Intro

Our accredited MSc equips you with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of advanced earthquake and structural engineering principles. As you develop your knowledge and skills in these core areas you learn how to apply them to the design and construction of resilient structures.

You will work on projects closely related to real-life scenarios. Combining theoretical and practical components you develop the engineering skills to deal with challenges that affect the long-term performance of new and existing structures and their surrounding environment to support sustainable development. Group projects develop your leadership and teamworking skills and your understanding of how different specialisms come together to successfully complete a project.

You’ll learn with a course team who are actively involved in research. Case studies, experimental results, and design and analysis theories from their research may be incorporated into core modules. Working closely with a member of our team you will plan, research and produce your dissertation in an area which reflects you career interests. And you have access to our specialist software and experimental facilities such as software for non-linear seismic analysis, and a shake table.

Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

Full-time 1 year
Part-time 2 years

Accredited by Joint Board of Moderators (JBM)

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Please review the entry requirements carefully and if you have any questions do get in touch with us.

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Course content

How this course is delivered

COVID-19 has changed everything. We’ve made some changes to the way our courses are taught to keep everyone safe and that will help you stay connected and involved in university life.

From the start of term in September, you’ll learn through a blend of on-campus and digitally enabled remote learning that will provide lots of opportunities to interact and engage. Together with carefully managed access to libraries, labs, workshops and studios this means your studies are as collaborative, practical and flexible as possible.

Find out what these changes mean for this course

Course structure

You can choose to study this course full-time or part-time.

The course consists of taught and research components which run in parallel throughout the academic year. To be awarded the MSc you must obtain 180 credits. Six taught modules at 20 credits each plus your dissertation at 60 credits. A typical 20-credit module requires a total of 200 hours study time.

Areas of study

As part of the taught component you will focus primarily on advanced topics in earthquake and structural engineering. The research component is based on your masters dissertation.

Modules

Masters dissertation
Dynamics of Structures with Earthquake Engineering Applications
Random Vibration of Structures
Repair and Strengthening of Existing Reinforced Concrete Structures
Bridge Loads and Analysis
Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
Rock Mechanics

Careers

Professional Accreditation

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.

On successful completion of the programme, you will graduate with a critical awareness of, and the ability to employ, current structural and earthquake engineering practices around the world.

Preparing for your career

In your career you need a combination of knowledge, skills, personal qualities and relevant experiences – and you’ll get all of this from your degree.

Develop your understanding of the distinct knowledge and skills required in earthquake and structural engineering and associated subject areas
Participate in group activities to enhance your leadership and teamworking skills
Develop you independent learning skills for continued professional development
Build your advanced planning, research and communication skills through working on your dissertation.

Facilities

Your learning is supported by access to our specialist facilities including:

computer suites with specialist software
structures lab
dynamics lab equipped with shake table
soil mechanics lab
concrete lab
hydraulics lab
environmental simulation lab with hydraulic stream table
geology lab
soil and water analysis lab
soil and sediment analysis lab
thin-sectioning lab
environment and public health lab
energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometer
x-ray diffraction spectrometer
scanning electron microscopy facility
equipment for field-based geophysical surveying.

Industry links

Senior representatives from around the region meet regularly at our industry advisory board to review our courses, ensuring they remain up-to-date and relevant to industry.

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

Degree and experience
A lower second class degree in civil engineering. Candidates with an engineering or physical sciences degree, or with relevant professional experience will be considered on an individual basis.

English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

International students whose language skills do not match the IELTS scores set out here should consider applying for this course through the Extended Masters programme at the university's Language Institute.

International requirements and visas

International requirements by country
Country name
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language centre

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For degree preparation courses.

Visas and immigration advice

Applying for a student visa

Check out our step-by-step guidance.

Fees

Course fees

UK/EU (full-time) 6,624 GBP

International (full-time) 15,156 GBP

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Environment and Technology are listed here.

Travel and accommodation costs are included for all mandatory taught residential field trips, but you’ll need to provide your own food and drink.
Where taught residential field trips are optional, a contribution will be required towards travel and accommodation. This will vary depending on where and how long the field trip is but you should budget approximately £1,500.
The independent mapping project is a mandatory part of the Geology BSc(Hons) involving independent fieldwork that is undertaken in the summer between years 2 and 3. The cost of this fieldwork is not included in the fee, and you will need to meet this additional cost yourself.
Some students require specialist outdoor equipment and/or personal protective equipment (PPE) and should budget up to £100.
If you choose to take an optional paid placement you’ll be expected to cover your own travel, accommodation, food and drink.
You will have access to computers and necessary software, however many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses. Find out what free software is available. from the University of Brighton
In most cases coursework submissions are electronic but students may wish to print notes which would involve an extra cost.

You can chat with our enquiries team through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page if you require further information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2020–21.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK/EU students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Location

Local area

About Brighton

The city of Brighton & Hove is a forward-thinking place which leads the way in the arts, technology, sustainability and creativity. You'll find living here plays a key role in your learning experience.

Brighton is a leading centre for creative media technology, recently named the startup capital of the UK.

The city is home to a national 5G testbed and over 1,000 tech businesses. The digital sector is worth over £1bn a year to the local economy - as much as tourism.

All of our full-time undergraduate courses involve work-based learning - this could be through placements, live briefs and guest lectures. Many of these opportunities are provided by local businesses and organisations.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus. Subjects taught here include architecture, business, computing, construction, engineering, geography, product design, law and pharmacy.

On campus you will find professional-standard facilities including a flight simulator, trading room, design and digital media suites and specialist research laboratories, alongside the library, student centre, a nursery, fitness facilities and Students’ Union. There are excellent public transport links.

The Big Build
A major transformation of our Moulsecoomb campus began in summer 2018. By the time the Big Build is complete, there’ll be new halls of residence, academic building, and Students’ Union and fitness facilities – all created with sustainability, inclusivity and community in mind.

As the development grows it will provide many exciting learning opportunities for our students, ranging from live projects, placements and internships with the companies involved to guest lectures and site visits. Find out more...

Accommodation

Brighton: Moulsecoomb

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students.

Halls of residence
We have halls of residence across Brighton in the city centre, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

You'll be prioritised for accommodation in the halls that are linked to your teaching base, subject to availability.
Moulsecoomb campus is linked to Varley Park and Moulsecoomb Place halls. All halls are self catered, but if you prefer you can add in a food and drink plan.
- Varley Park offers a mix of rooms. It is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre. Public transport in the city is excellent, and there’s a shuttle bus between our Brighton campuses during term time.
- Moulsecoomb Place halls are all self-catered and are located right on campus.

Want to live independently or in a university-managed house? We can help – find out more about unihomes and unilets or private renting.