Civil Engineering MSc
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering
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Start date
September 2025 -
Duration
1 year -
Attendance
Full-time
Explore this course:
Apply now for 2025 entry or register your interest to find out about postgraduate study and events at the University of Sheffield.

Course description
This course offers a broad-based knowledge in civil engineering covering geotechnical, structural and water engineering, placing an equal emphasis on both analysis and design. You'll dissect these three areas and their interconnections, giving you the skills to become an effective civil engineer.
The core modules give you a grounding in engineering analysis and design. In the second semester, you can follow your interests and choose from a list of specialist modules.
Our school is research-led, meaning you’ll be taught about the latest ideas and concepts within the field, while the advanced research project provides you with an opportunity to explore a current issue in civil engineering in much greater detail.
You'll be equipped to work on strategies to remedy problems such as making our construction practices more sustainable and efficient, ensuring a safe and clean water supply for future generations, or tackling coastal flooding and groundwater pollution.
Accreditation
This degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) comprising of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, Institute of Highway Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation and the Permanent Way Institution on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the academic requirement for Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).
To hold accredited qualifications for CEng registration, candidates must also hold a Bachelor (Hons) degree that has been accredited as partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). See the JBM website for further information.
Candidates completing the MSc who hold an underpinning accredited Bachelor degree accredited for IEng only or a non-accredited bachelor degree will need to apply for an academic assessment to determine whether they will meet the educational base for CEng registration.
Modules
It is expected that students will choose optional modules from within the theme of Structural or Civil (Water and Geotechnical) Engineering, with semester 1 modules commonly being pre-requisites for the semester 2 modules in the same theme.
Core Modules:
- Research and Professional Skills
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This module fosters best practice in engineering-related research/professional skills and delivers a range of training activities to meet the needs of professional engineers dealing with research and technological development.
15 credits - Regenerative Design Project
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This module involves working in groups to address complex, real-world engineering problems. The module will involve receiving, interrogating, and developing a project brief, then drawing on myriad sources to develop options. Students will conduct stakeholder engagement and systems thinking to develop options which meet ecological, ethical, social and technical needs. In doing so will develop holistic concept / scheme stage designs, using engineering calculations to rapidly validate design options, and to inform decision making. Students will then communicate their proposals and reflect on their learning.
15 credits - Advanced Engineering Research Study
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This module represents a major element of the Masters programme, with the aim of enabling you to learn skills in scientific investigation and in running and presenting a project. You are required to submit a comprehensive (bound) report describing the individual work that you have done during the summer semester.
60 credits
Semester 1 Optional Modules:
- Engineering within Planetary Capacity
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It is projected that by 2050 the human population will be 10 billion, with over 75% concentrated in urban and megacity areas. It is essential that engineering solutions are developed to create and maintain an urban built environment that can meet rapidly changing societal needs, whilst being within the carrying capacity of the planet. This module will equip you with the skills to develop and analyse built environment engineering solutions to ensure they operate within planetary boundaries.
15 credits - Advanced Structural Analysis and FE Methods
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This module will cover the theoretical and practical aspects of using numerical analysis methods, with emphasis on the Finite Element Method (FEM). The module starts with the fundamentals of the FEM to then cover practical applications to structural problems and interpretation of results.
15 credits - Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering
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This module is designed to provide you with a systematic knowledge and understanding of structural dynamics and its applications in Civil Engineering. On successful completion of this module, you will be able to perform calculation and analyse vibration response of single-degree-of-freedom and multi-degree-of-freedom systems and apply simple structural dynamics theory to solve practical problems in earthquake engineering.
15 credits - Groundwater Engineering
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This module provides a comprehensive introduction to the principles of groundwater flow and subsurface hydrology, with a focus on both theoretical and practical applications. It covers the fundamental concepts of groundwater movement through porous media, the interaction between surface water and groundwater, and the role of aquifers in water storage and supply. The module also examines seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers and its impact on groundwater management and sustainability. Students will explore methods for assessing and modelling groundwater flow and contaminant transport, with a focus on practical techniques such as well hydraulics, pumping tests, and the design of groundwater remediation systems. By building a strong understanding of subsurface flow dynamics and groundwater flow to wells, students will acquire the skills necessary to analyse groundwater systems at local and regional scales, using qualitative and quantitative approaches to address issues related to water resource management, pollution, and environmental protection.
15 credits - Climate Resilient Water Infrastructure Design
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This module aims to equip you with the necessary conceptual knowledge and engineering skills to effectively address the uncertainties associated with climate change, socio-economic factors, and technological advancements in the design of water infrastructure. The module employs computer-assisted exploration, hands-on Python programming, and various interactive interventions (guest lecture, serious game) to empower you in developing robust designs capable of maintaining their intended function throughout the infrastructure's lifetime. The module's objectives include evaluating climate and other risks to water infrastructure, comprehending how they change traditional water engineering design practice, and providing you with essential concepts and methodologies for managing these uncertainties.
15 credits
Semester 2 Optional Modules:
- Geotechnical Infrastructure
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The module will focus on the analysis and sustainable design of large scale geotechnical infrastructure and systems, such as embankment dams, levees and tunnels. Aspects of uncertainty and risk, particularly in the context of a changing climate, will be developed related to ultimate and serviceability limit states, using a range of historical case histories within the published literature. A forensic investigative analysis will be conducted on a case study of geotechnical failure, benefiting from data from the literature and numerical modelling. This will be complemented by a consideration of soil acting as both a continuum and as a particulate system, and by an examination of the role of physical modelling, analytical models, constitutive models, and the geological model.
15 credits - Innovations in Construction Materials and Technologies
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This research-led module will familiarise students with some of the innovative materials and technologies used in the construction industry for the design and execution of new structures and the rehabilitation of existing infrastructure. The module will deal with: the use of innovative solutions for reinforcing and strengthening concrete structures (e.g. Fibre Reinforced Polymers - FRP, Textile Reinforced Mortars - TRM); the development of Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) and its structural applications; the development of low-carbon sustainable concretes, including geopolymer concrete, and their applications; recent material and product developments (e.g. self-healing concrete), state-of-the-art additive construction techniques (e.g. concrete 3D printing). Existing design guidelines and state-of-the-art research in the field will be reviewed and discussed, and complemented by practical tutorials, seminars and laboratory sessions.
15 credits - Design and Management of Sewer Systems
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This module will provide students with a high level of knowledge and understanding as to how sewer and stormwater drainage systems operate in the UK. Teaching will focus on acquiring knowledge about current and emerging regulatory, management and design practices. Students will be required to understand the environmental and sustainbility issues associated with this type of infrastructure system. Students will apply industry standard design approaches in a case study, considering hydraulic and pollution concepts to evaluate and modify the performance of the case study network to meet current regulatory requirements, anticipated future pressures whilst considering the long term sustainability of the system. Students will be expected to demonstrate their level of knowledge and understanding via application in the case study sewer network.
15 credits - Urban Stormwater Management
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This module is designed to provide you with an understanding of the fundamental concepts and processes associated with hydrology and urban drainage design, and to apply these concepts to a variety of drainage engineering problems. Through lectures, tutorials and individual literature and case study research, you will develop your knowledge of current and developing practice in urban drainage, including the increasingly important roles of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) (also know as 'Sponge Cities').
15 credits
This module aims: (i) to develop knowledge and understanding of current and developing practice in urban drainage engineering/urban stormwater management; and (ii) to develop skills in applying fundamental hydrological and hydraulic knowledge to drainage design. - Blast and Impact Effects on Structures
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This module introduces students to issues related to material and structural response high-magnitude, transient loading, such as those generated by explosions or impacts. The module includes quantification of blast load parameters, qualitative assessment of material and structural response, development of closed-form and numerical calculation methods to quantify structural response and an appraisal of codes of practice guidance intended to increase the resilience of structures to these loads. Teaching takes place predominantly in lecture and tutorials with some computer laboratories.
15 credits - Structural Analysis and Design for Fire
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The course will provide an overview of the fire hazard in buildings and measures necessary for life safety and containment of losses. The response of steel and composite structures will be covered in greatest detail, and concrete and timber framing will also be discussed. Traditional design approaches and new design strategies will be discussed, including 'design for fire' parts of Eurocodes 1, 2, 3 and 4. The evidence from recent research including full-scale fire testing at Cardington will be covered. Both intermediate and advanced methods of analysis, and the influence of various parameters, will be discussed. Likely future developments will be reviewed, including measures to ensure robustness in fire.
15 credits - Seismic Resistant Design and Strengthening
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The aim of this module is to teach the principles of modern seismic design of structures, the methodology of the European design code (Eurocode 8) and the main concepts of seismic performance of structures. The module will be delivered through lectures and computer-lab sessions in which students will be working on a project
15 credits
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we will inform students and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.
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Duration
1 year full-time
Teaching
We use a variety of teaching methods to support your learning, including tutorials, lectures, group project work, virtual learning environments and individual research. Some modules may feature input from our industrial partners, laboratory work or site visits.
Assessment
Your assessments will include formal examinations, coursework and research projects. Regular feedback is also provided, so that you can understand your own development throughout the course.
School
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
Civil engineering is at the forefront of improving the way we live. Whether it's designing the infrastructure that keeps our day-to-day lives running smoothly - from buildings and bridges to clean water supplies - or working to meet the ever-changing needs of our society in the areas of sustainability, renewable energy and climate change, you'll be helping to create and protect the world we live in.
Our courses will make you the kind of engineer the world needs right now; forward-thinking, interdisciplinary, environmentally conscious, and capable of the kind of complex thinking our rapidly changing society needs. Wherever you choose to start your career, you'll be in demand.
We're top 10 for civil engineering, according to the Times UK University Rankings 2024. Our research is internationally recognised, and we work closely with industry and government to ensure that our research has real world impact.
Entry requirements
Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree in any engineering or science subject which meets the module requirement below.
Module requirements
You should have studied at least one module from either of the two areas below:
Area 1
- Mechanics
- Structural
- Structures
Area 2
- Drainage
- Fluid
- Foundations
- Foundation Engineering
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnics
- Ground
- Hydraulics
- Hydro
- Sanitary Engineering
- Soil Mechanics
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 (with 6 in each component) or University equivalent.
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school/department.
Fees and funding
Alumni discount
Save up to £2,500 on your course fees
Are you a Sheffield graduate? You could save up to £2,500 on your postgraduate taught course fees, subject to eligibility.
Apply
You can apply now using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It's a quick and easy process.
Contact
Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.
Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.