part-time distance learning, 3 years  (Students study two units per term. There is a one day webinar per unit. Attendance is not compulsory but is recommended)

We also offer Reliability Engineering and Asset Management as a Postgraduate Certificate (four taught units), a Postgraduate Diploma (all eight taught units) and as a Continuing Professional Development course in which you can study individual course units.

For further information about these course options, please see the Reliability Engineering and Asset Management PG Certificate and PG Diploma course page, or our Continuing Professional Development course page.

Teaching and learning

Full-time on campus

Students study full time on campus and undertake eight course units. Each taught unit lasts one week and is followed by time for coursework and revision for examinations. Students also submit a dissertation and the MSc is completed in one year.

Part-time on campus (only available for Home/EU students)

Students undertake eight units. Each course unit is taught over a one week period and is followed by time for coursework and revision for examinations. Students study four course units each year over the first two years and then they write their dissertation project in the final year. Therefore the duration of the part-time course is three years.

Part-time distance learning

Students undertake eight course units, all studied online, spending around 3 months on each course unit. Teaching will begin with a short introduction allowing students to acclimatise to the online system- our Virtual Learning Environment, Blackboard 9. The online teaching material includes text, images, video and animation and there is also regular and active communication online between groups of students and with academic staff. Distance learning students are invited to attend a webinar via the Blackboard virtual learning environment with the course leader twice per semester.  This is recommended but not compulsory. The MSc is completed in three years with students completing their dissertation project in the final year.

Coursework and assessment

Following each taught course unit, there are two assignments and an examination. Distance learning students take the examination at an approved higher education institute or the British Council in their home country.

The written assignment accounts for 50% of the grade for the unit, the examination 35% and an in-unit assignment the remaining 15%.

Examination period

Examinations for the semester one course content take place in January.

Examinations for the semester two course content take place in May/June.

Dissertation project

The dissertation project is intended to address and analyse a real issue in Reliability Engineering and Asset Management. Students select and research the issue and are expected to apply the theory they have learnt during the course. The dissertation should bring in case studies, reflect on potential solutions reported in the literature and suggest innovative proposals and field trials. All students have access to laboratory resources where appropriate.

Course unit details

The MSc consists of eight taught units.

 The earlier units address the management of the maintenance process, including such topics as asset management and maintenance strategy, advanced vibration monitoring, asset maintenance systems and condition monitoring. Later more specialised units deal with auditing, and reliability and risk. Our teaching offers a holistic approach in order to provide students with the knowledge and skills to apply best practice in maintenance engineering and management. This allows our students to enhance plant and system reliability in the industry in which they work. 

All delivery modes (full time, part time and distance learning) cover the same syllabus and lead to the same qualification, however the duration of the course is different.

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
Dissertation (REAM) MECH60300 60 Mandatory
Asset Management Strategy & Organisation MECH68011 15 Mandatory
Safety, Legislation & Cost Effectiveness MECH68022 15 Mandatory
Asset Maintenance Systems DL MECH68032 15 Mandatory
Machinery Vibration-based Condition Monitoring MECH68041 15 Mandatory
Design for Reliability & Asset Management MECH68051 15 Mandatory
Auditing Asset Management & Maintenance Organisations MECH68062 15 Mandatory
Reliability, Maintainability & Risk DL MECH68072 15 Mandatory
Turnaround Management DL MECH68081 15 Mandatory
Asset Management Strategy & Organisation MECH69001 15 Mandatory
Safety, Legislation & Cost Effectiveness MECH69022 15 Mandatory
Asset Maintenance Systems MECH69032 15 Mandatory
Machinery Vibration-based Condition Monitoring MECH69041 15 Mandatory
Design for Reliability & Asset Management MECH69051 15 Mandatory
Auditing Asset Management & Maintenance Organisations MECH69062 15 Mandatory
Reliability, Maintainability & Risk MECH69072 15 Mandatory
Turnaround Management MECH69081 15 Mandatory
Displaying 10 of 17 course units

Facilities

You'll learn in our world-class £400m Home of Engineering and Materials , a building specifically designed to bring together all disciplines to create a connected and dynamic environment.

This space supports a variety of teaching and learning styles, through blended lecture theatres, multi-purpose study spaces and over 250 state-of-the-art laboratories. There is also a range of technical spaces, enabling you to shape your own learning environment.

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

CPD opportunities

We also offer Reliability Engineering and Asset Management as a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or as individual course units for those who would like to select specific course units to support their continuing professional development.

Please see our website for full details of the Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and the CPD options.