Fire Safety Engineering with optional placement MSc

MSc Fire Safety Engineering is concerned with the study of fire development and prevention and the means by which its consequence may be reduced to a minimum in human, environmental and financial terms. This postgraduate degree emphasises Fire Safety Engineering in the context of buildings and infrastructure. This involves skills and knowledge crossing all areas of learning including fire chemistry, physics of heat transfer, biology and toxicity, structures, law and legislation, environmental impact, risk management and design. It is supported by an established research base and builds on the training and educational programmes offered by the Institution of Fire Engineers.

This course is designed for students who will eventually hold senior positions within the fire-related professions. Throughout the programme, emphasis will be placed on self-motivation, critical thinking and analytical depth. The application of Fire Safety Engineering is multi-disciplinary and, as in the professional world, you will carry out project work, which will facilitate dialogue between the Fire Engineer and other members of the design and management teams.

Professional Accreditation

This MSc is accredited by the Energy Institute (EI) as fulfilling the further learning requirement for Chartered Engineer status, whilst also being a recognised course by the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE).

Learning Environment and Assessment

There are different assessment methods employed across the modules. Some modules are assessed by both examination and coursework while others are assessed by coursework only, which may take the form of group projects, modelling exercises or time-controlled assignments or seminar presentations.

Opportunities

The range of employment opportunities for students who hold MSc Fire Safety Engineering is very wide. The design and safety of buildings for industrial and commercial use is becoming more complex due to the ever-increasing awareness of health and safety needs in the working environment. Therefore, an ability to solve the problems of fire prevention and control is desirable. The course is intended to provide both skills and knowledge relevant to the management of private and public sector services.

Specific entry requirements for the course are that an applicant must hold one of the following qualifications: an honours degree of the level 2.1 or above from a United Kingdom university or of the CNAA or its equivalent in an appropriate discipline (fire engineering, mechanical engineering, forensic science, chemistry, etc.); a degree or HND in an appropriate discipline, together with appropriate professional experience; a qualification or experience deemed to be equivalent to any of the above; career professionals with vocational qualifications (e.g. GNVQ5) or those who are corporate members of professional bodies such as CIBSE, IStructE, RIBA (where full membership requires equivalent education and training to a first degree or higher); applicants with substantial experience at a senior technical management level as building control officer or fire brigade officer (or similar) will also be considered on individual merit. Other non-standard awards may be accepted for entry, provided that the student can demonstrate equivalence.