MSc Advanced Structural Engineering
Heriot-Watt UniversityEdinburgh, United Kingdom
Course overview
The MSc Advanced Structural Engineering course is designed for students who hold a bachelor's degree in structural engineering or a related field and wish to enhance their skills. It also helps engineers from different fields learn more about structural engineering, getting them ready for higher-level jobs in civil and structural engineering.
The course teaches important technical skills, professional qualities, and how to make engineering sustainable. It covers main topics like how to design structures, the properties of materials, and ways to analyse them. The focus is on real-world applications and learning informed by research. Students will study various subjects that deal with current structural engineering problems and how to solve them.
To help students learn well, the course uses lectures, group discussions, and hands-on tasks. Students are usually assessed through exams, coursework, and a large research project on their own. This helps them use what they have learned and develop their research skills.
More details about how the course is set up and what courses it includes are on the university's official course page. This gives a full idea of what students will learn. It makes sure that when students complete the course, they are ready for the difficult parts of working as a professional structural engineer.
Key highlights
- Accredited route towards becoming a Chartered Engineer
- Builds advanced knowledge on an existing engineering degree
- Suitable for graduates from other engineering backgrounds
- Develops core technical skills for civil and structural engineering industry
- Develops personal qualities needed to work at high technical level
Entry requirements
- Degree: 2:2 — to include related subject; or above
Scholarships
Alumni Discount Scheme
A 20% discount is applicable to postgraduate taught courses across all of our global campuses.
Up to 20% of feesCoaching Scholarships Programme
Varies – up to a 100% Tuition fee Reduction (dependent on experience and number of coaching hours across the year).
Heriot-Watt Actuarial Scholarship For Academic Excellence
The Heriot-Watt Actuarial Scholarship For Academic Excellence awards the successful recipient(s) with a 20% reduction on their tuition fees.
Up to 20% of feesRemission of Fees (Families of Staff)
Please contact the provider.
Staff Scholarships
Please contact the provider
The Brodie Family Scholarship (PGT)
The Brodie Family Scholarship provides financial support of £2,500 per year (or £2,000 per year for students enrolled in a five-year programme) to four undergraduate students.
The Island Scholarship Programme - Orkney Campus (UK) (International)
The New Dawn Energy Scholarship
The New Dawn Energy Scholarship provides £1900 towards living costs to two students enrolling on our MSc in Petroleum Engineering in September 2026.
Up to £1,900
Careers this course leads to
- Structural Engineer
- Chartered Structural Engineer
- Civil Engineer
- Bridge Engineer
- Design Engineer
Career opportunities
Graduates of this programme are set for career paths, including:
- Structural Engineer
- Civil Engineer
- Consulting Engineer
- Construction Manager
- Project Engineer
Cost of study
For the September 2025/January 2026 intake, the tuition fees for the MSc Advanced Structural Engineering programme are: £25,480 (Full-time) and £12,740 (part-time) for international students.
Admission
Prospective students can apply for this course directly through the university's online forms or speak to our trained counsellors always available to help.
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