Advanced Geotechnical Engineering MSc

Why choose this course\
From offshore wind farms in the North Sea to earthquake-resilient infrastructure in Asia, geotechnical engineers are in demand globally, and there aren't enough of them.

* Gain the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue an exciting career in the geotechnical engineering sector.

* Learn in highly specialised facilities, such as our Geotechnics and Geology Teaching Laboratory, by academics who are leaders in their field.

* Benefit from the expert knowledge of specialist guest speakers, including visiting academics and engineers working in industry.

* Gain crucial workplace experience with our optional postgraduate placement year. We’ll support you in finding a placement with a company most suited to your career goals.


* We’re preparing you for the future by integrating AI into every course, building digital skills, confidence and creativity that employers value in tomorrow’s workplace.

What you will study\
Our Advanced Geotechnical Engineering MSc will develop your understanding of the principles and theories behind ground engineering, from soil mechanics to site investigation and from advanced soil testing to foundation design.

You’ll explore a variety of topics, including deep foundations in urban areas, deep water energy resources exploration, field monitoring, foundations for energy infrastructure and major bridges, and tunnelling.

The course covers the following:

* Simple and advanced geotechnical analysis techniques including finite element modelling

* Application of geotechnical engineering codes-of-practice

* Back analysis of collapse of foundations

* Design and construction of foundations for bridges, buildings, offshore structures, tunnels and deep basements in busy cities

* Geotechnical design principles for energy infrastructure projects such as nuclear and geothermal pile systems

* Fundamental soil mechanics and its modelling using numerical approaches

* Testing of soils to obtain design parameters – we use our purpose-built SAGE laboratory for teaching

* Dissertation on a geotechnical engineering topic.