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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.
Key information
Programme starts
September 2020
Modes and duration
Application dates
Tuition fees (2020/21)
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.
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.
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.
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.
- Further information about these modules is available on the department website.
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.
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000 to 15,000 words.
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.
Additional costs
A site visit to the Centre for Alternative Technologies in Wales will incur costs of c. £300, contributing to accommodation and food.
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:
- Applications open in mid-February
- 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
- 24 July 2020
- Overseas applicants
- 12 June 2020
For more information see our Applications page.
Apply nowWhat 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 14 February 2020