Advanced Structural Engineering
Receive advanced training and obtain expertise in the analysis, design, and assessment of civil engineering structures.
Course key facts
Qualification
MSc
Duration
1 year, 2 years, 3 years
Start date
October 2027
Study mode
Full-time, Part-time
Delivered by
Location
-
South Kensington
-
Minimum entry standard
2:1 in Civil Engineering, Natural Sciences, Earth Sciences or other numerate subject.
Course overview
Gain a comprehensive grounding in key topics related to the mechanics, analysis and design of structures, with a particular focus on advanced analytical and numerical techniques and their translation into the standards for practice such as the Structural Eurocodes.
You’ll be able to make personalised selections of modules and design/research projects that will allow you to qualify for specialisms in the fields of:
- Steel Structures
- Concrete Structures, or
- Mechanics, Modelling, and Simulation.
Students intending to gain a specialism will need to select specific modules over the Autumn and Spring terms, which will be explained in detail at the beginning of the programme. Additional information is available on the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering website and below.
With the completion of the MSc programme, you’ll be proficient in the design, analysis, assessment and evaluation of steel, concrete and composite structures while also learning about alternative materials, fundamental concepts and skills required for producing sustainable engineering solutions.
Whether you are a recent graduate or a practising engineer with several years' experience, this degree will equip you with advanced skills required to pursue a career in structural engineering, or further study at PhD level.
We also offer a related course MSc Advanced Structural Engineering with Data Science, in which data-centric methods and skills regarding the application of data science in Structural Engineering are covered in detail.
Structure
This page is updated regularly to reflect the latest version of the curriculum. However, this information is subject to change.
Find out more about potential course changes.
Please note: it may not always be possible to take specific combinations of modules due to timetabling conflicts. For confirmation, please check with the relevant department.
Advanced Structural Engineering: modules and specialisations
This course comprises a taught part and a design/research part. The taught part is delivered over the Autumn and Spring terms where you will take six modules in each term.
There are three core modules in the course. The remaining modules can be chosen freely, or you can choose a specific set of modules to qualify for a specialism. See the list of Core modules below, or visit the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering website for further information.
Depending on your module choices, you will obtain one of the following degrees:
- MSc in Advanced Structural Engineering
- MSc in Advanced Structural Engineering with specialisation in Steel Structures
- MSc in Advanced Structural Engineering with specialisation in Concrete Structures
- MSc in Advanced Structural Engineering with specialisation in Mechanics, Modelling and Simulation
In the Summer term, you will undertake a Design Project or a Research Dissertation under the supervision of leading academics in the field.
You'll take all of these core modules.
Core modules
Understand and apply advanced structural analysis methods and underlying theoretical concepts to determine, analyse and evaluate structural behaviours of civil engineering structures.
Examine the design and behaviour of reinforced concrete structures at the design ultimate limit state.
Understand the behaviour of steel structures and learn to design structural steel members and connections.
You’ll take nine elective modules from the list on the right. If you intend to qualify for a specialism in:
- Steel Structures (S),
- Concrete Structures (C), or
- Mechanics, Modelling and Simulation (M),
you must take the modules that are indicated by S, C or M, respectively. Note that qualifying for a specialism is not compulsory.
Optional modules
Understand the finite element method for structural analysis and investigate the accuracy and convergence characteristics of various finite elements.
Analyse the conceptual design of a range of structural framing systems used in the construction sector and issues related to structural form and behaviour.
Examine the design and construction of bridges, as well as the main construction procedures for short, medium and long span bridges.
Understand the behaviour and design of plated steel structures including the elastic buckling and post-buckling of plates under in-plane loading.
Analyse the behaviour of structural components and systems that suffer from failure due to geometric nonlinearity.
Become familiar with the most basic concepts and principles of dynamics as applied to structural engineering problems.
Gain a detailed understanding of the design of reinforced concrete slabs and structures like deep beams, squat shear walls and pile caps.
Assess the structural behaviour and design criteria of prestressed concrete structures and review the current technology available for these structures.
Discover the systematic procedures for geometric and material nonlinear structural analysis and advance your knowledge of nonlinear analysis software.
Analyse, evaluate and exploit the mechanical behaviour of fibre reinforced polymer composites to facilitate their use in engineering structures.
Familiarise yourself with the design of structures in timber and masonry and apply your knowledge to the design of simple conventional structures.
Understand the fundamental concepts and principles of the analysis and design of thin-walled shelled structures.
Explore the main concepts and principles of structural safety and gain an appreciation for the power of probabilistic methods in structural engineering.
Understand key concepts and principles for retrofitting existing buildings, including those of historical and architectural significance.
Enhance your understanding of the concepts and principles required for the seismic design of steel and concrete structures.
Develop your understanding of structural steel physical metallurgy and learn to apply this knowledge to the manufacture of steels to understand factors leading to corrosion and brittle fracture of steel.
Explore the great diversity and properties of materials and learn how to systematically select the appropriate materials for engineering applications.
Investigate a range of topics within the field of concrete technology and understand the key processes influencing the behaviour and performance of concrete in service.
Discover why cementitious materials are used throughout the built environment and learn about the chemistry behind them.
In the summer term, you’ll undertake a design project or a research dissertation under the supervision of leading academics in the field of Structural Engineering. The design projects cover topics such as Steel Buildings, Concrete Structures, and Bridge Structures.
In the research dissertations, students may work on cutting-edge research topics across the field of Structural Engineering from developing a new generation of codes of practice to high-fidelity computational modelling and fundamental theoretical work.
Before the start of the Design Project or the Research Dissertation, students will be working on a two-week conceptual design group project.
Professional accreditation
This MSc degree is accredited on behalf of the Engineering Council by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM), comprising:
- Institution of Civil Engineers
- Institution of Structural Engineers
- Institute of Highway Engineers
- Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation
- Permanent Way Institution
This degree is recognised 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**.
Registering as a Chartered Engineer will improve your career prospects and provide higher earning potential. It will also help to demonstrate your commitment to professional standards, the engineering profession and sustainable development.
Our accreditation agreement with members of the Joint Board of Moderators is renewed every five years. The current accreditation agreement is due to be renewed in 2026.
**Candidates completing the MSc who hold an underpinning accredited IEng degree or a non-accredited Bachelor's degree will need to apply for an academic assessment to determine whether they will meet the educational base for CEng registration.
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Teaching and assessment
Balance of teaching and learning
This is a general guide to how teaching and learning are usually balanced across this course. The methods used may change based on the modules you take.
Key
- Lectures and seminars
- Independent study
- 25% Title 1 goes here
- 75% Title 2 goes here
Teaching and learning methods
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Lectures
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Tutorials
-
Online quizzes
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Computer sessions
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Group exercises
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Design projects
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Research project
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Slide-based presentations
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Programming code
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Summary reports
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Individual research dissertation
Balance of assessment
This is an example of how assessments are usually divided, based on a typical pathway through the course. The actual breakdown may be different depending on the modules you choose.
Key
- Coursework
- Examinations
- 25% Title 1 goes here
- 75% Title 2 goes here
Assessment methods
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Individual and group coursework assignments
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Written exams
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Research dissertation or detailed design project
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Group conceptual design project
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Group projects and presentations
Entry requirements
We consider all applicants on an individual basis, welcoming students from all over the world.
How to apply
Applications open on Wednesday 30 September 2026.
We operate a staged admissions process with several application rounds throughout the year.
Apply by 23.59 (UK time) on the closing date of an application round, to ensure you receive a response on your application by the relevant decision date.
Round 1
Business School courses only.
Round 2
- Applications open on Wednesday 30 September 2026
- Applications close on Wednesday 6 January 2027
- Decision by Wednesday 3 March 2027
Round 3
- Applications open on Thursday 7 January 2027
- Applications close on Wednesday 10 March 2027
- Decision by Wednesday 5 May 2027
Round 4
- Applications open on Thursday 11 March 2027
- Applications close on Wednesday 28 April 2027
- Decision by Thursday 1 July 2027
We recommend applying as early as you can – we cannot guarantee that places will be available, or that courses will remain open, in later rounds.
If you are applying for a Master’s course, you will need to pay an application fee before submitting your application.
The fee applies per application and not per course.
The application fees for postgraduate courses are:
- £90 for all Master's applications, excluding those to Imperial Business School
- £125 for MSc applications to Imperial Business School
- £150 for MBA applications to Imperial Business School
There is no application fee for Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas, or courses such as PhDs and EngDs. This includes MRes and PhD combined (1+3) courses with the Centre for Doctoral Training.
If you are facing financial hardship and are unable to pay the application fee, we encourage you to apply for our application fee waiver.
Find out more about how to apply for a Master's course, including references and personal statements.
An ATAS certificate is not required for students applying for this course.
Fees and funding
Home fee (CEE 1YFT + 2YPT + 3YPT)
Full-time
Not set
As a guide, the fee for 2026-27 was £19,400.
2 years, part-time
Not setper year
As a guide, the fee for 2026-27 was £9,700 per year.
3 years, part-time
Not setper year
As a guide, the fee for 2026-27 was £6,467 per year.
Fees are charged by year of entry to the university and not year of study.
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
The maximum value of the loan is £13,206 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2026.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Please note that the loan is only available if you’re studying a full Master’s course from the start. If you start on a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) or Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) and later move on to the Master’s, you won’t be eligible for this loan.
Overseas fee (CEE 1YFT + 2YPT + 3YPT)
Full-time
Not set
As a guide, the fee for 2026-27 was £45,000.
2 years, part-time
Not setper year
As a guide, the fee for 2026-27 was £22,500 per year.
3 years, part-time
Not setper year
As a guide, the fee for 2026-27 was £15,000 per year.
Fees are charged by year of entry to the university and not year of study.
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
The maximum value of the loan is £13,206 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2026.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Please note that the loan is only available if you’re studying a full Master’s course from the start. If you start on a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) or Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) and later move on to the Master’s, you won’t be eligible for this loan.
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Further links
Contact the department
- Telephone: +44(0) 20 7594 5932
- Email: cvpgo@imperial.ac.uk
Admissions Tutor: Professor Lorenzo Macorini
MSc Courses Director: Dr Anton Köllner
Visit the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering website.
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Terms and conditions
There are some important pieces of information you should be aware of when applying to Imperial. These include key information about your tuition fees, funding, visas, accommodation and more.
You can find further information about your course, including degree classifications, regulations, progression and awards in the programme specification for your course.
Programme specifications