International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering MSc

The International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering (IMFSE) is a two-year educational programme in the Erasmus+ framework.

By providing you with a world-leading educational experience with advanced knowledge, skills and competences, the IMFSE programme shapes the next generation of fire safety engineering experts capable of tackling the global fire safety challenges in the built environment and beyond.

This masters programme is jointly offered by the following four full partner universities:

• University of Edinburgh, UK
• Ghent University, Belgium (coordinator)
• Lund University, Sweden
• Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain

Additionally, there are four associated partners where you can perform thesis research:

• The University of Queensland, Australia
• ETH Zurich, Switzerland
• The University of Maryland, United States of America
• The University of Science and Technology of China, China

Classes in Edinburgh focus on fire science and dynamics including laboratory classes, fire safety engineering and structural design for fire.

Classes in Ghent have a more general fire safety engineering focus.

Classes in Lund emphasise enclosure fire dynamics, risk analysis and human behaviour.

The IMFSE programme offers scholarships co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union every year.

In addition, IMFSE is pleased to offer full and partial scholarships enabled by the financial contribution from companies and associations

• IMSFE contributors.

So far, 30 IMFSE students have benefited from this mechanism.

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A Bachelors (or Masters) degree or recognised equivalent from an accredited institution (minimum 3 years full-time study or 180 ECTS credits) in civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, chemical, or industrial engineering; material sciences; chemistry; physics; applied physics; architecture; urbanism and spatial planning, or a related discipline.

Applicants with another degree but with extensive professional experience or knowledge in the field of Fire Safety Engineering may also be eligible. Please contact us to check before you apply.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 65 with at least 59 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 7 overall with at least 6 in each component.

Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the programme you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL, Trinity ISE, or Oxford ELLT test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the programme begins, regardless of your nationality. (Revised 14 January 2025 to include Oxford ELLT.)

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

We aim to train the next generation of leaders in the fields of fire science and fire safety engineering.

There is currently great demand for fire safety engineering graduates worldwide and graduates from the IMFSE benefit from excellent employability and enhanced career opportunities.

A fire safety engineer fulfils a broad range of duties, in various ways related to fire. This can range from designing safe high-rise buildings and other important urban infrastructure to designing fire protection for a space station or working in very complex environments such as world class science facilities.

Fire safety engineers are in great demand by corporations, educational institutions, consulting firms, and government bodies around the world. You may find career opportunities in the following fields:

• consulting engineering firms
• fire departments
• fire equipment and systems manufacturers
• government policy and regulation
• hospitals and health care facilities
• insurance
• research and testing laboratories
• educational institutions
• entertainment industry
• forensic fire investigations