This course provides consultants, operators, regulators and managers with the professional skills and training to contribute to the provision of environmentally sound and economically sustainable systems in the fields of clean water supply, wastewater treatment, and the management of solid waste, including wastes from the oil industry.
It is intended for those who find themselves in management positions with little experience of the techniques necessary to manage the range of projects for which they have responsibilities, or people with a background in management who feel they lack up-to-date technical knowledge in the rapidly changing field of environmental engineering.
You’ll build your knowledge of key issues such as water resource, solid waste or health management. Taught by experts in a research-intensive environment, you’ll gain an insight into the latest developments in this exciting field and prepare to meet the challenges they bring.
You’ll study a broad programme informed by an employers’ group and our Industrial Advisory Board, ensuring that we equip you with the skills you need in the modern engineering industry.
You’ll also benefit from using our specialist facilities, such as our public health labs with separate areas for solid waste, water and wastewater, and a class II microbiology lab and clean room. We have all the specialist software you’ll need for your programme, and you’ll have access to a dedicated study suite for Masters students.
This degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators 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.
This course is also accredited by EUR-ACE, the European quality label for engineering degree programmes at Bachelor and Master level.
A series of core modules that run throughout the year will develop your knowledge of a wide range of topics.
You’ll explore the diversion of organic wastes from landfill and how energy is recovered from them, as well as water supply systems, the challenges of water resource management and the different landfill, mechanical-biological and thermal treatment options available for solid waste.
You’ll also consider wastewater treatment, solid waste management and issues such as controlling emissions. The ways in which legislation is used to protect the environment and the role of public health engineers are also among the topics you’ll cover.
Over the summer months you’ll also research a topic of your choice in environmental engineering and project management – this independent research project will demonstrate your skills, and could even lay the groundwork for your future career specialism.
Want to find out more about your modules?
Take a look at the Environmental Engineering and Project Management module descriptions for more detail on what you will study.
Compulsory modules
Our groundbreaking research feeds directly into teaching, and you’ll have regular contact with staff who are at the forefront of their disciplines. You’ll have regular contact with them through lectures, seminars, tutorials, small group work and project meetings.
Independent study is also important to the programme, as you develop your problem-solving and research skills as well as your subject knowledge.
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.
The dissertation project is one of the most satisfying elements of this course. It allows you to apply what you’ve learned to a piece of research focusing on a real-world problem, and it can be used to explore and develop your specific interests.
Project by students in MSc Environmental Engineering and Project Management have included:
A proportion of projects are formally linked to industry, and may include spending time at the collaborator’s site over the summer.
This programme will equip you with a variety of knowledge and skills that are in demand from a number of professions.
Graduates are likely to work for consulting and contracting engineers, water companies, utility companies and regulators as well as other environment-related companies. Previous graduates have gone to work in a range of roles for companies such as Veolia Water, Lilongwe Water Board, Enviro Care India Pvt. Ltd and a range of national and governmental bodies in countries worldwide.
Graduate students will find the programme of substantial use in developing their knowledge and skills base for bridge analysis, design and management.
The programme also offers the opportunity for practising bridge engineers to update their knowledge of current design and assessment codes and guidelines, become familiar with developments in new techniques for the design, construction and management of bridges.
The Bridge Engineering programme encompasses a wide range of modules addressing the whole life-analysis of bridge structures from design to end-of-life.
Optional modules from some of our other study streams are also offered, covering structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, water engineering, construction management, and infrastructure engineering and management.
Graduates are highly employable and may progress to relevant specialist PhD or EngD research programmes in the field.
This programme is studied over either one year (full-time) or between two and five years (part-time or distance learning). It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation project.
This degree is accredited as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for candidates who have already acquired an Accredited CEng (Partial) BEng(Hons) or an Accredited IEng (Full) BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
Bridge Engineering Group Modules
Structural Engineering Group Modules
Geotechnical Engineering Group Modules
Construction Management Group Modules
Infrastructure Engineering and Management Group Modules
Water and Environmental Engineering Group Modules
Dissertation
The programme aims to provide graduates with:
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:
Knowledge and understanding
Intellectual / cognitive skills
Professional practical skills
Key / transferable skills
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
You can access six study streams on this Masters programme:
As well as supporting the career development of Civil Engineering graduates, this programme provides the necessary further learning for engineers working in the construction industry who hold related first degrees such as engineering geology or construction management.
It is also designed to update the technical skills of practising engineers engaged in the planning, design, construction and operation of civil-engineering works.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time / distance learning for between two to five academic years. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation.
This degree is accredited as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for candidates who have already acquired an Accredited CEng (Partial) BEng(Hons) or an Accredited IEng (Full) BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
Structural Engineering Group Modules
Bridge Engineering Group Modules
Geotechnical Engineering Group Modules
Construction Management Group Modules
Infrastructure Engineering Group Modules
Water and Environmental Engineering Group Modules
Dissertation
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:
Knowledge and understanding
Intellectual / cognitive skills
Professional practical skills
Key / transferable skills
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
Our Structural Engineering postgraduate programme is delivered by the Faculty’s own staff, together with practising engineers from consultancies and local authorities.
For practising engineers engaged in the planning, design and construction of structural engineering works, this programme provides an opportunity to update their knowledge of current design practice and to become familiar with developments in codes and methods of analysis.
You will be able to choose from a rich and varied selection of specialist structural engineering subjects. The programme is offered in the standard full-time mode, in addition to part-time and distance learning options.
Graduates from the programme are highly employable and may progress to relevant specialist PhD or EngD research programmes in the field.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time or distance learning over two to five academic years. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation project.
This degree is accredited as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for candidates who have already acquired an Accredited CEng (Partial) BEng (Hons) or an Accredited IEng (Full) BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
Structural Engineering Group Modules
Bridge Engineering Group Modules
Geotechnical Engineering Group Modules
Construction Management Group Modules
Infrastructure Engineering Group Modules
Water and Environmental Engineering Group Modules
Dissertation
Apart from the usual full-time mode, there are also part-time options. The majority of Bridge, Geotechnical and Structural Engineering modules can be studied by distance learning through the use of an interactive web-based e-learning platform (SurreyLearn).
This programme can be studied via distance learning, which allows a high level of flexibility and enables you to study alongside other commitments you may have. Get further information about the details of our distance learning programme.
As part of your learning experience, you will have at your disposal a wide range of relevant software, including ANSYS, ABAQUS, DIANA, SAP 2000, Integer SuperSTRESS, LUSAS, CRISP, MATLAB, PertMaster DRACULA and VISSIM.
The programme aims to provide graduates with:
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
This MSc attracts UK and overseas graduates who wish to take advantage of the considerable global interest in water, wastewater, sanitation and waste to develop their careers.
Many graduates from the programme go on to work for consultancies, water utilities, contractors, relief agencies, regulatory bodies and international organisations.
Graduates from the programme also have the potential to progress to relevant specialist PhD or EngD research programmes in the field.
In the past, scholarship students have been accepted from a range of schemes, including: Foreign Office and British Council Chevening, World Bank, Commonwealth, Thames Water, Commonwealth Shared Scholarships, and the Royal Academy of Engineering, together with students from numerous overseas national schemes.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time students must study at least two taught technical modules per academic year. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation project.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
Apart from the usual full-time mode, there are also part-time options. The majority of Bridge, Geotechnical and Structural Engineering modules can be studied by distance learning through the use of an interactive web-based e-learning platform (SurreyLearn).
This programme can be studied via distance learning, which allows a high level of flexibility and enables you to study alongside other commitments you may have. Download our distance learning PDF to learn more.
Laboratories and pilot plants
In recent years, CEHE has benefited from investment in new equipment in both the small centre facility, which primarily supports fieldwork, and a larger, more extensively equipped microbiology and chemistry laboratory.
The laboratories are equipped with recently acquired state-of- the-art analytical equipment including ICP-OES, GC/MS, TOC, Ion Chromatograph, Particle Counter, water quality loggers, Delagua kits and so on, available for fieldwork.
A water and wastewater research pilot plant is located at Thames Water’s Shalford and Godalming Water Treatment Works, just a few kilometres away from the University campus. Over the years, many MSc dissertation projects have been completed at this facility, most of them to assist in the development or testing of relief agency systems.
A parallel wastewater research pilot plant has recently been established, again with the support of Thames Water, at Godalming Sewage Treatment Works.
Library facilities
The University library is currently resourced for books, journals and electronic resources, as the postgraduate programme in Water and Environmental Engineering has been well established over the last decade.
The programme draws on science, engineering and other areas of knowledge, and the overall diversity of academic groups within the University ensures that there are library resources to answer most needs.
The provision of British Standards online has reduced the copyright requirements and the quantity of photocopying required. Passwords are available from the library web pages for all other electronic resources.
CEHE resource centre
Provision is made within CEHE to access a limited range of textbooks, previously completed MSc dissertations, a selected range of journals and software mounted on PCs in the Catchment Modelling Laboratory or available on CD.
Professional Institution resources
Library and learning resources are available at the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management and other appropriate professional bodies.
All categories of members of the professional institutions are allowed to borrow books from the institution libraries by post, and in some cases to access other services online.
Computing
There are suitable computing facilities available both within the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences and through central university facilities.
Teaching rooms
Teaching is primarily in flat floor teaching rooms, although there are occasions when formal lecture theatre facilities are used. All of the usual academic support materials and systems are available and pre-printed notes are distributed during every lecture.
The programme aims to provide graduates with:
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
