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Engineering for International Development MSc

London, Bloomsbury

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.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2022/23)
£16,500
£8,250
Programme fees on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2022/23)
£32,100
£16,050
Programme fees on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2022
Applications accepted
All applicants: 18 Oct 2021 – 31 Mar 2022

Applications open

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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

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

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.

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 particularly 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 and where you would like to go professionally with your degree.
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.
Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

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. Current student opportunities are advertised through the International Development (ID) Hub social media pages and Moodle.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

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.

Employability

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.

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

This programme will be delivered by a selection of taught modules, collaborative projects with overseas clients and practical activities. Where possible, the programme will also include a site visit to the Centre for Alternative Technologies in Wales. Assessment will range from group project presentations, coursework, and examinations to essays and a compulsory dissertation over the last term.

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.

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.

Modules

Full-time

The programme consists of three compulsory modules, a collaborative project, three optional modules, and a dissertation/report.

Compulsory modules, such as;

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

Optional modules, such as;

  • Environmental GIS
  • Environmental Modelling
  • Environmental Systems Engineering
  • GIS Principles and Technology
  • Natural and Environmental Disasters
  • Urban Flooding and Drainage
  • Water and Wastewater Treatment
  • Critical Urbanism Studio I – Learning from Informality: Case Studies and Alternatives
  • Critical Urbanism Studio II – Learning from Informality: Investigative Design
  • Disaster Risk Reduction in Cities
  • Food and the City
  • Post Disaster Recovery: Policies, Practice and Alternatives
  • Sustainable Infrastructure and Services in Development
  • Urban Water and Sanitation, Planning and Politics
  • Clean Energy and Development
  • Water and Development in Africa
  • Housing as Urbanism
  • Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture

You would undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation.

Compulsory modules







Optional modules












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.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Engineering for International Development. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Engineering for International Development.

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.

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Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2022/23) £16,500 £8,250
Tuition fees (2022/23) £32,100 £16,050

Programme fees 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

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.

Funding your studies

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

See all the ways you can fund your studies

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 in any application cycle.

We recommend that you submit your application as soon as possible. The programme may remain open if places are still available after 31 March 2022 and will be closed as soon as it is full or by 30 June 2022.

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Got questions? Get in touch

Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering Department
Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering Department

cege-pg-admissions@ucl.ac.uk

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This page was last updated 28 Sep 2021