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Engineering for International Development MSc

There is an international need for professionals who can provide sustainable and resilient infrastructure to help alleviate poverty in low to middle-income countries. This programme will create future engineers who can work in a global context and with the skills and understanding to address the challenges of poverty worldwide.

Covid-19 programme updates

Due to COVID-19, there may have been updates to this programme for the 2020 academic year. Where there has been an update, these are indicated with a red alert and a link which will provide further information.

Key information

Programme starts

September 2020

Modes and duration

Full time: 1 year
Part time: 2 years
Flexible: up to 5 years

Full-time students usually attend 2 to 3 days per week; part-time and flexible students, 1 to 3 days per week. All students are advised to undertake at least a further day’s independent study each week. All attendance depends on module choice. Flexible students may have terms with no modules at all. Email cege-pg-admissions@ucl.ac.uk with specific duration queries.

Application dates

UK/EU applicants
Open: 1 November 2019
Close: 11 August 2020
Overseas applicants
Close: 11 August 2020
Notification
Due to the large number of applications received, this programme is no longer accepting applications for 2020/21 entry. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Applications for 2021/22 entry will open later in the year.

Tuition fees (2020/21)

UK/EU:
£13,640 (FT)
£6,810 (PT)
Overseas:
£28,530 (FT)
£14,320 (PT)


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

Optional qualifications: This degree is also available as a PG Diploma with fees set accordingly.
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.

Location: London, Bloomsbury

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline (such as engineering, architecture, geography, urban planning, mathematics) from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Normally, however, only candidates with either a first- or upper second-class degree will be accepted, although applicants with a lower second-class degree supported by extensive relevant work experience will also be considered.

English language requirements

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.

The English language level for this programme is: Standard

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

International students

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.

Select your country:

About this degree

Students gain understanding of infrastructure design and delivery processes in resource-limited settings, and learn how to mobilise technical expertise to develop solutions with local stakeholders in a global context. The wide range of taught modules also provides opportunities to critically engage with the complexities and ethical dilemmas of working as an engineer internationally.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of three core modules (45 credits), a collaborative project (30 credits), three optional modules (45 credits), and a dissertation/report (60 credits).

A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits) consisting of three core modules (45 credits), a collaborative project (30 credits) and three optional modules (45 credits) is also offered.

Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded a MSc in Engineering for International Development. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Engineering for International Development.

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 is subject to change.

Compulsory modules

  • Appropriate Technologies in Practice
  • Collaborative International Development Project
  • Engineering and International Development
  • Conflict, Humanitarianism and Disaster Risk Reduction

Please visit our Engineering for International Development MSc programme page for further compulsory module details.

Optional modules (indicative list):

Students choose a minimum of two* and a maximum of three optional modules from the following (subject to availability):

  • Clean Energy and Development
  • Environmental Modelling
  • Environmental Systems Engineering
  • Geospatial Programming
  • Life Cycle Assessment
  • Natural and Environmental Disasters
  • Reality Capture and Precision 3D Sensing
  • Urban Flooding and Drainage
  • Water and Resource Efficiency
  • Water and Wastewater Treatment

Please visit the Engineering for International Development MSc programme page for further optional/elective module details and choices. 

Covid-19 module updates
Due to COVID-19, there may be updates to the modules for your chosen programme of study this year. Some modules may not be available or may need to be moved to a later term or year of study. These updates are relevant for 2020-21 academic year only.  The full list of modules will be available in the module catalogue from late August.  From the first week of September, you will be invited to complete module selection from Portico, our student record system. There may need to be additional updates or changes to modules during the academic year to allow for new guidance from the UK Government and Public Health England. Your department shall keep you updated of these changes as they become available.

Dissertation/report

All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000 to 15,000 words.

Covid-19 field trip updates
Due to COVID-19 updates, there may need to be changes to planned field trips for this programme. This will depend on travel restrictions, social distancing measures, and the availability of the relevant venues. Your department will keep you updated if field trips are able to occur and/or any alternative options available.

Teaching and learning

This programme will be delivered by a selection of taught modules, collaborative projects with overseas clients and practical activities, including a site visit to the Centre for Alternative Technologies in Wales. While most of the field trip costs are met by the department, students are required to pay £300 towards the trip which contributes to accommodation and food. Assessment will range from group project presentations, coursework, and examinations to essays and a compulsory dissertation over the last term.

Covid-19 contact hours on campus
In Term One, while campus will be open, all the learning activity for the core content of your modules will take place online – including lectures, tutorials, seminars and assessments. By “core content” we mean everything you need to learn to complete the module successfully. In addition to these online contact hours, we will be offering some face-to-face educational activities for students on campus, and we will provide alternative online activities for those students unable to join us on campus. These activities, which will include contact with academic staff, will be relevant to your programme of study may include seminars, academic and employability skills workshops, small-group or individual tutorials, lab and practice-based teaching. UK Government safety guidelines will limit the amount of ‘in person’ activity we can offer and while it will vary from programme to programme, is likely to be no more than 1-2 hours per week. This will vary across departments, particularly if your programme includes laboratory/practical/studio/workshop sessions. You will be updated with more specific details as they are available and your timetable will indicate which sessions will be on campus and which will be available online.
Covid-19 practical component updates
Due to COVID-19, there may be changes to the availability of the practical components for your chosen programme. Any updates relate only to the 20/21 academic year and may not apply to all students across the programme depending on your year of study.  Your department will keep you updated if the practical component of your programme is able to occur and/or any alternative options available.   There may need to be additional updates or changes to the practical component during the academic year to allow for new guidance from the UK Government and/or Public Health England. Your department shall keep you updated of these changes as they become available. 
Covid-19 assessment updates
There may be changes to the format of assessments for modules in this programme due to COVID-19. These will be summarised for each module on the module catalogue from 17 August 2020.   If any changes to assessments need to be made during the academic year due to updates in government guidance, these will be communicated to you as soon as possible from your department.    
Communicating further Covid-19 mitigation plans
We are continuing to follow UK Government guidance, as well as the expertise of our researchers, including specialists in health, education, human behaviour and infection prevention, to make sure UCL is as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. If it becomes necessary to make further changes to your programme as a result of new guidance/regulations, UCL and your department will communicate these as soon as this becomes clear. We will keep you up-to-date with our plans throughout term one, so you have the information you need to be able to take decisions that are right for your circumstances. Please ensure that you keep in touch with your department by regularly checking your UCL emails, Moodle courses, the Coronavirus FAQs for Students page and any UCL online groups or social media you follow.

Additional costs

A site visit to the Centre for Alternative Technologies in Wales will incur costs of c. £300, contributing to accommodation and food.

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

Accessibility

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

Funding

The Burma Star Scholarship, which covers full programme fees and living costs for the duration of the programme, is available to a successful candidate who:

  • Holds an unconditional offer of admission to study Engineering for International Development MSc (full time).
  • Is a resident of one of the following nations: Myanmar, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, USA, France, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Belgium, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Hong Kong, Gambia, The Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Tanzania, West Indies or South Africa.

Eligible candidates must apply to the Burma Star Scholarship. Please visit the Burma Star Scholarship page for further application and selection details.  

Scholarships relevant to this department are displayed below.

Brown Family Bursary

Note:
This scheme is now closed for 2020/21
Value:
£15,000 (1 year)
Eligibility:
UK
Criteria:
Based on both academic merit and financial need

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

Careers

Graduates can expect to find employment in the following areas:

  • the Department for International Development
  • international development agencies and engineering consultancies
  • organisations such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and the European Union
  • non-governmental agencies worldwide, such as Practical Action, WaterAid, and Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor.

Employability

Engineering for International Development MSc graduates will be able to pursue a career in the field of engineering, working on projects in low-middle income, developing countries, as well as the broader international development sector in different capacities and within various organisations currently operating in the field, such as the UN, the EU or NGOs such as WaterAid, Practical Action, Habitat for Humanity and more.

Why study this degree at UCL?

UCL Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering is an energetic and exciting department with well-established research projects and networks in environmental engineering, transportation, urban resilience, wastewater provision, human settlements and renewable energy.

UCL is also home to Engineers Without Borders UCL, the international development organisation's largest UK branch and the Engineering for International Development Hub which is an umbrella entity for student activities in relation to international development. Self-financed summer schools can potentially be organised to Ethiopia to gain exposure to the water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme of the UN.

Students benefit from UCL's strong links with industry-leading partners in the heart of London, through collaborative projects with businesses, charities and utility companies who work in low-middle income regions such as Water Aid, and renewable energy start-ups such as BBOXX.

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.

Department: Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering

Application and next steps

Applications

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 £80 for online applications and £105 for paper applications. Further information can be found at: www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught/application.

Who can apply?

This programme is suitable for students from any engineering discipline or built environment background who are keen to gain exposure to real-life applications of engineering solutions in international development.

Application deadlines

UK/EU applicants
11 August 2020
Overseas applicants
11 August 2020

For more information see our Applications page.

Apply now

What are we looking for?

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Engineering for International Development at graduate level
  • why you want to study this programme at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree.

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.

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.

Page last modified on 13 August 2020