Geotechnical Engineering MSc (Eng)

Course overview

The ground is the greatest area of technical risk in construction — therefore the demand for qualified specialists in geotechnical engineering is ever-growing, both in the UK and internationally.

Our Geotechnical Engineering MSc covers the practical application of geotechnical engineering to reduce construction risk and optimise the design of geotechnical structures to ensure they are safe, sustainable and resilient.

Understanding this risk is the underlying philosophy of this course. It brings together the expertise you’ll need to address a range of real-world geotechnical problems in industry, including shallow and deep foundations, soil-structure interaction, ground as a source of energy, environmental geotechnics, and slope and ground stabilisation.

You’ll study in the School of Civil Engineering which ranks highly globally and is actively involved in developing ‘internationally excellent’ research — much of which shapes the course.

This means you’ll be learning the latest insights in the field whilst building industry-relevant skills in investigation, characterisation, analysis, design and risk within a business context — all of which are highly sought after in this profession, and transferable across industries.

Applying

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in civil engineering or a related engineering, science or mathematical discipline where relevant subject areas to geotechnical engineering have been studied. We would expect applicants to demonstrate strong engineering and maths knowledge.

Applicants with any of the following will be considered on a case-by-case basis:

• A bachelor degree with a 2:2 (hons) in civil engineering or a related engineering, science or mathematical discipline where relevant subject areas to geotechnical engineering have been studied with at least one year’s relevant experience
• Professional qualifications and relevant experience.

International

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. For more information, please contact the Admissions Team.

International Foundation Year

International students who do not meet the academic requirements for undergraduate study may be able to study the University of Leeds International Foundation Year. This gives you the opportunity to study on campus, be taught by University of Leeds academics and progress onto a wide range of Leeds undergraduate courses. Find out more about International Foundation Year programmes.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Civil Engineering (6 weeks) and Language for Science: Civil Engineering (10 weeks).

We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. Find out more about our six week online pre-sessional and our 10 week online pre-sessional.

You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.

Career opportunities

Geotechnical engineers are integral throughout the whole process of building structures — from concept to construction. This means the demand worldwide for the expertise you’ll have once you graduate from Leeds is ever-growing, with the potential to take you across the world.

Studying our Geotechnical Engineering MSc degree will equip you with the advanced knowledge in all aspects of the field and a relevant skill set sought after by many industries, opening the door to an exciting amount of career opportunities.

Plus, The University of Leeds is in the top 5 most targeted universities in the UK by graduate recruiters, according to High Fliers’ The Graduate Market in 2024 report.

Geotechnical engineers work for client organisations including major asset owners, international consultants, main contractors and specialist consultants and contractors. The range of specialist skills that geotechnical engineers acquire means that they can develop either as technical experts or managers.