MSc Fire and Explosion Engineering

Overview

In just a brief duration of time - in a few minutes or even in a fraction of a second - a fire or an explosion can have catastrophic consequences in residential buildings or in industrial plant. In UK alone, hundreds of people get killed and tens of thousands are injured every year. Some single incidents cost millions of pounds. The total monetary cost of fire and explosions in the UK is estimated at £7 billion per year or approximately 1% of GDP.

This course offers advanced training in the field of Fire and Explosion Engineering for candidates wishing to either: embark on a new career in an exciting and developing field; or if already working in the area, formalise/upgrade their professional qualifications & experience with recognisable and transferable academic qualifications.

Course features:
- Most taught modules are delivered in intensive CPD one week (block) format. Modules are spread evenly throughout the year.
- This block module format allows the simultaneous participation of both full-time and part-time students. Many of our students take the programme on a part time basis with the support of their employers.
- The taught modules are assessed by coursework and 'open book' tests; typically within a period of 6-10 weeks from start to finish.
- Extensive participation in course delivery by lecturers from industry brings strong industrial involvement to the programme. Visit our recent speakers webpage to view a list of recent lectures.
- Projects can be undertaken in the workplace (part-time) or at the University (full-time and part-time).

Our students have access to extensive and unique research facilities for the investigation of fire and explosion dynamic development and toxic emissions.

This course is taught in the School of Process, Environmental and Materials Engineering, which ranks highly in the league tables.

Duration: 12 months (full-time) or 36 months (part-time)
Start date: September/October
2013 course fees: UK/EU: £10,000; International: £16,500
Fee structure for UK/EU part-time students: £5,000 on first registration, £5,000 on annual re-registration i.e., September 2014 (this fee is now fixed). Approx. £225 ‘admin fee’ on final year re-registration September 2015 (this ‘admin fee’ is reviewed annually) i.e., a total of approx. £10,225 over the three years of study.
Scholarships: £5,000 scholarships available.
Course brochure: Download
Accreditation: The course is accredited by the Energy Institute (EI) under licence from the UK regulator, the Engineering Council, and it satisfies the requirements of further learning for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.

Modules

The table below shows the modules that you will study. Four of the modules are offered to industry in the form of short courses delivered by the Faculty of Engineering's Continuing Professional Development unit (CPD Unit) – the other two taught modules can also be taken ‘standalone’ and are administered directly by the course leader.

Part-time students - time requirement at Leeds
• Minimum (selecting the e-learning module) = 4 teaching weeks and 2 presentation days i.e., 6 visits spread through 3 years.
• Maximum (not selecting the e-learning option) = 5 teaching weeks and 2 presentation days i.e., 7 visits spread through 3 years.

Please note that as there is an ongoing rolling review of the Fire course and individual module content, the above is an indicative listing and future content may vary.

Project Work
You will undertake two research projects. The first one is the design of a fire protection system for an existing large residential or industrial building (of approved complex design from fire protection viewpoint). This project is supported by an initial series of lectures and examples, which should enable you to apply modern techniques of fire protection design, including suppression, smoke control/management systems, automatic fire detectors, means of escape and emergency lighting systems.

In the second project you will undertake a laboratory or computational based project on a fire or explosion related topic. A list of possible research topics is made available each year; most part-time students opt to put forward their own topic which may be aligned to the interests of their employer/sponsor.

Both projects are assessed on the basis of a written dissertation and an oral presentation. You will have gained experience in approaching a real problem in a systematic and thorough way, and in applying logical reasoning firmly based on engineering science.

Useful downloads
Calendar - September 2013 to December 2014
Details by module for the calendar above
The 2014/15 calendar will be available here May 2014.

Career options

Challenging career opportunities for fire and explosion professionals are available in just about every type of business, industry and government operation.

The following is a listing of some of the employment opportunities:

- Fire and explosion consultancies
- Fire safety planning offices of local authorities
- Civil engineering and architectural companies
- Chemical/pharmaceutical companies
- Oil and gas industries
- Fire and explosion protection equipment manufacturers
- Government bodies and departments
- Specialist research and testing labs
- Insurance companies

Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to meet potential employers at the week long taught courses and at the industrial presentations specifically arranged for you. There is a jobs board which advertises employment opportunities which are circulated to current students and past graduates. Many of the job opportunities come to us through our network of Graduates from this programme.

The Fire programme at Leeds is actively supported and sponsored by, amongst others, the following companies/organisations:
- Arup
- WSP UK
- BRE
- Buro Happold

Entry requirements

A minimum of a UK second class (2.2) honours degree or equivalent in an appropriate engineering, physical science or mathematics disciplines. For those without a degree, appropriate substantial industrial experience (usually at least 5 years) at a professional level in a fire related industry will be considered.

English language requirement: A pass at GCSE level in English language (grade C or above). If English is not your first language, you are required to provide evidence of proficiency in English. You will need to meet our minimum requirements for one of the following recognised English language tests: the International English Language Testing Service (IELTS), the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Pearson Test of English Academic.

How to apply

The easiest and quickest way to apply for one of our masters courses is to apply online. This way, you can also track your application at each stage of the process. However, if you prefer, you can download an application form to print out and complete. Once complete, please return this, along with the correct documents to our Engineering Admissions Hub either via email or post: Engineering PGT Admissions Hub, Faculty of Engineering, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.

If you wish to discuss the course content and/or your suitability to either the full- or part-time mode of study and perhaps to arrange a visit to Leeds for an informal chat and a tour of the research facilities, please contact either the Course Director, Dr Roth Phylaktou, e: h.n.phylaktou@leeds.ac.uk, t: +44 (0)113 343 2505, or the Course Tutor, Mr Peter Riley, e: p.r.riley@leeds.ac.uk, t: +44 (0)113 343 2793.

If you require any further information or guidance on your application please contact the Postgraduate Admissions team, e: tpgspemeadmissions@leeds.ac.uk, t: +44 (0)113 343 2343.