Course Overview
The Master of Engineering Civil Structural will equip you with the necessary skills to address the demands of the structural engineering industry. Students with a background in civil, construction, transport, and systems engineering will especially benefit from this program as it prepares them for further career development in the structural engineering industry. Upon completion of this program, you will gain skills and knowledge in the latest and developing technologies in civil and structural engineering.
Not sure if this is the right course for you? Check out other Postgraduate Engineering Study Options at EIT.
Master of Engineering (Civil: Structural) Program Details
The society in which we live today is fundamentally dependent on the structures that structural engineers design and deliver. This Master of Engineering (Civil: Structural), therefore, addresses the specific core competencies and associated underpinning knowledge required of structural engineers.
The curriculum covers a diverse range of topics geared to producing well-rounded graduates equipped with the knowledge that employers require. This master’s program aims to provide the student with a multitude of tools and techniques, including those that tackle specific organizational problems and also those needed to design and implement engineering structures.
The Project Thesis is the capstone unit of the program and draws on the topic and reinforces the knowledge and skill base developed in the preceding units. As a significant research component of the program, this project will facilitate research, critical evaluation along with the application of knowledge and skills with creativity and initiative, enabling students to critique and potentially enhance current professional practice in the civil engineering industry. The Project Thesis requires a high level of personal autonomy and accountability.
You must complete 48 credit points comprising twelve core units and one capstone thesis. There are no electives in this program. The program duration is two years, and we deliver units over four terms per year, so you will take two units per term. There will be a short break between years.
Year One
| Term | Unit Code | Subjects | Credit Points |
| Term 1 | MCS501 | Structural Analysis | 3 |
| Term 1 | MCS502 | Advanced Engineering Materials | 3 |
| Term 2 | MCS503 | Structural Design Part 1 – Advanced Topics on Reinforced Concrete Design | 3 |
| Term 2 | MCS504 | Project, Design and Construction Management | 3 |
| Term 3 | MCS505 | Advanced Structural Engineering Methods Part 1 | 3 |
| Term 3 | MCS506 | Structural Design Part 2 – Advanced Topics on Steel Design | 3 |
| Term 4 | MCS507 | Structural Dynamics | 3 |
| Term 4 | DENG601 / MXX501/601 | Engineering Practice and Key Research Methodologies | 3 |
Year Two
| Term | Unit Code | Subjects | Credit Points |
| Term 1 | MCS602 | Advanced Structural Engineering Methods Part 2 | 3 |
| Term 1 | MCS603 | Earthquake Structural Design | 3 |
| Term 2 | MCS604 | Structural Refurbishment and Structural Failure | 3 |
| Term 2 | MCS605 | Design of High Rise Structures and Bridges | 3 |
| Term 3 & 4 | ME700 | Project Thesis | 12 |
Additional Mandatory Units
| Semester | Unit Code | Subjects | Credit Points |
| N/A | BXX001* | Hands-on Workshop 1 | 0 |
| N/A | BXX002* | Hands-on Workshop 2 | 0 |
| N/A | BXX003* | Hands-on Workshop 3 | 0 |
| N/A | BXX004* | Hands-on Workshop 4 | 0 |
| N/A | MXX001 | Professional Practice Hands-on Workshop | 0 |
| N/A | MXX510 | Professional Experience | 0 |
*Applicable to students gaining entry under option 1) or 4) of the Entry Requirements.
Graduate Diploma of Engineering (Civil: Structural)
Students who elect to exit the program after successfully completing all of the first-year units, as outlined above, can opt to receive EIT’s Graduate Diploma of Engineering (Civil: Structural). If students wish to finalize the Master qualification after exiting at Graduate Diploma level, they will need to re-enroll and relinquish the Graduate Diploma testamur.
Rules of Progression
You can only attempt the Project Thesis once you have successfully completed all other units. All engineering disciplines are built up of individual bodies-of-knowledge that together target a specific application. It not only relies on the combined body of knowledge from the undergraduate degree, specifically mathematics, physics, and discipline knowledge, but also on the various units that form this program.
The ‘500’ level units are designed at the Australian Qualifications Framework level eight (Graduate Diploma). The knowledge from each unit allows you to be able to investigate challenging problems, analyse and synthesize complex solutions, and communicate your solutions and ideas.
This will enable successful progress to the ‘600’ level units at the Australian Qualifications Framework level nine (master’s degree). All this knowledge is brought together as you tackle complex application problems in your final thesis.
The content of each unit is designed to provide a graduated increase in knowledge and skills from the ‘500’ level units to the ‘600’ level units culminating in a Project Thesis. All units must be passed, or have exemptions, to achieve the qualification.
The Graduate Diploma of Engineering is nested within the master’s degree as an exit point only after the successful completion of all the ‘500’ level units of the program. Both qualifications have the same entry requirements. The second year of the master’s degree does not serve as an entry point.
Work-Integrated Learning
EIT’s Master of Engineering programs require students to undertake 240 hours of paid or unpaid professional work-integrated learning. This can incorporate paid or unpaid internships, site visits, contributing to industry projects, and networking activities.
In undertaking an internship, students will interact with employees and become exposed to organizational policy and culture. You will familiarise yourself with organizational communication procedures, a variety of engineering disciplines, and obtain insight and practical aptitude in projects from the planning phase to completion.
If you already have some work experience in the relevant engineering field, you may apply to have credit granted by completing the associated recognition of prior learning form.
Master of Engineering (Civil: Structural) – Mapping of Program Learning Outcomes with Graduate Attributes and Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies for Professional Engineers.
To gain entry into this program, we require applicants to hold:
- A recognized 3-year bachelor degree* in an engineering qualification in a congruent** field of practice; OR
- An EIT Bachelor of Science (Engineering) degree* in a congruent** field of practice; OR
- A 4-year Bachelor of Engineering qualification (or equivalent) that is recognized under the Washington Accord or by Engineers Australia, in a congruent**, or a different field of practice at the discretion of the Admissions Committee; OR
- A 4-year Bachelor of Engineering qualification (or equivalent)* that is not recognized under the Washington Accord, in a congruent** field of practice to this program; AND
- An appropriate level of English Language Proficiency equivalent to an English pass level in an Australian Senior Certificate of Education, or an IELTS score of 6.0 (with no individual band less than 6.0), or equivalent as outlined in the EIT Admissions Policy; AND
- Evidence of mathematical competence by means of completion of courses/units which include:
- Complex Numbers,
- Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) and Series,
- Multivariable Calculus, and
- Linear Algebra
* With integrated compulsory twelve-week professional industry experience, training or project work of which six weeks are directly supervised by a professional/eligible professional engineer as determined by EIT.
** Congruent field of practice means one of the following with adequate Civil Engineering content (fields not listed below to be considered by the Dean and the Admissions Committee on a case-by-case basis):
- Civil Engineering
- Construction Engineering
- Transport Engineering
- Urban Engineering
- Material Systems
- Project Engineering
Please note: meeting the minimum admission criteria does not guarantee entry to our programs. Applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Please check the Documentation Guidelines for your application.
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Payment Methods
Learn more about payment methods, including payment terms & conditions and additional non-tuition fees.
Like all Australian higher education providers and universities, EIT programs are accredited by the exacting standards of the Australian Government’s Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA).
This course is classified as Level 9 under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).
Master of Engineering (Civil: Structural) degree is provisionally accredited by Engineers Australia.
Provisional accreditation means that the program meets the accreditation criteria to the extent possible at the time of the evaluation and will likely receive full accreditation when a representative group of graduates have emerged.
EIT has commenced the accreditation process for full recognition with Engineers Australia and achieved the provisional accreditation status. Once fully accredited, your qualification will be an internationally recognized qualification which will allow you to work as a Professional Engineer in Australia and other Washington Accord signatory countries.
Find out more about country-specific accreditation and professional recognition.
Students should satisfy themselves through their own research with their local accreditation before commencing the program.
This course may use the following software:
- SPACE GASS
- ABAQUS
- Virtual Labs-Self Compacted Concrete
- Inducta (FTG, SLB)
- Abaqus and Matlab
- Excel programming
- Abaqus / SAP 2000
- ETABS
- MATLAB
- SpaceGass
- BXX001-004 software (various)
- MXX001 software
Due to ongoing unit and course reviews, software’s may change from the list provided. Learn more about the Practical Learning at EIT here
Potential job roles include engineering and management positions in the following areas of expertise:
- Construction
- Roads
- Railway
- Transportation
- Geotechnical
- Structural
- Waterworks
- Earthworks
- Irrigation
- Town planning
- Environmental
Our master’s degrees take 2 years to complete. We deliver our online master’s degrees on a part-time intensive basis. After enrolment the maximum time allowed to complete all units is 5 years. Part-time students are expected to spend approximately 20 hours per week learning the program material and completing assessments. This includes attending tutorials.
You must submit your application at least four weeks before the start date to be considered for your desired intake.
A census date is the date at which an enrolment is considered to be final. Any withdrawal you make after the study period census date will incur an academic penalty (for example, a fail grade) and a financial penalty (for example, no refund of your student contribution or tuition fees). See our current census dates.
Any student has a right to appeal a decision of the Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) or any member of the institute’s staff. EIT has a comprehensive Policy on Appeals and Grievances to assist students.
