International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering

The master prepares the students for professional activities within the evolving field of fire safety engineering. They will obtain a broad high level knowledge thanks to the joint expertise of three partners with al leading role in FSE research and education in Europe. You have the possibility to change your study location each semester.

Master's Programme
2 year 120 credits
Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
English
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About the programme
Programme summary
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Off to a good start
After graduation

What

The Master of Science is an ideal specialisation programme for holders of a bachelor’s or master’s degree in (electro-)mechanical or civil engineering. There is a strong European tendency to move from prescriptive towards performance-based fire safety designs. This goes hand in hand with a strong need for advanced knowledge in the multidisciplinary field of Fire Safety Engineering (FSE). The students will be well prepared for professional activities within this evolving field of FSE, as they will obtain a broad high level knowledge as a benefit from the joint expertise of three partners all of which have a leading role in FSE research and education in Europe. The IMFSE students will learn how to:

  • master the scientific knowledge to understand, critically evaluate and analyse the phenomenon fire and its consequences;
  • critically evaluate and judge risk with respect to fire and explosions,
  • compute and design different types of fire protection concerning structures, passive fire protection, detection and suppression;
  • judge the human behaviour in case of fire;
  • communicate and collaborate with colleagues within the multidisciplinary domain of Fire Safety Engineering.

For whom

The admission requirements vary. Depending on your prior education, you are either able to enrol directly, or there are additional requirements.

Structure

The two-year course consists of four semesters of 30 credits each. The mobility structure, with possible change in study location after each semester, gives the students the opportunity to gain from the strengths and expertise of each of the three universities.

The first semester, covering basic topics in fire safety engineering, is taught in Ghent or Edinburgh. All students spend the second semester in Lund, with emphasis on enclosure fire dynamics, risk analysis and human behaviour. The third semester is again taught in Ghent (for general FSE) or Edinburgh (with focus on fire and structures engineering in the context of FSE). The fourth semester is devoted to the master’s dissertation, hosted by one or more of the seven universities (the three full partners and the four associated partners). 

Master's Dissertation 

The master’s dissertation is a requirement for every candidate to obtain a master’s degree and is supervised by at least one of the three partner universities. It consists of a critical analysis of the topic, formulated into an original piece of research work. It aims to develop and strengthen the research capacity skills of the students. The student defines his/her own topic or selects one from a topic list.

Labour Market

The masters can find a job as fire safety engineer:

  • in fire protection consultancy companies;
  • in design bureaus for structural stability and/or technical equipment of buildings;
  • in architect bureaus;
  • in fire prevention services of larger cities;
  • as responsible person for fire prevention in industry;
  • in prevention departments of fire brigades;
  • in fire protection equipment industry;
  • as fire experts in insurance companies;
  • as fire experts in governmental agencies;
  • in standard testing laboratories;
  • in environmental impact assessment consultancies;
  • in health and safety organisations;
  • in research and education institutes.