Program Overview

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MEng Building Services Engineering | Part-time

Why study this course with LJMU?

• Prepares graduates for Chartered Engineer registration with the Engineering Council and membership of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
• Contact with potential employers through real-life projects
• Option to undertake a year's paid work experience with a building services engineering consultant or contractor
• Credits for students already holding a building services engineering qualification
• 6 million invested in state-of-the-art teaching facilities
• LJMU ranked 16th in the UK for construction, surveying and planning courses (The Guardian University Guide 2025)
• LJMU ranked 8th university in the UK for building degrees (The Times UK University Rankings 2025)

About your course

The professionally-accredited BEng (Hons) Building Services Engineering at Liverpool John Moores University features 'real world' projects and excellent paid placement opportunities.

Modern living depends upon the engineering services that are an integral part of buildings, and these systems consume a significant percentage of the energy used in the UK. Building services engineers operate as part of a professional team alongside architects, structural engineers, quantity surveyors and other construction professionals to ensure that buildings continue to function efficiently while de-carbonising the energy supply. They need to be technically competent and practical in outlook, but also good communicators as they give advice to a wide range of people.

This programme, which has been developed in partnership with practising professionals, helps you gain the skills required to design complicated building engineering systems that can control internal environmental conditions and minimise energy use, such as the heating, lighting, power, lifts, ventilation, water and utilities, as well as managing their installation, commissioning and maintenance.

Projects are integrated at all levels of the degree, with materials and supervision provided by employers so you can replicate real-life scenarios in your work. After your second year, you will be encouraged to take up a year's paid work placement with a building services engineering consultant or contractor (subject to finding suitable placement).

Course modules

What you will study on this degree

Further guidance on modules

Modules are designated core or optional in accordance with professional body requirements, as applicable, and LJMU’s Academic Framework Regulations. Whilst you are required to study core modules, optional modules provide you with an element of choice. Their availability may vary and will be subject to meeting minimum student numbers.

Where changes to modules are necessary these will be communicated as appropriate.

Level 4

• Introduction to Construction Technology (20 credits)
  • This module introduces students to construction techniques associated with the production of high and low rise commercial and industrial framed buildings, both new build and refurbishment.
• Science and Materials (20 credits)
  • This module enables students to apply appropriate scientific and analytical methods to investigate the performance and behaviour of common building materials. It aims to provide students with an appreciation of the common scientific principles associated with the environmental conditions inside buildings.
• Design Project 1 (20 credits)
  • This module introduces the fundamental skills needed for the design process. It will equip you with the fundamental tools, including the necessary IT skills, to carry out a building services engineering design project and to develop and refine the your written, verbal, graphical and presentation skills.
• Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Principles (20 credits)
  • This module introduces the fundamental concepts and principles of mechanical and electrical engineering, heat transfer, thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, and the application of these to engineering problems in the built environment.
• Engineering Mathematics (20 credits)
  • This module aims to build knowledge and understanding of the mathematics essential for engineering and its practical application in an engineering context.
• Professional and Digital Skills for Engineers (20 credits)
  • This module introduces the software used for professional engineering design, modelling and simulation in the building industry. It also introduces the professional behaviour requirements for engineers alongside the academic and digital literacy skills necessary for further study.

Level 5

• Procurement and Contracts (20 credits)
  • This module provides an comprehensive understanding of contract management, administration and the influence of procuring suppliers and specialists to optimise contract performance.
• Mechanical Engineering for Buildings (20 credits)
  • This module develops the student's understanding of the principles of heat transfer, thermodynamics and general engineering and the application of these principles to sustainable and energy efficient design and operation of building engineering systems, plant and equipment. By the end of the module students you should be able to utilise appropriate mathematical methods to solve mechanical engineering problems.
• Electrical Engineering for Buildings (20 credits)
  • This module aims to further develop an appreciation of electrical principles and relate them to the practical processes applied in the design of electrical engineering services in buildings. You will learn the skills and knowledge required to appreciate industry standard data and analyse the underpinning concepts which are incorporated in typical design techniques. This background knowledge will enable you to complete electrical building engineering design and utilise appropriate mathematical methods to solve electrical engineering problems.
• Site Construction Management (20 credits)
  • This module develops construction management knowledge and skills in the construction production process, including environmental KPIs, health and safety and hazard identification, planning, logistics, programme development, sequencing and logic, cost forecasting, collaboration, team roles and responsibilities, communication, organisation, conflict and BIM.
• Applied Mathematics (10 credits)
  • This module aims to develop knowledge and understanding of the probability theory and statistics underpinning engineering, alongside other relevant mathematical techniques, and to apply these techniques within an engineering context.
• Design Project 2 (20 credits)
  • This module provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to interpret the mechanical and electrical building services needs and requirements of a range of simple and moderately complex buildings and develop practical schemes. Students develop and refine the skills necessary for the development, management and successful completion of a significant project, including written, verbal, graphical and presentation skills.
• Work Based Learning (10 credits)
  • This module introduces students to the necessity of co-ordination between disciplines for construction professionals through an analysis of project management situations, combined with an examination of the need for, and requirements of, continuous personal professional development.

Level 6

• Environmental Analysis (20 credits)
  • This module aims to develop an understanding of the theory, principles and practices of building energy systems modelling and simulation techniques and to use analytical approaches to the appraisal of environments and design proposals.
• Commissioning and Facilities Management (20 credits)
  • This module aims to provide an in depth awareness of the key issues of commissioning of building engineering systems, maintenance of such systems and the integration of maintenance with the facilities management regime in buildings.
• Low Carbon Systems and Sustainability (20 credits)
  • In this module students investigate the environmental consequences of energy use in buildings with particular reference to building engineering systems and services. You will critically evaluate the environmental and economic benefits which are consequent on the specification of various building engineering systems including low and zero carbon technologies and examine processes for the assessment of building energy loads at feasibility and post construction stages.
• Design Project 3 (20 credits)
  • This module aims to enable students to work both collaboratively and individually on realistic projects that facilitate the development and integration of a range of technical and professional skills within the context of building services.
• Building Engineering Research Project (40 credits)
  • In this module students will complete a substantial piece of individual work and build on their expertise in a Building Engineering subject. In doing so, they will develop their research, time management, presentation and written communication skills.

Level 7

• Sensors, Control and Applications (20 credits)
  • This module provides the theoretical and practical skills required to design, develop and implement sensor systems in practical applications.
• Operational Performance and Modelling (20 credits)
  • This module aims to develop the student's skills to conduct design and in-use building performance evaluation, and use data and model to identify performance issues related to building operation in practice.
• Energy Engineering and Environment (20 credits)
  • In this module students will learn to evaluate how the concept of sustainable development is incorporated into practical design strategies for buildings. They will not only appreciate the role of sustainable energy management in the built environment but also critically evaluate various methods of managing energy use for sustainable development.
• Building Engineering Research and Design Project (60 credits)
  • This module aims to develop the student's research and conceptual design skills and use these, together with other professional skills expected of a consulting engineer, in the solution of an engineering problem presented by a client.

Professional accreditation

Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)

This programme provides the academic requirement for MCIBSE and CEng.

Your Learning Experience

Teaching Support Assessment

Excellent facilities and learning resources

We adopt an active blended learning approach, meaning you will experience a combination of face-to-face and online learning during your time at LJMU. This enables you to experience a rich and diverse learning experience and engage fully with your studies. Our approach ensures that you can easily access support from your personal tutor, either by meeting them on-campus or via a video call to suit your needs.

You can expect to spend on average 14-16 hours in the classroom which may be in the form of lectures, tutorials and workshops, combined with your own research using our library and the web. You should spend around 35 hours per week in private study.

Work-related Learning

Projects supported by employers in the field are an important element of this degree course as they allow you to apply what you have learnt to real-life situations. However, the best way to put your skills and knowledge into practice is to undertake a year's work placement between Levels 5 and 6. We strongly recommend that you take up this opportunity, as professional work experience and references, together with your degree, will significantly boost your career prospects. In fact some of our students have been offered employment before the end of their final year. However, we should point out that although we may be able to find a suitable post for you, we cannot guarantee this, nor can we guarantee employment in a particular company or geographical area.

Career paths

There is a national shortage of well-trained building services engineers, so if you successfully complete this MEng course, you stand an excellent chance of gaining well-paid employment.

The majority of students on this programme are part-time and are already employed in the industry, though all recent full-time graduates have progressed to appropriate employment in the building services industry.

Opportunities exist with small and large national building services engineering consultancies and contractors, and also in the public sector with local authorities and government agencies.

You could find yourself working as a consultant within a professional team or in contracting where you would develop consultants' schemes into working practical installations. Other possible roles include facilities managers or representatives for organisations that require engineering work, such as banks, hospitals and police forces.

Student Futures - Careers, Employability and Enterprise Service

A wide range of opportunities and support is available to you, within and beyond your course, to ensure our students experience a transformation in their career trajectory. Every undergraduate curriculum includes Future Focus during Level 4, an e-learning resource and workshop designed to help you to develop your talents, passion and purpose.

Every student has access to Careers Zone 24/7, LJMU's suite of online Apps, resources and jobs board via the LJMU Student Futures website.

Tuition fees and funding

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Part-time per year:

£7,145

Fees

The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as library membership and student IT support with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources including programme-appropriate software and on campus Wi-Fi.

Financial Support

The University offers a range of scholarships to support students through their studies. You'll find all the information you need on our specialist funding pages, including details of the Student Support Fund and other activities to support with the cost of living.

Additional Costs

In addition to fees, students should also keep in mind the cost of:

• Accommodation
• Travel costs including those for placements, visas and travel for studying abroad and field trips unless paid for by LJMU
• Stationery, IT equipment, professional body membership and graduation gown hire

The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in accordance with any changes to the maximum allowable fees set by the UK Parliament. In the event of such a change, any fee increase will be subject to a maximum cap of 10% of the total course cost as originally stated at the time of your offer.

Entry requirements

Please choose your qualifications below to view requirements

Grades/points required from qualifications: ABB-AAB (128-136)

Work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth by visiting the UCAS Tariff Calculator.

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Qualification requirements

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GCSEs and equivalents

Grade 4 or grade C or above in English Language and Mathematics/ Numeracy.

GCSE Equivalences accepted:
• Key Skills Level 2 in English/Maths
• NVQ Level 2 Functional skills in Maths and English Writing and or Reading
• Skills for Life Level 2 in Numeracy/English
• Higher Diploma in Maths/English
• Northern Ireland Essential Skills Level 2 in Communication or Application of Number
• Wales Essential Skills Level 2 in Communication or Application of Number

A levels

ABB-AAB
Minimum Number of A Levels: 2
Maximum AS UCAS Points: 20
Subject requirements: Mathematics or a science subject

BTECs

Extended Diploma: DDM studying an appropriate subject, normally Building Services Engineering or another Engineering discipline

Access awards

Not accepted on MEng-students studying Access can be considered for Beng programme

International Baccalaureate

Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications including Higher Level Maths

OCR Cambridge Technical

Extended Diploma: DDM studying an appropriate subject, normally Building Services Engineering or another Engineering discipline

Irish awards

Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications to include Higher Level Mathematics or Science

T levels

Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications.

You need to obtain the required UCAS points from a related subject area.

International requirements

IELTS

6.0 overall with no component below 5.5, taken within two years of the course start date.

How to apply

To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.