27-Feb-96

MSc, PgD & PgC in

Civil Engineering

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Faculty of the Environment

The Faculty's courses and their location have always attracted applicants from both the UK and abroad. The University of Portsmouth's attractive south coast setting provides an ideal student environment which includes a compact city location with relatively inexpensive accommodation; good transport facilities both within the city and beyond and a range of excellent leisure and cultural facilities.

In an uncertain and increasingly competitive environment the Civil Engineer is required to develop a wide range of skills and abilities to stay abreast of current industrial needs. The Faculty of the Environment has recognised the need for a fresh approach to the provision of post graduate courses in Civil Engineering and has established this course within the Faculty Modular Masters Scheme.

Specific Aims

1. To provide frameworks within which the understanding of core disciplines in Civil Engineering can be extended;
2. To provide an opportunity to study subjects of growing importance with which the Civil Engineer is confronted in the changing economic and environmental climate;
3. To increase professionals' ability to contribute to organisational and managerial effectiveness within their employing organisations by developing their general competence within the context of their own experience, their current and future needs and the needs of their organisations.

Teaching Methods

Teaching on this course will focus on small lecture groups, seminar and discussion groups and, importantly, independent learning strategies which tutorials will help to develop. Assessment will be by both examination and continuous coursework and practicals. Full details of assessment for each module and their scheduling will be available at the start of the course. Each student must complete a dissertation or extended assignments for the submission of an MSc which will be supervised by an appropriate person.

Staffing of this pathway reflects the interdisciplinary approach to post-graduate study taken within the faculty. Most of the staff on the pathway have over fifteen years of teaching and research experience. Staff research interests cover a range of related issues and concerns which are developed through this course.

Attendance is offered in full-time (one-year), or part-time/block mode (two years) to maximise convenience of access. Each of the three stages of the programme is contained within an academic semester. The first two stages are generally delivered through formal tuition and stage three through personal research.

Research Relationships

During their period of registration, candidates are invited to liaise with appropriate research groups within the University. Subject to availability, candidates are welcome to attend, without assessment, other units of study at undergraduate or post-graduate level within the Faculty of The Environment.

Entry Requirements

The course generally assumes a post-graduate level of entry acquired by academic or professional study or by appropriate industrial or professional experience. A demonstrable ability to benefit academically from the demands of the course is therefore a pre-requisite to entry and will be assessed on the basis of maturity and experience as well as previous academic and professional qualifications.

Exit Points and Awards

Successful completion of the stage one units will gain candidates 50 credits which will enable them to exit the course with a Post Graduate Certificate. Successful completion of the stage two units will gain candidates another 30 credits which will enable them to exit the course with a Post Graduate Diploma.

Successful completion of stage three dissertation/assignments will gain candidates another 40 credits which will enable them to exit the course with an MSc degree. The pass mark for all units is 50% and an overall mark of 75% gains the award of MSc with Distinction.

Course Topics

STAGE 1 (5 from 6)

Coastal and Geotechnical Engineering - Provides understanding of the characteristics of a coastal environment as they relate to engineering works. Principles of embankment and earth fill dam design.

Human Resource Management and Legal Studies - Appreciation of the business and legal environment in which engineers work. Study decision making and modern management techniques.

Management of Traffic - Understand the traffic generation characteristics of land use, planning for traffic and its management and control.

Numerical Methods for Structural Analysis - Structural analysis and numerical techniques for solving structural problems. Use of commercial software packages.

Structural Design - Strategic approach to the design process and techniques for the design of complete structures.

Water and Environmental Management - Water management criteria. Industrial waste treatment and disposal.

STAGE 2

Research Methods - A wide range of quantitative and qualitative research methods will be introduced and current issues of concern will be addressed. The intention is to assist participants to identify appropriate approaches to undertake their own independent research projects. All students will generate a detailed research proposal.

Two Additional Subjects - These can be selected from a number of appropriate units available from MSc courses in Construction Management, Coastal and Marine Resource Management or Bio-Climatic Architectural Design.

STAGE 3

Independent Project - This provides the MSc candidate with the opportunity to tackle independently, but in a supportive framework, a significant piece of work on a subject of their own choosing, which has been agreed with the Director of Studies. The duration of this work is at least one semester (i.e. 16 weeks).

Contact for further information

If you wish to know about the course, visit the Department, or contact members of the academic staff, you should, in the first instance, contact Barbara Szulerecki at the address below or by telephone on (01705) 842421 or Facsimile (01705) 842516.

Faculty of the Environment, Buckingham Building, Lion Terrace, Portsmouth, PO1 3HE

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Department Home Page

foxd@civl.port.ac.uk
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