International Construction Management and Engineering MSc (Eng)

Construction is a huge industry that spans across the globe — with projects of all sizes seeking the expertise of qualified leaders who understand the trade and can ensure the brief is fulfilled to the standard required. The demand is only growing, with the potential to open a lot of doors in terms of career progression if you have the relevant skills and knowledge.

The philosophy of our International Construction Management and Engineering MSc is to help you develop a “whole life” understanding of constructed facilities and infrastructure. You’ll gain the specialist knowledge you’ll need to contribute to and manage projects in the construction industry, alongside building an extensive professional skill set sought after in almost any industry worldwide.

You’ll prepare for the challenges of the ever-evolving global construction industry with a focus on the financial, planning and management aspects of a project life cycle. You’ll explore construction processes from inception and feasibility, design, contract and construction through to commissioning, maintenance, renewal and decommissioning.

Graduates who have studied this degree have utilised their advanced skills learned on the course to pursue their career goals in everything from project management and planning to engineering and consultancy — so the career opportunities are vast.

Why study at Leeds:

• Graduate from a university ranked 2nd in the UK for Civil Engineering, Guardian University Guide 2022 and in the top 50 in the world for Civil and Structural Engineering, QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022 with an MSc that has been accredited by both the Joint Board of Moderators and EUR-ACE.

• Learn the latest innovations in civil engineering from the impactful, world-leading research conducted right here in our School which feeds directly into the course.

• Advance your knowledge and skills in critical areas sought after in industry such as project management, strategic management in construction, procurement knowledge and financing.

• Conduct your own individual research project as part of your course and gain industry experience in managing a project, whilst building professional skills in research, decision making and planning.

• Access research-grade equipment and specialist facilities that will enhance your learning throughout the course, including high-performance computing, structural remodelling and Building Information Modelling (BIM) packages.

• Experience excellent practical and theoretical teaching delivered by a programme team with a wealth of expertise and industrial experience across many relevant areas in construction management and engineering.

• Enhance your career prospects and join our successful alumni who have pursued careers in large corporations worldwide including AECOM, UGCC and African Development Bank.

• Master the most up-to-date practices and techniques recognised in industry on a course that has been directly informed and advised by the Industrial Advisory Committee and the Institution of Civil Engineers.

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, and the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation on behalf of the Engineering Council 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.

*It should be noted that candidates completing the MSc who hold an underpinning accredited IEng degree or a non-accredited bachelor's degree will need to apply for an academic assessment to determine whether they will meet the educational base for CEng registration.

This course is also accredited by EUR-ACE, the European quality label for engineering degree programmes at bachelor's and Masters level.

Throughout the programme, you’ll gain an understanding of the different aspects of project management within the construction industry. You’ll learn about common project management tools and techniques, then put this into the “whole project” context and consider when and how to use them.

At the same time, you’ll consider risk management and its role during the project lifecycle. Whole Life Asset Management examines the “whole life management” of infrastructure, with additional focus on operations, maintenance, renewal and decommissioning.

A core module will introduce you to a variety of procurement strategies to keep projects running effectively.

A choice of optional modules will allow you to strengthen existing technical and engineering skills, or gain an understanding of a new topic to suit your interests and career plans.

You’ll also have the opportunity to undertake projects in a multi-disciplinary environment, with access to the expertise in the School's research themes.

Project work

Over the summer months, you’ll work with your supervisor to complete your independent research project which is one of the most satisfying elements of this course. It’s a chance for you to demonstrate the knowledge and skills you’ve gained, focusing on a real-world problem that explores your specific interests and/or relates to your career ambitions.

Most projects are experimentally based and linked with companies in industry to ensure the topic of research is relevant to the field whilst also addressing a real-world problem.

Example projects for International Construction Management and Engineering MSc students have included:

• International trends in infrastructure asset management

• Integrated project delivery and the BIM environment

• Risk in megaprojects

• Social return on investment in infrastructure projects

• Trends in the concepts of value and value management

• Future-proofing and infrastructure resilience.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork can be undertaken as part of the primary data collection for the dissertation project.

Want to find out more about your modules?

Take a look at the International Construction Management and engineering modules for more detail on what you will study.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read International Construction Management and Engineering MSc (Eng) in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

Learning and teaching

Our groundbreaking research feeds directly into teaching, and you’ll have regular contact with staff who are at the forefront of their disciplines, being taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, small group work and project meetings. Throughout your studies, you’ll also benefit from a structured support system, with a personal tutor who will offer help and advice about your approach to studying and how to become adept at independent learning.

Independent study is also important to the programme, as you develop your problem-solving and research skills as well as your subject knowledge.

Specialist facilities

During the course, you’ll benefit from access to our first-class laboratory and computing facilities during their research project work. These include specialist laboratories to support research in structures and materials, building physics, and public health. You may also have access to high-performance computing, industry standard CFD, structural modelling and Building Information Modelling (BIM) packages, along with bespoke tools developed within the school research groups.

Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme and modules.

You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

Programme team

The Programme Leader, Dr David Dawson, is a lecturer (in Transport Management & Resilience) whose research interests include sustainable and resilient infrastructure, urban resilience to flooding, risk management and decision-making under future uncertainty, and appraisal of resilient transport systems. David has been at the University of Leeds since 2012 where he began his research career, and has supported the ICME programme (as a module leader) since 2018.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including case studies, technical reports, presentations, in-class tests, assignments and exams. Optional modules may also use alternative assessment methods.

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in civil engineering or a related construction discipline where relevant subject areas have been studied. Applications from professionally qualified and experienced candidates will also be considered.

A bachelor degree with a 2:2 (hons) will be considered for candidates with at least three years’ relevant experience in the construction industry.

Due to the competitive nature of this course, the Admissions team may take a variety of factors into account when assessing applications.

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. For more information please contact the Admissions Team.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Civil Engineering (6 weeks) and Language for Science: Civil Engineering  (10 weeks).

We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. You could study a part-time online course starting in January, or a full-time course in summer. Find out more about online pre-sessionals.

You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.

How to apply

Application deadlines

We operate a staged admissions process for this course with selection deadlines throughout the year.
Please read our Staged Admissions page for full details, including application deadlines and what to include with your application.

Apply

This link takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.

If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Documents and information you’ll need

A personal statement detailing your academic background and experience in any aspect of the construction life cycle - this may include aspects of investment decision making, design, procurement, project execution or operational management.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2023

Fees

• UK: £13,000 (total)
• International: £28,000 (total)

Read more about paying fees and charges.

For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.

Additional cost information

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government.  Find out more at Masters funding overview.

Studying this MSc will complement the technical skills you have, helping you develop a holistic professional skill set that is not only sought after in the construction industry but is largely transferable across many job roles too.

From construction manager to project manager, planning engineer to technical engineer, the career opportunities open to you with the experience you’ll learn on this course are wide-ranging and will give you a lot of options when you graduate.

Plus, the University of Leeds is in the top five most targeted universities in the UK by graduate recruiters, according to High Fliers’ The Graduate Market in 2022 report.

Our graduates from this course have secured positions at companies such as:

• Infrastructure Engineer, African Development Bank

• Assistant Project Engineer, Jefcon and Associates Ltd.

• Senior Traffic Engineer, Colin Buchanan & Partners

• PMO Development Consultant, EcoGen

• Site Civil Engineer, AECOM

• Planning Engineer, Ministry of Kuwait

• Technical Engineer, Binladin Group Global Holding Company

• Head of Engineering, Tanzania National Roads Agency

• Planning Engineer, United Gulf Construction Co. W.L.L.

• Architect, AFL Architects

Careers support

At Leeds, we help you to prepare for your future from day one. Our wide range of careers resources — including our award-winning Employability team — are on hand to offer guidance and support, ensuring you are prepared to take your next steps after graduation and get you where you want to be.

• Employability events — we run a full range of events including careers fairs in specialist areas and across broader industries — all with employers who are actively recruiting for roles. 

• MyCareer system — on your course and after you graduate you’ll have access to a dedicated careers portal where you can book appointments with our team, get information on careers and see job vacancies and upcoming events.

• Qualified careers consultants — gain guidance, support and information to help you choose a career path. You’ll have access to 1-2-1 meetings and events to learn how to find employers to target, research before interviews and brush up on your interview skills.

• Opportunities at Leeds — there are plenty of exciting opportunities offered by our Leeds University Union, including volunteering and over 300 clubs and societies to get involved in.

Find out more about career support.