Earthquake Engineering with Disaster Management MSc

London, Bloomsbury

The Earthquake Engineering with Disaster Management MSc combines specialist structural and earthquake engineering knowledge with an advanced understanding of resilience and risk modelling for natural hazards. The programme is designed to produce engineers who are able to work in the civil and structural engineering sector, as well as taking roles in risk and catastrophe modelling or disaster management.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2023/24)
£18,000
£9,000
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)
£35,000
£17,500
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2023
Applications accepted
All applicants: 17 Oct 2022 – 31 Mar 2023

Applications closed

Entry requirements

A minimum of a second-class UK Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline (such as engineering or architecture), or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Extensive work experience covering related areas will be considered in addition to academic qualifications.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 1

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level. International Preparation Courses

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

Graduates of Earthquake Engineering with Disaster Management MSc will be able to:

  • Analyse, Design and Assess structures to current seismic codes, as well as modern unconventional methods.
  • Evaluate Vulnerability and Resilience of ordinary and special structures against earthquake and extreme loading conditions.
  • Determine the efficiency and economic viability of pre-disaster risk mitigation and post-disaster risk management solutions.

Who this course is for

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

When we assess your application we would like to learn

  • why you want to study Earthquake Engineering with Disaster Management at graduate level
  • why you want to study Earthquake Engineering with Disaster Management at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to this programme
  • how your personal, academic and professional background meets the demands of a challenging programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

The programme is most likely to appeal to students with any engineering or architecture background, who are interested in structural design and assessment, catastrophe modelling, risk assessment and disaster management.

Why Study MSc Earthquake Engineering with Disaster Management at UCL?
The programme is most likely to appeal to students with any engineering or architecture background, who are interested in structural design and assessment, catastrophe modelling, risk assessment and disaster management.

What this course will give you

UCL Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering is an energetic and exciting multidisciplinary department with a tradition of excellence in teaching and research, situated within the heart of London.

The department hosts EPICentre, UK's leading natural hazard research centre. This provides a unique opportunity for the MSc students to study and research alongside the world-class experts of the field.

Students also benefit from EPICentre's strong links with the engineering and insurance industry, through professional engineers, catastrophe modellers and disaster managers, who deliver lectures and seminars and support students with their research projects as industrial supervisors. This exposes the students to cutting-edge research, while introducing them to real-world challenges.

Students will benefit from a week-long field trip to an area that has recently suffered from a damaging earthquake to observe the extent of the destruction and explore the latest structural strengthening techniques. Read our Seismic Field Trip 2019 news article to find out more.

The programme provides a route to a professional career in civil, structural, geotechnical and earthquake engineering, as well as new opportunities in the insurance and disaster relief sector such as risk evaluation, catastrophe modelling and disaster management.

A wide choice of optional modules is available (subject to timetabling requirements), enabling students to customise their learning. 

The foundation of your career

You will be a new type of global engineer, able to tackle challenges in any area that require knowledge and understanding of structural and geotechnical engineering, risk assessment and disaster management.

This MSc programme improves your employability in the consultancy and construction industry, working as a structural designer, civil or geotechnical engineer, with a well-established path to become Chartered Engineers after the required professional experience.

Furthermore, the graduates are readily employed by the insurance and finance sectors, as well as government departments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Employability

There is an excellent employment prospects for our graduates.

Students graduate with strong structural and geotechnical engineering skills and rarely taught knowledge of risk assessment and disaster management. Making them ideal to take roles in consultancies, construction companies, insurance industry, disaster management and relief sector, as well as government departments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

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.

Teaching and learning

Taught modules are delivered in the form of lectures and seminars, in collaboration with experts from the industry and academia, as well as governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Various online resources and multi-media trainings isoffered for students's self-study. Each module will have a number of assessment components in the form of technical and design reports, lab reports, numerical computer programmes, presentations and examinations.

The workload for students is approximately 40 hours per week.

This is typically made up of formal learning and teaching events such as lectures, seminars and tutorials, as well as self-directed study.

The Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits) consisting of SEVEN Core Modules (105 credits) and ONE Optional Module (15 credits).

Modules

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

This consists of six core modules (90 credits), two optional modules (30 credits) and a research project (60 credits).

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

MSc students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Earthquake Engineering with Disaster Management. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Earthquake Engineering with Disaster Management.

Fieldwork

A week-long field trip is organised every year to an area which has recently suffered from a damaging earthquake, to observe the extent of the destruction and the latest structural strengthening techniques. Read our Seismic Field Trip 2019 news article to find out more.

Students are expected to pay for their means of travel for the field trip. The amount is usually around £100, depending on the destination.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2023/24) £18,000 £9,000
Tuition fees (2023/24) £35,000 £17,500

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

Students are expected to pay for their means of travel for the field trip. The amount is usually around £100, depending on the destination.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

This programme qualifies for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme, suitable for nationals residing in Commonwealth developing countries who wish to study a one-year taught UK Master's programme. The scholarship covers tuition fees and air fares to and from the UK.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

Brown Family Bursary

Deadline: 8 June 2023
Value: £15,000 (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

Applications are accepted throughout the year but applicants are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. It takes approximately four weeks from submission of an application to receiving an offer letter. If you are an overseas student requiring a visa we recommend applying in sufficient time to obtain the CAS number required for your visa.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.