A two-year part-time Masters degree programme in Construction Engineering is offered by the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge and in association with the Judge Business School.
The Masters programme aims to precipitate a revolution in the construction sector by producing engineers and managers who will lead the process of breaking down the traditional barriers between construction, consulting engineering and the client and push forward an agenda of innovation and technological advancement.
It will seek to attract those who have had several years of professional experience and already attained a leadership role or been identified as potential leaders in their field. The course will enhance their technical knowledge and managerial skills with the expectation that they will return to their respective companies at senior executive level, trained as merchants of change who will redefine the way in which the infrastructure of society is created.
The construction sector generates around 10% of the UK's GDP. It consumes a very significant proportion of the raw materials produced around the world but also provides the fabric of the built environment on which civilized society depends. The efficient, responsible and sustainable management and operation of the construction industry is vital to the future of mankind. The many challenges facing society such as climate change, resource depletion, energy, water and food security and protection of cities from the destructive forces of nature will demand innovative materials, methods and management with ever increasing demands for reduction in consumption, cost and CO2 production.
Traditionally the construction sector is very conservative, risk averse and reluctant to adopt new technologies and ideas. The industry needs highly trained individuals at the top managerial level who can address the challenges faced by society.
The course aims to be unique rather than just an excellent version of what is already available elsewhere in construction management courses. It will explore the future of construction, seeking new paradigms and innovative models for delivery, drawing on the latest research in new techniques, new models of construction and new management approaches. The aim is to deliver a course that will encompass the full spectrum of the construction industry covering topics from the high level financing requirements of PFI and PPP type mega-projects through to the latest innovations in analysis, design and materials technology. Sustainability and whole life performance will necessarily form core components interwoven through all aspects of the course. Existing widely held assumptions will be challenged with the aim of revolutionizing construction and the public perception of it.
The programme will be multidisciplinary aiming to embrace the full gamut of the sector which covers an enormously broad range of facilities including housing, buildings, bridges, dams, roads, railways, power stations, nuclear plants, wind turbines, wave generators, solar systems, hydro schemes, oil rigs, pipelines, irrigation systems and water supply plants. The list is endless - each produces their own unique challenges yet core methods and practices apply to all.