MSc in Soil Mechanics Student Life

Underground learning

Underground learning

Students visiting a deep excavation in Greece, May 2017

Msc.students happy to encounter a dam

MSc students happy to encounter a dam

Taking a break from field observations on a dam site, May 2017

Model Dams

Learning by Observation

MSc students taking measurements of flow in a model dam, Oct 2017

Detailed overviews of the MSc course curricula are given on the MSc webpage; highlights include:

  • Annual Geotechnics Summer Day out 2023: We had a lovely time playing Football and Cricket for our Annual Geotechnics Summer Day out 2023, with our Staff and PhDs being severely beaten by the MSc's!

  • 2023 Ground Engineering Rising Star Award:  Four alumni from our MSc courses were nominated for the 2023 Ground Engineering Rising Star Award.  Congratulations to  MSc alumnus Stamatina Marinatou at Atkins who was awarded the prize. We are really pleased that other MSc alumni Iñigo Garmendia Odriozola at CGL, Arabel Vilas Serin at Typsa, and Leidy Bejarano at Ferrovial Construction were also nominated.
  • SUT OSIG One day MSc masterclass 08/06/2023Since 2010 the Imperial College Geotechnics Group has been arranging, along with the Society for Underwater Technology, a one day “Masterclass course” to be given on Offshore Geophysics and Geotechnical Engineering at Imperial College (Skempton Building). Register to attend In-Person or online here.

  • NUMGE 2023: The 10th European Conference on Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering will be held at Imperial College London, on the 26 - 28 June 2023.  Register here

  • 2023 Ground Engineering Rising Star Award:  Four alumni from our MSc courses have been nominated for the 2023 Ground Engineering Rising Star Award.  Congratulations to  Iñigo Garmendia Odriozola at CGL,  Stamatina Marinatou at Atkins, Arabel Vilas Serin at Typsa, and Leidy Bejarano at Ferrovial Construction!!
  • The British Geotechnical Association (BGA) has announced that the 62nd Rankine Lecture will be delivered by Imperial College London professor of computational geomechanics Lidija Zdravkovic, who is the second woman ever to deliver this prestigious Lecture. Read more.

  • Congratulations to Dr Ken Vinck who in December 2022 has taken over as Director of the MSc in Soil Mechanics.

  • In 2021-2022 we will launch a revised curriculum for our MSc, including the option to specialize in Engineering Geology.  Highlights are summarized in our course flyer: New MSc course 2021.

  • Lectures from internationally renowned staff with a variety of expertise and experience. Refer to our research page to find links to staff profiles and to see some of the recent national and international recognition of the academic staff.

  • The MSc Cluster director, Dr. Stavroula Kontoe, was awarded the  International 2017 Shamsher Prakash award for excellence in teaching of geotechnical engineering.

  • Possibility of financial support through the bursary scheme and other scholarships listed on the MSc webpage.

  • Excellent technical and support staff. In 2017 our section administrator Sue Feller recently was awarded a President’s Medals for Excellence in Pastoral Care in recognition of her support to our MSc students. Our team of three technical staff support laboratory teaching and experimental MSc research projects.

  • Field trips both within the UK and Greece give students real experience of geology and geotechnical construction.

  • Course includes both taught modules and an individual research project supervised by one or two members of the academic staff.

  • Our internationally leading facilities for laboratory testing and numerical simulation support student learning in both taught modules and research projects.

  • Industrial engagement is facilitated through the bursary group and a spring term seminar series.

  • Excellent college level support helps students adjust to life in a large, dynamic, international city.

  • Each student is assigned a personal tutor who is a member of the academic staff that supports them during their time at Imperial College.

  • Social events help develop a supportive network amongst our very international student cohort; these include welcome drinks, a welcome party, a lab tour and social interaction with the PhD students.

  • Proximity to the Institution of Civil Engineers enables students to engage with the British Geotechnical Association.