Frequently Asked Questions
Quicklinks
Q3 Where can I find the 'guidance notes' as indicated on the Graduate Application Form?
Q4. What is the deadline for applications?
Q7. I am an international student - what does my degree equate to in the UK?
Q8. Am I eligible if my English isn’t up to UCL requirements?
Q10. I am currently in employment. Who do I ask to be my referees on my application form?
Q11. Are there any scholarships available?
Q12. Are all the rooms used for teaching located in Bloomsbury Campus only?
Q13. How many hours of lectures will I have to attend once I enrol?
Q14. When are students expected to work on their MSc projects?
Q16. What are the living expenses associated with living in London while I am enrolled at UCL?
A. Yes there are part time options available for the following MSc programmes:
- MSc in Earthquake Engineering with Disaster Management
- MSc in Environmental Systems Engineering
- MSc in Transport
The above MSc courses, except for the MSc in Transport, can be taken over 2 years, with the MSc Project completed in the second year. The MSc in Transport can be studied over 2 or 3 years on a part-time basis.
Q2. If I choose to study part-time in two years, how feasible is it to work full time in parallel of my studies? Is there flexibility for choosing lectures in non-labour hours?
A. It is feasible to work part-time and study part-time, as long as you can make arrangements with your employer. There is some flexibility in choosing options, but our timetable is based on attendance from Monday-Friday during working hours (commonly 9am - 6pm) within Terms 1 and 2.
Students who study part-time over two or three years can manage their timetable so that they minimise the number of days they need to be in college. Some of the options run in other departments are timetabled outside normal working hours, but all core modules are scheduled during the day. However many of the modules, particularly in term 2, run on two days per week.
Q3. I am unable to locate the 'guidance notes' as indicated on the Graduate Application Form related to the submission of the transcript/diploma supplements
A. The link you need to guidance notes you need are here:
downloadable graduate application form
This link should also help:
Q4. What is the deadline for applications?
A. The deadline is 3rd August; however, applications can take up to 8 weeks to process. We therefore recommend that you apply as soon as possible.
If you are an overseas student requiring a visa we recommend applying no later than 15th June to allow you time to obtain the CAS number required for your visa. Please see Q5 below.
Q5. I am an International Student with an offer of a place on an MSc Course and will need a student visa. What is the visa application process?
A. All the information you need on the visa application process can be found at the following UCL website:
Immigration & Visa Information
Once you have been given an unconditional offer of a place on an MSc course, the Admissions Department will send you a UCL visa letter as evidence that you have been accepted for a full-time course of study at the University.
Q6. Can I change my status from full-time (1 year) to part-time (2 years), or vice versa, after submitting my Graduate Application Form?
A. Applicants domiciled in the UK or the EU can request to change their status to part time or to full time by sending an email to cege-postgraduate-enquiries (at) cege.ucl.ac.uk.
In your email please clearly state your request to change stating your status to either full-time or part- time and include your full name and the name of the MSc course you have applied to. It will also help if your include your application number (if you have it).
Once your request is received it will be passed to the relevant Programme Director for approval. Once approved we will inform UCL Admissions.
International applicants who require a visa to study (non UK/EU) will not be able to change their status to part-time as UCL can only write visa letters for applicants who have been give an unconditional offer on a FULL- TIME course. More details can be found here: UK Border Agency - Prospective Students
Q7. I am an international student - what does my degree equate to in the UK?
A. please visit the following link for qualification equivalences.
Q8. Am I eligible if my English isn’t up to UCL requirements?
A. You must show that you have achieved proficiency in English, either by studying in English for at least 12 months, or by working in an English speaking organisation for at least 18 months for no longer than 3 years prior to the proposed date of enrolment. You can also demonstrate your proficiency in English via a test such as TOEFL, IELTS etc. Only tests taken no more than 3 years prior to the date of enrollment will be considered. More details of this can be found at the following website:
You can apply without having completed your English proficiency examination; in this case, if an offer is made to you then it will be conditional on you passing this.
Q9. What if I don’t have a Civil Engineering degree? (Applicable to the MSc Civil Engineering and MSc Earthquake Engineering with Disaster Management)
A. One of the criteria we apply for would-be applicants of the MSc in Civil Engineering or the MSc in Earthquake Engineering with Disaster Management is that individuals should have a first degree in a civil engineering (or related) subject. The material in the MSc builds on the assumed knowledge of civil engineering fundamentals: soil mechanics, structures, relevant mathematics etc.
If you do not have a first degree in this or related subject you can choose to undertake a pre-qualifying year, which will cover these basics and other requisite topics. You can then choose to progress to the MSc in Earthquake Engineering with Disaster Management or Civil Engineering. More information on the Pre-Qualifying year can be found here:
civil Engineering Pre-qualifying Year
Q10. I am currently in employment. Who do I ask to be my referees on my application form?
A. It is advisable to have at least one reference from academia, but you can also ask your line manager to be a referee as well. Both referees should either be able to comment on your academic ability or your commitment to pursuing postgraduate study.
Q11. Are there any scholarships available?
A. The department does periodically have some scholarships that are programme specific. You should visit the web page for the programme you are interested in to see if there are any currently available (visit http://www.cege.ucl.ac.uk/teaching/postgraduate and follow the relevant link).
UCL also offers various scholarships.
Additional information on scholarships for international students may also be seen on the British Council website
If you are considering applying to study part time and currently work in industry you may be eligible for an award via the Panasonic trust.
Q12. Are all the rooms used for teaching located in Bloomsbury Campus only?
A. The buildings used for teaching are mainly in the Bloomsbury Campus; however, some lectures may be a little further away, around 5-10 minutes’ walk.
Q13. How many hours of lectures will I have to attend once I enrol?
A. This depends on the schedule of the MSc in question and the spread of teaching across Term 1 and Term 2. A general rule of thumb is to assume that you will be expected to attend 16 hours per week on a full time MSc course (8 hours per week for a part time, 2-year MSc course).
Q14. When are students expected to work on their MSc projects?
Students enrolled on our MSc programmes choose their MSc projects, either from a departmental list or make arrangements to work on an appropriate title of their choosing after speaking to the MSc Director, during Term 1, generally by late November. Msc projects can have industrial collaborators and any such projects will be offered to all students via the departmental list.
Work on the MSc project can begin during Term 2 (January - March), with students working on the research proposal, research plan and literature survey. Experimental work, data analysis etc starts after the examination session finishes by the end of May. Students then have all summer to work on their projects and write up the dissertation, ready to submit by the 7th September. There is also a Poster Fair that constitutes part of the assessment.
Q15. Is there anything I can do to prepare for the MSc I am enrolled on before it starts in September?
A. If you have been given an unconditional offer we will normally send you information on what you need to do to prepare for the start of term, in terms of preparatory reading, buying specialist text books or even equipment before the Course starts.
In general all individuals starting the Geomatics MSc Programmes (MSc in Surveying, MSc in Hydrographic Surveying and MSc in GIS) should purchase a portable hard drive with at a 250GB capacity as you will be handing large files.
Q16. What are the living expenses associated with living in London while I am enrolled at UCL?
A. The following PDF contain information on estimated accommodation costs (associated with UCL Student Halls and UCL Student Housing, as well as Intercollegiate Halls and private renting cost estimates), and other living costs (food, travel, entertainment and clothing): INFORMATION ON LIVING EXPENSES WHILE STUDYING AT UCL
