Sustainable Civil Engineering MSc
September 2026 Start

You will examine common forms of existing structures such as various types of bridges, and to consider how you can apply your existing Civil Engineering skills and knowledge learned in earlier study to gain a quantitative understanding of their original and current loading, and current condition. You will consider different structural components and materials and how they might degrade over time and how this affects their performance. You will also study some non-destructive testing techniques for examining engineering assets, for example Ground Penetrating Radar.

Within this module you will explore the challenges of collecting, analysing, interpreting and presenting data on existing, complex geotechnical threats to assets. The module themes include setting the context for and implications of geotechnical instabilities; concepts of failure processes; classifications; surface and sub-surface characterization schemes; appropriate and costed monitoring interventions; and numerical modelling techniques. You will learn about how to monitor and quantify changes affecting geotechnical structures including rock and soil problems and the parameters influencing failure; how to model critical conditions; and assess the effectiveness of management solutions. In this module you will also learn about recent research-led innovations that have provided new data on geotechnical environments and study practitioner-based case studies through workshops. Finally, you will learn how to develop focused and informed data collection of a challenging site, analysing and then interpreting your own investigation into geotechnical instability, specialising in aspects which interest you most, presenting your findings and producing a professional recommendation report.

Academic skills when studying away from your home institution can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject area in the Department of Architecture and Built Environment. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’.
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Discussing ethical issues in research, and analysing results.
• Describing bias and limitations of research.
• Developing self-reflection skills.

This module explores the fundamentals of sustainable and ethical development for engineering practitioners, considering the role and responsibility of the engineer within society. The module will consider the elements of sustainable development as they relate to decision making in engineering, for example, consideration of legislation, economics, energy, materials, environment, and society. The challenges engineering activities present society are examined, and ethical solutions for the future of our planet are sought through the use of various techniques and tools such as the triple bottom line, stakeholder analysis, the circular economy, carbon footprint, material and energy supply chains and risk. A rational argument for sustainable solutions will be presented using both qualitative and quantitative data sources and tools using a wide range of published literature and from students’ own experience.

You will learn to work both independently, and in a group environment, to develop knowledge, skills, and awareness essential to complex-problem-solving research and innovation in relevant engineering subjects. You will learn through the practice of identification of need, research planning including research idea generation and proposal development. You will learn to plan and carry research responsibly, assessing risks and constraints analysis in legislation, security, economics, energy, materials, equipment, health safety and environmental impact. You will also learn to make appropriate choices when executing your research investigation, for example, developing essential skills in qualitative and quantitative research methods that can be employed to achieve your designed aims and objectives.

You will learn to work independently, perform systems thinking, and bring together your specialist knowledge and skills within a research and development project. You will work with the guidance of a tutor to direct your learning and develop your abilities in areas such as project planning and management, detailed design of the proposed method, prototype fabrication or virtual system modelling and critical evaluation and identification of further developments. You will be provided with the opportunity to demonstrate to potential future employers the breadth and depth of your ability by not only using your specialist abilities, but also through the demonstration of your planning, organisational and independent working skills. You will be expected to incorporate unfamiliar knowledge as well as the wider social and environmental considerations of the engineering profession.

You will learn about the theory and application of the technology of wind, photovoltaic and hybrid renewable energy conversion systems. These technologies will be introduced such that their fundamental principles allow system design to be defined and performance optimised. Topics covered will be selected such that both stand-alone and hybrid systems may be specified, for example:
• Renewable resources, their characteristics and stochastic modelling
• Wind turbines: components and performance measures, conceptual design, structural loads, blade and tower structural design considerations, operation and control
• Aerodynamics of wind turbines: blade element momentum theory, blade aerodynamic design
• Photovoltaic: conversion theory and technology, sizing and design considerations
• Storage systems: power and cost modelling
• Hybrid systems: power, cost and reliability/availability analyses and system architecture design for various configurations including wind, PV, battery, diesel and fuel cell

Within this module you will learn about the key aspects of asset-related challenges and address the need to conduct detailed survey investigations of asset location and condition. You will consider how to conduct effective monitoring programmes that identify changes and how to analyse the patterns and nature of change in the context of asset operation and stability. You will also learn about the role of in situ logging and how to establish driver-response relationships that may threaten asset function. To achieve this you will be introduced to an applied range of survey and monitoring techniques and get hand-on experience with analysing complex datasets. You will draw on all your engineering experience and judgement to make clear recommendations about future action and developments to asset operators, progressing from diverse and complex information sources, to clear, detailed and appropriately considered and costed recommendations for actions.