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Top 10 Institutions for Masters in Civil Engineering in the UK

Civil engineering is the second-oldest engineering discipline, helping both the public and the private sector in maintaining the natural environment and building advanced infrastructure. Civil engineering has a broad scope and attracts a large number of students every year and many of them choose to be master of the discipline. Given a chance to study in an institution, in a developed country and getting a broader view of the latest technology, the students can excel in their careers and get global exposure. 

The UK is one such preferred destination for the students to pursue their master’s in civil engineering. More than 83, 000 civil engineers have been employed in the UK and the number is still increasing. There has been a 40% increase in the inflow of international students to the UK, India being one of the top three countries besides China and the USA.  

According to the QS World University Rankings 2020, 10 institutions in the UK fall in top-ranked 100 institutions of the world offering postgraduate courses in civil engineering. Below are the details of the top 10 institutions for masters in civil engineering in the UK along with the specific details:- 

  1. University College London (UCL)
  2. Imperial College of London
  3. The University of Edinburgh
  4. The University of Manchester 
  5. University of Bristol
  6. University of Glasgow
  7. The University of Sheffield 
  8. University of Birmingham 
  9. University of Leeds
  10. University of Nottingham

University College London (UCL)

University College London

This is London’s global university, ranked at number 8 by QS World University Rankings 2020. It has approximately 32,795 students with 16,750 being international and 29 Nobel laureates being the alumni of this university since its establishment in 1901. It offers a diverse group of master’s courses for the discipline of civil engineering. 

Postgraduate Courses available in Civil Engineering

  • Civil Engineering MSc
  • Civil Engineering (with Environmental Systems) MSc 
  • Civil Engineering (with Fluids) MSc 
  • Civil Engineering (with Infrastructure Planning) MSc 
  • Civil Engineering (with Integrated Design) MSc 
  • Civil Engineering (with Railways) MSc 
  • Civil Engineering (with Seismic Design) MSc 
  • Earthquake Engineering with Disaster Management MSc 
  • Engineering for International Development MSc
  • Environmental Systems Engineering MSc 
  • Geospatial Sciences MSc  
  • Geospatial Sciences (Building Information Modelling) MSc 
  • Geospatial Sciences (GIS and Computing) MSc  
  • Geospatial Sciences (Hydrographic Surveying) MSc  
  • Spatio-Temporal Analytics and Big Data Mining MSc 
  • Urban Railways MSc 

Eligibility: 

  • Four years bachelor's degree from a deemed university with a minimum of 70% marks.
  • IELTS: 7.5 overall grade, with a minimum of 6.5 in each element.

Tuition Fee and Living Expenses:

  • The tuition fee is £28,530 (approximately 27 lakhs INR).
  • The living expenses may add up to £20,072 (approximately 19 lakhs INR) per year.

Imperial College London  

Imperial College London

QS World University Rankings 2020 has ranked this college with a number 9. The college is home to 10,013 international students and specializes in science, engineering, medicine and business. Different courses offered by this college can be a foundation for the careers of many students.

Postgraduate Courses available in Civil Engineering

  • MSc Advanced Materials for Sustainable Infrastructure 
  • MSc Concrete Structures 
  • MSc Earthquake Engineering 
  • MSc Engineering Fluid Mechanics for the Offshore, Coastal and Built Environments 
  • MSc in Soil Mechanics and Engineering Seismology 
  • MSc in Soil Mechanics and Environmental Geotechnics 
  • MSc Soil Mechanics and Business Management 
  • MSc Soil Mechanics and Environmental Geotechnics 
  • MSc Structural Steel Design 
  • MSc Transport
  • MSc Transport and Business Management 
  • MSc General Structural Engineering 
  • MSc Hydrology and Business Management
  • MSc Hydrology and Water Resources Management

Eligibility: 

  • Four years bachelor's degree from a deemed university with a final mark of 75% or CGPA 8.5+ (If Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) or other such prestigious colleges, then CGPA of 7+ would suffice).
  • 6.5 in IELTS with a minimum band of 6.0 in all elements.

Tuition Fee and Living Expenses:

  • The tuition fee is £32,500 (approximately 30 lakhs INR).
  • The living expenses may add up to £15,520 (approximately 15 lakhs INR) per year.

The University of Edinburgh

University of Edinburgh

Ranked number 20 by the QS World University Rankings 2020, this is a university with excellent research activity. Hosting about 12,000 international students, this university focuses on skill development of the students helping them become outstanding employees. 

Postgraduate Courses available in Civil Engineering

  • Structural and Fire Safety Engineering MSc

Eligibility: 

  • A bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from a deemed university with a minimum percentage of 60%.
  • A total score of  6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component in IELTS is mandatory.

Tuition Fee and Living Expenses: 

  • The tuition fee is £28,150 (approximately 26 lakhs INR).
  • The living expenses may add up to £11,000 (approximately 10 lakhs INR) per year.

The University of Manchester 

University of Manchester

One of the top universities with the rank number 27 according to the 2020 QS World University Rankings and a prestigious “red brick” universities, it is known for research in science and engineering. This university has over 37,000 students and offers more than 1000 different degree programs. 

Postgraduate Courses available in Civil Engineering

  • Structural Engineering MSc
  • Commercial Project Management MSc
  • Construction Project Management MSc
  • Engineering Project Management MSc
  • Management of Projects MSc

Eligibility: 

  • Four years bachelor's degree from a reputed university with a minimum percentage of 70% in a relevant science or engineering discipline.
  • A score of 6.5 overall with three sub-tests at 6.0 or above and no sub-test less than 5.5 in IELTS.
  • Two references that are dated and signed by the referee on his/her official letterhead.

Tuition Fee and Living Expenses: 

  • The tuition fee is £24,500 (approximately 23 lakhs INR) for Structural Engineering MSc and £25,500 (approximately 24 lakhs INR) for all other courses.
  • The living expenses may add up to £10,000 (approximately 9 lakhs INR) per year.

University of Bristol 

This university with the most incredible teaching attracts students from across the world. It has been ranked 49 by the QS World University Rankings 2020. This is the second-most targeted university by industrial employers.

Postgraduate Courses available in Civil Engineering 

  • MSc Earthquake Engineering and Infrastructure Resilience

Eligibility: 

  • Four years bachelor's degree from a reputed university with a minimum percentage of 70% in a relevant science or engineering discipline 
  • IELTS score of 6.5 overall with three sub-tests at 6.0 or above and no sub-test less than 5.5.
  • Two references that are dated and signed by the referee on his/her official letterhead.

Tuition Fee and Living Expenses: 

  • The tuition fee is £24,000 (approximately 22 lakhs INR).
  • The living expenses may add up to £14,500 (approximately 14 lakhs INR) per year.

University of Glasgow

University of Glasgow

This university has been ranked number 67 by the QS World University Rankings  2020 and is one of the oldest universities in the world. It has more than 26,000 students and offers more than 100 courses in different fields. 

Postgraduate Courses available in Civil Engineering

  • Civil Engineering MSc
  • Civil Engineering & Management MSc
  • Structural Engineering MSc
  • Geospatial & Mapping Sciences MSc
  • Land & Hydrographic Surveying MSc

Eligibility:

  • A bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 60% marks in civil engineering or other appropriate engineering or science subject.
  • Overall IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component.

Tuition Fee and Living Expenses: 

  • The tuition fee is £16,350 (approximately 15.5 lakhs INR).
  • The living expenses may add up to £10,000 (approximately 9 lakhs INR) per year.

The University of Sheffield

This university holds a global reputation in terms of its research activity and is among the top 100 universities of the world bearing a rank of number 78 as marked by the QS World University Rankings 2020. More than 9,000 international students are a part of this university. 

Postgraduate Courses available in Civil Engineering

  • Civil Engineering MSc
  • Civil Engineering and Management MSc
  • Water Engineering MSc
  • Structural Engineering MSc (Eng)
  • Infrastructure and Urban Systems Engineering MSc
  • Architectural Engineering Design MSc
  • Hazards and Resilience MSc

Eligibility: 

  • A bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 60% marks in civil or structural engineering or other appropriate engineering or science subject.
  • Overall IELTS score of 6.5 is required with a minimum of 6.0 in each component.

Tuition Fee and Living Expenses: 

  • The tuition fee is £23,750 (approximately  22 lakhs INR).
  • The living expenses may add up to £10,000 (approximately 9 lakhs INR) per year.

University of Birmingham 

University of Birmingham

This university is known for its academic excellence and has been ranked at number 81 by the QS World Rankings 2020. It is among the most famous universities which were established in the 19th century in the industrial cities. 

Postgraduate Courses available in Civil Engineering

  • Civil Engineering and Management Masters
  • Civil Engineering Masters
  • MSc Advanced Engineering Management
  • Geotechnical Engineering and Management Masters
  • Geotechnical Engineering Masters
  • Road Management and Engineering Masters
  • Structural Engineering Masters

Eligibility: 

  • Four years or three years bachelor's degree from a reputed university with a minimum percentage of 60% in a relevant engineering discipline.
  • IELTS score of 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in all components.

Tuition Fee and Living Expenses: 

  • The tuition fee is £23,310 (approximately 22 lakhs INR).
  • The living expenses may add up to £13,000 (approximately 12 lakhs INR) per year.

University of Leeds

University of Leeds

Housing around 32,312 students, this university is among the “red brick” universities and was established in 1904. It has one of the largest campuses in the country and is known for its exceptional research contribution. 

Postgraduate Courses available in Civil Engineering

  • Engineering Geology MSc
  • Structural Engineering MSc (Eng)
  • International Construction Management and Engineering MSc (Eng)
  • Railway Engineering with Project Management MSc (Eng)
  • Advanced Concrete Technology MSc (Eng)

Eligibility: 

  • A bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or a related field with a minimum percentage of 60% or above.
  • IELTS - 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component.

Tuition Fee and Living Expenses: 

  • The tuition fee is £24,000 (approximately  22 lakhs INR).
  • The living expenses may add up to £10,000 (approximately 9 lakhs INR) per year.

University of Nottingham 

University of Nottingham

This university is also among the top 100 universities ranked by the QS World University Rankings. It has a student count of about 31,000 and is known for science and education disciplines. 

Postgraduate Courses available in Civil Engineering

  • Civil Engineering MSc

Eligibility: 

  • A bachelor’s degree in a related discipline with a minimum percentage of 60%.
  • An overall score of 6.0 in IELTS with nothing less than 5.5 in any section.

Tuition Fee and Living Expenses: 

  • The tuition fee is £24,390 (approximately 23 lakhs INR).
  • The living expenses may add up to £18,000 (approximately 17 lakhs INR) per year.

The above mentioned are the current requirements of the top 10 institutions for masters in civil engineering in the UK and are subject to change every year. Kindly check the official website of the institutions before applying. For any kind of assistance, feel free to contact our student support team


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