University College London (UCL)
Civil Engineering (with Infrastructure Planning) MSc
London, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
5 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
This MSc program focuses on developing skills in civil engineering with a strong emphasis on infrastructure planning. Students learn how to design, analyze, and manage large-scale infrastructure projects such as transportation systems, water supply, and urban development. The course combines technical knowledge with practical approaches, preparing students to address complex challenges in planning and implementing sustainable infrastructure solutions. It encourages critical thinking about the environmental, social, and economic impacts of engineering projects, making sure graduates are ready to contribute to smart and resilient urban growth.
The program also covers advanced topics like infrastructure resilience, risk management, and the use of digital tools in planning processes. Teaching often involves real-world case studies and project work, helping students apply their learning to actual industry issues. Collaboration across disciplines is a key part of the experience, fostering a broad understanding of how civil engineering fits into wider public and private sector frameworks. The course aims to equip students with the analytical, technical, and managerial skills needed to lead infrastructure development that benefits communities and supports future growth.
UCL Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available to postgraduate students, including our UCL Masters Bursary for UK students and our UCL Global Masters Scholarship for international students. You can click the link below to search via the scholarships finder for awards that you might be eligible for. Your academic department will also be able to provide you with more information about funding.
External Scholarships
Online aggregators like Postgraduate Studentships, Scholarship Search, Postgraduate Funding and International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search contain information on a variety of external schemes.
If you have specific circumstances or ethnic or religious background it is worth searching for scholarships/bursaries/grants that relate to those things. Some schemes are very specific.
Funding for disabled students
Master's students who have a disability may be able to get extra funding for additional costs they incur to study.
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
Full-time
The programme structure for full-time students encompasses a total of 180 credits.
4 compulsory modules (60 credits) tailored to the chosen pathway form the core. You'll then select 4 optional modules (60 credits) to complement your specialisation. In Term 3, you'll complete an individual research project (60 credits).
Part-time
The programme structure for part-time students encompasses a total of 180 credits over the course of 2 years.
4 compulsory modules (60 credits) tailored to the chosen pathway form the core. You'll then select 4 optional modules (60 credits) to complement your specialisation. In Term 3, you'll complete an individual research project (60 credits).
Flexible
The programme structure for modular/flexible students encompasses a total of 180 credits over the course of their studies.
Compulsory modules
- Business Cases for Infrastructure
- Risk, Uncertainty and Complexity in Decision-Making
- Infrastructure Policy, Planning and Consent
- Research Project
- Financial Aspects of Project Engineering
Optional modules
- Digitalisation in Infrastructure
- Environmental Systems
- Roads and Underground Infrastructure: Design, Construction and Maintenance
- Advanced Soil Mechanics
- Introduction to Seismic Design of Structures
- Seismic Risk Assessment
- Reliability, Risk and Resilience Engineering
- Environmental Modelling
- Finite-Element Modelling and Numerical Methods
- Urban Flooding and Drainage
- Applied Building Information Modelling
- Advanced Civil Engineering Materials
- Life Cycle Assessment
- Environmental Fluid Mechanics
- Urban Railway Planning and Analysis
- Building Energy Efficiency
- Introduction to Complex Infrastructure Systems
- Adaptive Reuse of Existing Structures
- Catastrophe Risk Modelling
- Waste and Resource Efficiency
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.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Civil Engineering (with Infrastructure Planning). Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Civil Engineering (with Infrastructure Planning).
What this course will give you
This programme offers you the following benefits and opportunities.
- A postgraduate degree from a top-ranked university. UCL is consistently ranked among the best universities globally (ranked 9th in the latest 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 policy, architecture, structures, infrastructure planning, transport, energy, and more.
- Build strong collaborative skills, working alongside experts from UCL and carrying out research projects with one of our industrial partners.
- Take advantage of our research and industry links, including attending seminars and exhibitions by industry leaders like ARUP, TfL, Network Rail, and more.
- Enjoy a transformative curriculum designed to help you build a successful civil engineering career in industry or research.
- Access the department's start-of-the-art and award-winning facilities across London such as Person-Environment-Activity Research Laboratory (PEARL), Controlled Active Ventilation Environment (CAVE), and Structural & Environmental Testing at Here East (StrEnTHE).
- Study in the world's best city for university students (QS Best Student Cities 2024). UCL’s Bloomsbury campus is in the heart of a London district famous for its cultural and educational institutions.
The foundation of your career
Graduates unlock multiple career pathways, having developed a comprehensive skillset, in-depth expertise of programme subject matter, and a broad contextual knowledge. Some graduates of this MSc prepare to become Chartered Engineers, or find work across a wide range of sectors, industries, and organisations. Graduates from our department have gone on to work with employers such as ARUP, MACE, Network Rail, TfL, WaterAid, and more.
Others go on to research positions in world-leading academic institutions, such as the University of Cambridge, UniSA, TU Delft, and more.
Employability
On this programme, you'll develop the strong technical and contextual foundation needed to progress into a civil 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.
Accreditation
This degree is accredited as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for candidates who have already acquired a partial CEng accredited undergraduate first degree. See www.jbm.org.uk for further information.