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Sustainable Structural Engineering MSc

London, Bloomsbury

This brand-new, one-year sustainable structural engineering MSc at UCL will give you the skills required to lead the construction of safer, more resilient, and smarter buildings. Through industry-led teaching and design-based learning, you'll explore structural engineering within the climate emergency context and aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£20,500
Fees to be confirmed
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£39,800
Fees to be confirmed
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025

Applications closed

Applicants who don't require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 31 Aug 2025

Applications closed

Find similar courses still open

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree in civil or structural engineering or a closely related subject, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Applicants with a good performance in the core subjects (design, structures, geotechnics, and fluids) or extensive work experience covering these areas may be considered.

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.

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



If you’re looking for a specialist Master’s in structural engineering, there is no better place to study than here at UCL. 

This programme brings together theoretical approaches, technical and design-based learning, and extensive project-based experience. 

You’ll explore key topics in structural engineering, including structural behaviour to structure and infrastructure resilience under different hazards, and the latest technological advancements. Throughout, we place strong emphasis on sustainability, regenerative design, and net-zero carbon, with modules that focus on building and design skills for lean, low embodied carbon, and longer-lasting structures and infrastructure.  

Joining this programme means gaining the most up-to-date knowledge and practices in resilience and sustainability, preparing you to meet the growing demand for skilled structural engineers in the current labour market, and making you highly valuable to potential employers. 

What's more, this programme has been designed with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in mind. You’ll learn all about the decisions engineers need to make from a political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal standpoint. This “Bigger Picture” element will help you design smart, efficient, and sustainable structures. 

Who this course is for

This programme is ideal if you are interested in gaining the knowledge and experience necessary to elevate your expertise and credentials as a qualified structural engineer, and if you have a particular passion for embedding sustainability within your practice.

It is suitable for graduates in civil engineering and similar fields, who are seeking a careers across various sectors of engineering and its related industries. We particularly welcome early- and mid-career engineers seeking to strengthen their fundamental structural engineering knowledge.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

This degree offers you the following range of benefits and opportunities:

  • A postgraduate degree from a top-ranked university. UCL is consistently ranked among the best universities globally (9th, QS World University Rankings 2025), providing you with a prestigious qualification that is highly regarded by employers worldwide.     
  • Work with expert academics and researchers in UCL Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, who specialise in different disciplines, including sustainability, environment, fire, resilience, data, technology, and more.   
  • Benefit from expert guidance and insights from industry partners including ARUP, COWI, IStructE, and more towards your research, coursework, and design projects.  
  • Enjoy a transformative curriculum built around sustainability and net-zero carbon modules designed to help you build a successful structural engineering career in either industry or research.  
  • Tailor your learning to your career goals and interests through an exciting range of optional modules, from environmental hazards to disaster resilience.
  • Take advantage of our industry and research links including attending seminars and exhibitions by industry leaders taking place at UCL.
  • Study in the world's best city for university students (QS Best Student Cities 2025). UCL’s Bloomsbury campus is in the heart of a London district famous for its cultural and educational institutions.  
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

The MSc in Sustainable Structural Engineering is a brand new programme, launching in September 2025.

Alumni from our department have historically gone on to high-level roles in industry, including Atkins plc, Skanska, ARUP, and Aecom. Others have gone on to pursue further studies at a PhD level at leading organisations such as the University of Cambridge, University of Glasgow, and University of Azuay.

Employability

Our programme combines theory, practice, and innovation to give you the strong technical and contextual foundation you need to progress into a sustainable structures engineering career in either industry or research.  

Networking

You’ll have regular opportunities to connect, collaborate and build professional contacts as part of your Master’s.  

  • Engage with peers, industry experts and faculty members at guest lectures and special seminars.
  • Take part in collaborative group projects, field trips, site visits, case studies, and workshops within the department and with industry partners.
  • Access UCL Careers for a variety of resources and events to support your career development, including CV workshops and 1-2-1 guidance.

Teaching and learning

This MSc programme is delivered through a mix of seminars, lectures, laboratory work, projects and practicals, which frequently draw upon real-life industry case studies.

Assessment is through examinations (short-answer and multiple-choice questions), presentations, essays, coursework, and your individual research project, which you will submit as a dissertation.

Full-time students can expect 12-16 hours of contact time per teaching week. The exact number of contact hours, composition, and assessment varies throughout the terms, and depends on the module choices of the student.

This is a full-time course, which means students should expect a working schedule of approximately 35-40 hours a week.

Modules

The programme structure for full-time students encompasses a total of 180 credits over the year.

You'll take 3 compulsory modules and one optional module in Term 1 (4 x 15-credit modules, 60 credits total), and 3 compulsory modules and one option module in Term 2 (4 x 15-credit modules, 60 credits total). In Term 3, you'll complete an individual research project (60 credits).

The programme structure for part-time students encompasses a total of 180 credits over the course of 2 years. 

You'll take 6 compulsory modules and 2 optional modules across your studies (each valued at 15 credits, 120 credits total). You must complete your individual research project (60 credits) in your second year of study.

Compulsory modules









Optional modules

Engineering for Circular Economy









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.

Accessibility

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

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £20,500 Fees to be confirmed
Tuition fees (2025/26) £39,800 Fees to be confirmed

Additional costs

Fee deposit information to be confirmed.

The programme may involve additional costs, which can vary depending on the specific modules and activities chosen. Not all of these will apply to every student, but these could include expenses for course materials, participation in site visits, necessary equipment for certain settings, or other project-related needs.

For MSc Sustainable Structural Engineering, students should anticipate between £30 and £100 for travel to the Here East Structural Testing Lab.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

Current funding opportunities on offer can be found on the bursaries and scholarships page of the Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering website.

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

Brown Family Bursary

NOW CLOSED FOR 2024/25 ENTRY
Value: £15,000 (1 year)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

UCL East London Scholarship

NOW CLOSED FOR 2024/25 ENTRY
Value: Tuition fees plus £15,700 stipend ()
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

Next steps

When we assess your application we would like to learn: 

  • why you want to study sustainable structural engineering at graduate level 
  • why you want to study sustainable structural engineering at UCL 
  • what particularly attracts you to this programme 
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this 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. 

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.

Got questions? Get in touch

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

cege-pg-admissions@ucl.ac.uk

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