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MSc - Master of Science
Heriot Watt University - Edinburgh Campus
Full Time
Sep 2027
1 Year
Civil engineering professionals often require an extensive understanding of construction management due to the strategic benefits it can bring to both individuals and project teams. As the industry becomes more competitive, organisations are increasingly demanding the combined time, cost and quality assurances that good project management practice provides. MSc Civil Engineering and Construction Management will interest you if you are a civil engineering professional looking to broaden your knowledge and technical expertise and expand your career opportunities. For those of you from a different engineering background, the programme offers you the opportunity to develop key civil engineering and construction management skills to be able to commence a career within the built environment industry. You’ll gain a deep understanding of the core technical skills and personal qualities required to work within the dynamic industry at the highest possible technical level and the programme will provide you with an accredited route to becoming a Chartered Engineer. During the master’s programme, you’ll gain relevant specialist expertise in civil and structural engineering that is of most interest to you, develop the applied mathematical skills required by professional engineers, and gain a comprehensive understanding of the concepts, principles, theories, and sustainability issues in construction. This career-focused master’s programme combines elements of construction project management, and civil and structural engineering to provide a broad and valuable education. Upon completion, you’ll have the skills and knowledge to prepare you for a wide range of technical and managerial careers across the sector, both nationally and internationally, working in areas such as general construction, transport, water and wastewater engineering.
The aim of the course is to enable students to appreciate and make an intelligent contribution towards the managerial and financial aspects of construction companies in general and construction projects in particular. This includes developing awareness and understanding of the need for financial planning and monitoring and the cost control process. The following subjects are covered within the course syllabus: Financial management and control in contracting; corporate strategies in construction; financial management at company level; cash flow forecasting; costing; cost/value reconciliation at project level; production of financial accounts for construction companies; corporate analysis and ratio analysis; economic comparison; profitability measurement; construction plant financial appraisal; development appraisal techniques.
MSc students are also required to submit a research dissertation, the research topic normally aligns with the research interests of the staff in the School but can be tailored to suit the interests of the student or student's employer. Distance learning and part time students are encouraged to suggest project topics based on their own work experience.
This course aims to provide the student with an understanding of the concepts and practices of construction project management used to provide value added services to clients. The course develops understanding of the issues related to the management of construction clients and other project stakeholders and how their needs can be co-ordinated, managed and delivered from the project's design stage through production to occupation and maintenance within the context of client satisfaction and the overarching construction project constraints of time, cost, quality sustainability, health and safety management.
The course aims to introduce the concepts of value and risk management, apply them to strategic and tactical problems and illustrate their tools and techniques through case studies. Subjects included in the course syllabus include: VRM and the construction procurement process; introduction to value management; value engineering (function analysis and other VE tools); risk and uncertainty in the construction industry; Risk and procurement of PPP projects; risk management framework; sources, events and effects of project risk; tools and techniques of risk management; risk response and mitigation; client briefing.
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