Fire Safety Engineering PgDip/MSc

Program Overview

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Fire Safety Engineering - PgDip, MSc

Overview

Research led, industrially relevant master's programme offered by an internationally leading research team with unrivalled experimental facilities.

Summary

The programme is offered by the Fire Safety Engineering Research and Technology Centre (FireSERT), a centre which is internationally recognised for its leading edge research in the fields of fire dynamics, structural fire engineering, human behaviour in fire and fire modelling. The programme draws on the expertise and resources of the Centre in terms of teaching staff (with core teaching staff all actively involved in research) and experimental facilities. Students on the MSc programme have the opportunity to use Fire SERT's state-of-the-art facilities both within the taught programme and to progress experimental research projects which are often designed to complement current research projects being undertaken by staff. Students also have the opportunity to work closely with practitioners in the design module to develop a fire safety strategy for a real complex building.

About this course

About

The programme is a linked programme of awards leading to either a Post-Graduate Diploma (comprising eight taught modules) or MSc (eight taught modules plus Research Dissertation) in Fire Safety Engineering. In the PG Diploma programme (semesters 1 and 2) students will study compulsory modules in Heat Transfer and Thermofluids, Fire Dynamics, Structural Fire Engineering, Fire Engineering Laboratory, Active Fire Protection Systems, People and Fire and Fire Safety Engineering Design (2 modules).

All core academic staff are actively engaged in research which is closely aligned with their teaching disciplines. The majority are members of the Fire Safety Engineering Research and Technology centre (FireSERT), whilst others are members of Hydrogen Safety Engineering and Research (HySAFER) and the Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST) within the Built Environment Research Institute. All staff were included in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (a measure of the quality of research) in which 91% of our Architecture, Built Environment and Planning research was recognised as being world leading/internationally excellent, 100% of our research environment was rated as world leading/internationally excellent and all of our impact case studies were judged to have considerable impacts in terms of reach and significance. These results reflect the strong portfolio of published academic papers and external research grants held by the team and our vibrant Phd programme. The research ethos of the department is evident within the MSc programme which is research led and informed.

Attendance

The PGDip/MSc Fire Safety Engineering is a linked programme of awards. The PGDip is completed in full-time mode over 2 semesters, with students then progressing to MSc and undertaking their Master's Dissertation in the 3rd semester. The MSc therefore is one calendar year. Attendance at class is normally scheduled from 9.15 to 6.15 on Mondays and Tuesdays. From time to time other lectures will be scheduled on other days of the week. You are expected to be in attendance at all scheduled classes and also to spend significant time in independent study (about 400 hours over the duration of each semester).

Start dates

• September 2025

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

The programme provides a rich learning and teaching environment that is informed by current research staff and others. Throughout the programme, staff try to create a research ethos, with much questioning, discussion, reflection and debate, i.e. a learning and teaching environment that is centred around enquiry based learning. There is also a strong input from industry, particularly in the fire safety design modules. Learning and teaching methods include lectures, seminars, tutorials, laboratory work, design project work and computer laboratory work.

Relatively small student cohorts ensure that lectures are participative and interactive whilst seminars provide more dedicated time for discussion on a particular theme (you are often directed to particular literature in preparation for such). Tutorials are key to develop learning, particularly in relation to the application of quantitative techniques that might be used in fire safety engineering. As a student, you will learn from example applications, and have the opportunity to learn on a one-to-one or group basis within an interactive and supportive environment. Laboratory work is an essential component of the learning and teaching strategy for the programme. You will have the opportunity to be exposed to the essential aspects of scientific exploration whilst engaging in a series of experimental investigations under the direction of staff in FireSERT's extensive laboratory facilities. In the design modules, the learning environments are designed to simulate, in so far as possible, consulting engineering professional practice. Fire engineering is, by nature, multidisciplinary and therefore in the second of two design modules you will work in a learning and teaching environment that is designed, in so far as reasonably practicable, to simulate professional working practice. You will work together in groups, supported by academic staff and industrial partners, to develop acceptable solutions to fire safety problems for a real live building project. Throughout the programme, face-to-face sessions are enhanced by learning opportunities created on-line via our on-line learning system Blackboard.

A diverse range of assessment methods are adopted in the PG Dip/MSc programme to enhance your learning experience and help you understand and enhance your individual performance. Modules are assessed either entirely by coursework or by a combination of coursework and examination. Assessment may include group and individual presentations, laboratory reports, essays, design project work. As a student you should expect to be given clear, explicit information and guidance on the assessment and understand how it will be marked. You will also be given timely and relevant individual or group feedback on all work allowing you to identify areas of weakness and feed forward into your learning.

Modules

Year one

• Fire Safety Engineering Design 1
• Fire Safety Engineering Design 2
• Heat Transfer and Thermofluids
• Fire Dynamics
• Structural Fire Engineering
• People and Fire
• Fire Engineering Laboratory
• Active Fire Protection Systems
• Research and Dissertation

Year two

• Research and Dissertation (Specialism)

Standard entry conditions

We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.

Entry Requirements

• Applicants should:
  • have gained:
    • an Honours or non-Honours degree in a related science or engineering discipline from a University of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, from the Council for National Academic Awards, the National Council for Educational Awards, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, or from an institution of another country which is recognised as being of an equivalent standard; or
    • have gained an equivalent standard in a Postgraduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate or an approved alternative qualification;
  • hold an A level pass in GCE Mathematics at Grade C or alternatively the applicant's primary degree must have a significant mathematics base to at least A level standard.

English Language Requirements

• The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Careers & opportunities

Career options

• There is strong demand for well educated fire safety engineers, and the majority of students will embark on a career within a fire safety engineering consultancy.
• Graduates from the Ulster course are also employed in other interesting and diverse careers in fields related to fire safety both in the UK and worldwide e.g. as regulators, fire safety officers in both the public and private sector, researchers in research and testing facilities, and fire brigade officers both in the UK and Europe.
• Opportunities also exist within the Fire Safety Engineering Research and Technology centre (FireSERT) for PhD studies in a wide range of fire science and engineering related topics.

Professional Recognition

• MSc - Accredited by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.
• MSc - Accredited by the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.
• MSc - Accredited by the Energy Institute on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer. Candidates must hold a CEng accredited BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree to comply with full CEng registration requirements.

Fees and funding

Tuition Fee Loans Available

• Students domiciled in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and UK students can apply to Student Finance NI for a Tuition Fee loan of up to £6,500 (subject to eligibility).

Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and EU Settlement Status Fees

• £7,240.00

International Fees

• £17,810.00

Scholarships, awards and prizes

• There are two prizes associated with the course - Best Student (full-time) MSc Fire Safety Engineering and Best Dissertation MSc Fire Safety Engineering. Both are sponsored by Jensen Hughes.

Additional mandatory costs

• It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.