Construction Engineering Doctorate (EngD)

EngDDoctoralEngineering

About This Programme

4-year Engineering Doctorate (EngD) in Construction — an industrially embedded research doctorate that is "essentially an engineering PhD with a solid industrial base". Students spend approximately 80% of their time in industry and 20% at the university. Multiple intakes: September, January, May. Years 1-2 include 60 credits per year of SCQF Level 11 taught courses (equivalent to a part-time PGDip / MSc) delivered in the evenings, plus progress reports on the research project(s). Years 3-4 are entirely applied research-focused, culminating in the EngD Thesis or Portfolio submission in Year 4. Available taught courses include: Sustainability for Construction Professionals, Quantity Surveying Financial Management, Project Management Theory and Practice, Value and Risk Management, Advanced Construction Technology, Strategic Commercial and Contracts Management, Business Analytics, Foundation Engineering, Water and Wastewater Treatment, Strategic Asset Maintenance Management, Construction Financial Management, People and Organisation Management, Construction Practice and Information Technology, Research Dissertation. Students select 8 courses (4 per year). Research themes: reducing project lifecycle costs, environmental sustainability (emissions, waste), health & safety, smart construction, sustainable development, resilient cities, energy and water conservation. Entry: a relevant degree in construction engineering or management AND a confirmed industrial partner/sponsor are mandatory (the candidate must be embedded in an employer). The industrial supervisor need not hold a PhD/EngD but must be an expert leader. IELTS 6.5 (no band below 6.0). Pre-sessional English available. IP ownership: shared equally between the research engineer, industrial sponsor, and Heriot-Watt — or held entirely by the sponsor in industry-funded projects; NDAs available for commercially sensitive work. Publication permitted with sponsor consent. Funding: students receive salary from the sponsoring employer (no university stipend); competitive scholarships available for additional support. Tuition AED 65,676/year full-time (incl. VAT). Lead Supervisor: Yasemin Nielsen, Associate Professor (yasemin.nielsen@hw.ac.uk). 90%+ graduate employment within six months.