MSc
Civil Engineering
The final stage to becoming a fully qualified civil engineer
Course Overview
Why take this course?
Modern civil engineers plan, design, construct and manage the large-scale public works and amenities that underpin societies throughout the world.
Our course aims to provide you with a greater framework within which to understand the core disciplines of civil engineering. It will give you an opportunity to update your technical skills and to study issues of growing importance within the civil engineering and construction industries.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
- Attend lectures and seminars given by practitioners from client, contracting and consulting organisations
- Apply your skills to real-life practical problems as part of our partnership schemes with local and global organisations
- Opt to study overseas at a variety of European universities through the ERASMUS exchange scheme
What opportunities might it lead to?
Engineering Council UK requires graduates with a BEng degree to undertake additional education (known as Further Learning/Matching Sections) prior to applying for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. This course is accredited by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) along with other key professional engineering bodies and has been approved by Engineering Council UK as providing the additional education.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
- civil engineering
- site engineering
- construction
- consultancy
- project management
Doing a Master’s is a good opportunity to refresh my knowledge and to learn new skills to match today’s requirements. It is also a good chance to improve my promotion prospects.
John Cookson, MSc Civil Engineering student 2012
Key Facts
- Duration
- 1 year full time, 2 years part time
- Entry
A good honours degree in civil engineering or a related subject, or equivalent industrial and work experience.
English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.- Fees
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man full-time students: £6,000, part-time students £3,000 p/a* (2 years)
International full-time students: £11,900, part-time students £5,950 p/a* (2 years)
*Please note that all fees are subject to annual increase.- Contact
- technology.admissions@port.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 9284 2555 - Department
- School of Civil Engineering and Surveying
Structure & Teaching
The course is divided into three stages, the first two stages are generally taught through formal tuition, with stage three covering independent research in an academic or industrial setting.
You will build upon established fundamental civil/construction engineering and project management principles in order to confidently apply them to a range of complex construction project problems.
Here are the units you will study:
- Environmental Management for Civil Engineering: This introduces you to the main environmental issues associated with civil engineering projects and how they are considered and mitigated in the Environmental Assessment process.
- Civil Engineering Science: This unit seeks to integrate the topics of analytical structural analysis, numerical analysis and solving engineering problems. Whilst introducing you to the finite element method (FEM) and application of FEM software packages, this unit aims to give you the ability to solve engineering problems in the design of real structures.
- Civil Engineering Design Project: In this unit you will have the opportunity to simulate the design activities of a civil engineering consultancy. Project briefs are typically drawn from the work of professional contacts in the civil engineering industry. You will be required to make professional contacts, obtain advice and guidance, carry out research and conduct site visits outside the University.
- Strategic and General Management: On this unit you will cover management in the construction industry, and the development of organisational and project strategic direction, taking into account internal and external environments.
- Independent Research Project: This covers the generic research framework within which new knowledge is discovered, and involves the practical application of research skills and techniques to a chosen system within the construction industry.
Teaching and Assessment
Teaching on this course will focus on small lectures, seminars and discussion groups. It will also centre on supporting your independent learning strategies, which tutorials will help to develop.
How are you assessed?
Assessment can take many forms and is geared towards the subject matter in a way that encourages a deeper understanding and allows you to develop your skills. Examples are:
- examinations
- coursework
- projects
- a dissertation
Facilities & Features
Laboratories
All labs are well equipped with industry-standard experimental and computational facilities
ERASMUS Exchange Scheme
Our exchange opportunities allow you to experience learning within another context
Maths Café
Maths Café - drop in any time and get one-to-one help
University Library
Our library offers a wealth of information
Laboratories
We offer you a range of labs where you can carry out materials and structures testing, fluid flow modelling and chemical investigation, as well as an onsite environmental laboratory located at a real sewage treatment works. All are well equipped with industry-standard experimental and computational facilities.
ERASMUS Exchange Scheme
We have active exchange opportunities with a variety of European universities, which are funded through the ERASMUS programme and allow you to experience learning within another context. Current partners include:
- Aalborg Universitet, (Denmark)
- University of Trondheim (Norway)
- TecUniversidad de, Sevilla, (Spain)
- UniverzaV Ljubljana, (Solvenia)
- Tecnische Universitat Wien, Vienna, (Austria)
- Thessaloniki (Greece)
- Istanbul Ticaret Universitesi, Istanbul (Turkey)
- Iceland Academy of Arts, Ljubljana (Slovenia)
- RWTH Aachen (Germany) Estonian Academy of Arts, Estonia (Tallin)
Maths Café
Drop in any time and get one-to-one help with that tricky maths or stats problem. With handouts on key topics to take away and computer-aided learning packages, we can get the problem solved and help you improve your numeracy skills.
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
Careers & Opportunities
Career prospects
In an uncertain and increasingly competitive environment, the civil engineer is required to develop a wide range of skills and abilities to stay abreast of current industrial needs. Therefore, this course is designed to equip you with knowledge, skills and competencies that employers in the construction industry expect. Alongside the technical topics, we will introduce you to commercial and interpersonal skills that illustrate the employment context of construction industry professionals.
Overall, the delivery of this course and its opportunities for you to interact with the industry throughout your studies means the employment rate of our civil engineering graduates is excellent.
Career planning
One of the benefits of studying at Portsmouth is the support that we provide to our Master's and Research Degrees students in career planning. Our careers and recruitment service – Purple Door – can assist you in career research and finding employment opportunities. Help is also available if you wish to find a part-time job while studying your degree. We offer our postgraduate students and alumni one-to-one appointments with a careers adviser, or an online service for those not able to travel back to the University. Our alumni can call on our career services for five years after graduation.
In addition, regular employability events offer you the chance to meet employers, find out about different career sectors and improve your applications or CV. The Graduate Summer Programme provides a range of guidance and employability seminars and workshops.