General Structural Engineering
Explore the broad spectrum of structural engineering issues affecting civil engineering structures.
Explore the broad spectrum of structural engineering issues affecting civil engineering structures
Receive expert engineering insights from leaders in industry
Develop the advanced analytical and numerical skills required for a career in civil engineering
Course key facts
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Qualification
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MSc
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Duration
1 year, 2 years, 3 years
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Start date
September 2024
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Study mode
Full-time, Part-time
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Fees
£17,600 Home
£40,900 Overseas
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Delivered by
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Location
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South Kensington
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Minimum entry standard
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2:1 in civil engineering, natural sciences, earth sciences or other numerate disciplines
Course overview
Receive advanced training in the design, analysis, assessment and evaluation of concrete, steel and composite structures on this one-year accredited Master's course.
You'll gain a comprehensive grounding in key topics related to the mechanics and design of steel and concrete structures, with a particular focus on advanced analytical and numerical techniques.
Whether you are a practising engineer with several years' experience or a recent graduate, this degree will equip you with the skills required to pursue a career in structural engineering design and analysis, or further study at PhD level.
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.
You'll take all of these core modules.
Core modules
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.
Gain fundamental insights into structural analysis, including the mechanics of materials and physical behaviour of structural 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.
Gain a detailed understanding of the design of reinforced concrete slabs and structures like deep beams, squat shear walls and pile caps.
You’ll choose seven modules from the options listed.
Optional modules
Familiarise yourself with the design of structures in timber and masonry and apply your knowledge to the design of simple conventional structures.
Discover why cementitious materials are used throughout the built environment and learn about the chemistry behind them.
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.
Understand the finite element method for structural analysis and investigate the accuracy and convergence characteristics of various finite elements.
Assess the structural behaviour and design criteria of prestressed concrete structures and review the current technology available for these structures.
Become familiar with the most basic concepts and principles of dynamics as applied to structural engineering problems.
Analyse the behaviour of structural components and systems that suffer from failure due to geometric nonlinearity.
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.
Examine the design and construction of bridges, as well as the main construction procedures for short, medium and long span bridges.
Discover the systematic procedures for geometric and material nonlinear structural analysis and advance your knowledge of nonlinear analysis software.
Understand the behaviour and design of plated steel structures including the elastic buckling and post-buckling of plates under in-plane loading.
Evaluate the concepts and principles of structural fire safety engineering and use sophisticated numerical tools to undertake performance-based fire safety engineering computations.
Explore the main concepts and principles of structural safety and gain an appreciation for the power of probabilistic methods in structural engineering.
Understand the fundamental concepts and principles of the analysis and design of thin-walled shelled structures.
In the summer term, you’ll undertake a design project dissertation with regular guidance from a College supervisor, by private study or by arrangement at your place of employment.
This work will also incorporate a conceptual 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.
Teaching and assessment
Balance of teaching and learning
Key
- Lectures and seminars
- Independent study
- 25% Lectures and seminars
- 75% Independent study
Teaching and learning methods
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Lectures
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Tutorials
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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
Key
- Coursework and examinations
- Project
- 18% Coursework
- 82% Examinations
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
Apply online
You can submit one application form per year of entry. You can choose up to two courses.
Application deadlines – Round 3 closes on Friday 24 May 2024
We operate a staged admissions process with several application rounds throughout the year.
Apply by midnight (UK time) on the relevant application round deadline to ensure that you receive the outcome of your application by the decision date.
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.
Application rounds
Round 1
- Apply by 19 January 2024
- Decision by 9 March 2024
Round 2
- Apply by 4 April 2024
- Decision by 11 May 2024
Round 3
- Apply by 24 May 2024
- Decision by 27 July 2024
Round 4
- Apply by 5 July 2024
- Decision by 3 August 2024
There is no application fee for MRes courses, Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas, or courses such as PhDs and EngDs.
If you are applying for a taught Master’s course, you will need to pay an application fee before submitting your application.
The fee applies per application and not per course.
- £80 for all taught Master's applications, excluding those to the Imperial College Business School.
- £100 for all MSc applications to the Imperial College Business School.
- £150 for all MBA applications to the Imperial College Business School.
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.
Tuition fees
Home fee
Full-time
£17,600
2 years, part-time
£8,800per year
3 years, part-time
£5,867per 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 College, 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 government has not yet published the loan amount for students starting courses in Autumn 2024. As a guide, the maximum value of the loan was £12,167 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2023.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Overseas fee
Full-time
£40,900
2 years, part-time
£20,450per year
3 years, part-time
£13,634per 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 College, 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 government has not yet published the loan amount for students starting courses in Autumn 2024. As a guide, the maximum value of the loan was £12,167 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2023.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
How will studying at Imperial help my career?
Develop the essential core knowledge and skills for a structural engineering career.
Get practical experience in a laboratory, learn advanced research techniques, and develop management and communication skills
You’ll be highly sought after for employment in a range of diverse professions, from public, private and third sector organisations.
Further links
Contact the department
- Telephone: +44(0) 20 7594 5932
- Email: cvpgo@imperial.ac.uk
Course Director: Dr Lorenzo Macorini
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