Fire Engineering Science MSc

Semester 1

• Fire Science and Fire Dynamics (Level 11)
• Fire Safety Engineering 4 (Level 10)
• Structural Design for Fire 5 (Level 11)
• Principles of the fire laboratory (Level 11)
• Research methods (Level 11)
• Heat, Mass, and Momentum Transfer (Level 9)

Semester 2

• Design Project (Level 11)
• Fire Science 5 (Level 11)
• Fire Science Laboratory (Level 11)
• Models for Fire Safety (Level 11)
• Heat, Mass, and Momentum Transfer (Level 9)

Semester 3

• Dissertation (Level 11). The dissertation will be undertaken during semester 3 under the supervision of a member of academic staff. There are a wide range of topics available to pick from which reflects the breadth and depth of the University’s expertise on this topic.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

On successful completion of the programme, our graduates will be able to:

• Create, identify and evaluate possible fire safety engineering options in order to solve complex (multiparameter) problems.
• Analyse experimental evidence and design situations and apply creative thinking to develop the appropriate solutions within the context of fire safety.
• Conduct research and enquiry into fire safety science and engineering issues through research design, the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, synthesizing and reporting.
• Have an understanding of the complexity and multidisciplinary nature of many fire safety challenges and handle the complexity associated with ambiguity.
• Evaluate fire safety information thoroughly; identifying assumptions, detecting false logic or reasoning and defining terms accurately in order to make an informed judgement about appropriate actions.

Internationally, there is great demand for graduates in this field. Expertise in fire safety engineering is particularly relevant as new technologies continue to change the fire hazards presented to people and the environment. Our previous graduates are in relevant employment, with the majority working in fire teams at engineering consultancies, and others working at research institutions, or pursuing further study.

These entry requirements are for the 2023/24 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2024/25 academic year will be published on 2 October 2023.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, safety engineering, building engineering, or applied physics.*

We may also consider your application if your background is in another field; please contact us to check before you apply.

(*Revised 20th October 2022 to update list of accepted subjects.)

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

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

English language tests

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

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 62 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

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 three and a half years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Deposit

If you receive an offer of admission you will need to pay a deposit to secure your place.

• £1,500 (this contributes towards your tuition fees)

Any applicants who are required to pay will receive an offer with full details. (If there is no information on your offer about the deposit, then you are not required to pay.)

Find out more about tuition fee deposits:

• Tuition fee deposits

Living costs

You will be responsible for covering living costs for the duration of your studies.

Student living costs

Tuition fees

Drysdale Scholarships

To support the pipeline of graduates into this field, the University of Edinburgh is offering five full scholarships for home fees students, and two full scholarships for international students.

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding