About Highways And Transportation Engineering Msc in Coventry University

You can advance your existing career in the transport industry or start one, by studying for a Highways and Transportation Engineering MSc.

Within the UK, Highways England has predicted five times more highway engineers will be needed to implement the Government’s confirmed road building programme over the next 10 years. Elsewhere in the world, there is similarly high demand for highways and transport infrastructure, especially in countries like China, India and the Middle East where infrastructure projects are growing at an exponential rate.

This exciting new course responds to the rapid growth and demand in the highways and transportation industry, both in the UK and overseas. Accreditation is currently being sought from the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) to be approved as ‘further learning’ for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. The outcome is expected in January 2018.

We offer facilities in our High-Performance Engineering Centre, including construction site management simulation. We also benefit from excellent industry links and the course is developed and delivered by academic lecturers and guest speakers in collaboration with civil engineering employers, such as Underground Professional Services and Morgan Sindall. 

Why Coventry University?

An award-winning university, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible experience. We continue to invest in both our facilities and our innovative approach to education. Our students benefit from industry-relevant teaching, and resources and support designed to help them succeed. These range from our modern library and computing facilities to dedicated careers advice and our impressive Students’ Union activities.

Course information

The course is designed to provide topical and industry-focused postgraduate education to enhance career opportunities in highways and transportation engineering.

From concept to construction, we will cover the technical skills required to analyse, design and develop sound solutions to highways and transportation projects. We aim to help you gain a critical understanding of traffic flow theory and traffic signal control, together relevant issues, such as the effects of transport on the environment, congestion, the movement of freight and the challenges of public transport. 

Using case studies, practical sessions, simulation labs and site visits to ‘live’ projects, students study how to apply engineering principles and use computer modelling techniques to analyse complex engineering systems, covering both links and junctions, as well as junction capacity analysis, gaining valuable experience of the work carried out in an industrial context. For example, in October 2016, the students were taken on a site visit to the A46/Broad Lane junction, Coventry and Walsgrave Road, Coventry. More site visits are planned for individual modules.

We cover the latest laboratory testing procedures and modern techniques used to assess material and structural performance. These include: lightweight concrete and heavy structural steel beam testing techniques using modern and upgraded loading equipment automated with data loggers; saturated and unsaturated stress path soil testing apparatus; and commercial civil engineering materials, mixing and synthesising equipment.

We will study the economics behind construction, examining the regulatory and legal framework within which the industry operates, health and safety in the construction workplace, as well as corporate management processes in the construction industry, such as procurement systems and standard forms of construction contracts.

Career prospects

The lack of highly skilled highways engineers – particularly at a management level – has been identified by Highways England as one of its biggest concerns in coming years.

The UK construction industry needs an additional 1,270 civil engineers (including highways engineers) to meet demand every year from now until 2019, according to the latest Construction Skills Network research (LMI). Career prospects are excellent with average salaries are in the region of £19,000 to £28,000.

As a highway engineer, there may be opportunities to be involved in a vast range of transportation projects from minor local proposals improving existing road networks, for example, to complex high profile major developments building new road systems, like the current M1 Junction 19 Improvement Scheme, that will be used for many years to come. You may often be part of a multidisciplinary team, including architects, planners, air quality and noise consultants, structural engineers and quantity surveyors, to name but a few.

The vocational nature of this programme provides a sound basis for a wide range of skills and career opportunities in the construction industry or wider civil engineering sector, one of the largest employers in the UK and demand is strong for civil engineering graduates.

The course will help keep you up-to-date with current events and the latest, leading-edge industry innovations through opportunities to visit facilities and hear from leading industry figures. These visits are a great way to interact with potential employers and recently have included I54 Wolverhampton Junction Technopark.

As a postgraduate student, you also receive support from our award-winning Faculty careers service, EEC Futures, which won the ‘Best Placement Service in the UK’ award at the National Undergraduate Employability Awards in 2015 and 2016.

Coventry University is committed to preparing you for your future career and giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. The University’s Careers and Employability team provide a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.

Where our graduates work

Many of our graduates on similar courses within civil engineering have gone on to work as Graduate Engineers in Consultancy, Design or Contractor jobs for companies such as Hyder, Aecom, Morgan Sindall.

Applicants are normally expected to hold a 2.2 honours degree in Civil Engineering.

Holders of a CEng accredited Bachelor’s degree can enrol on the course provided they meet the entry requirements. This will automatically meet the educational base for Chartered Engineer status.
Holders of an IEng accredited or an overseas Bachelor’s degree will need to apply for an academic assessment to be formally approved for CEng. They may be required to complete extra modules if their Bachelor degree is deemed to be not technical enough.

Applicants with an engineering degree and substantial industrial experience in construction will considered, with the understanding that on completion of the award they may not be eligible for Chartered status as they will not be fulfilling the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) requirements. Applicants are therefore strongly advised to check with the JBM and Engineering Council before committing to the course.

English as a Foreign Language: This course requires IELTS of 6.5 overall, with no component lower than 5.5. Pre-sessional English is available if required.

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