International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering

With our international Master’s programme in Fire Safety Engineering, we prepare students for professional activities within the evolving field of fire safety engineering. Thanks to the joint expertise of three partners with a leading role in FSE research and education in Europe, our students obtain a broad and high-level knowledge. Each term, our students can choose to study at a different partner institution.

EUR-ACE® Master CTI

EUR-ACE® Master (EURopean ACcredited Engineering Master)

The EUR-ACE label was accredited to this programme by the Commission des titres d’ingénieur (CTI), under the auspices of the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education (ENAEE).

EUR-ACE® is a framework and accreditation system that provides a set of standards that identifies high-quality engineering degree programmes in Europe and abroad.

www.enaee.eu

EUR-ACE® Master

EUR-ACE® Master (EURopean ACcredited Engineering Master)

The EUR-ACE label was accredited to this programme by the Commission des titres d’ingénieur (CTI), under the auspices of the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education (ENAEE).

EUR-ACE® is a framework and accreditation system that provides a set of standards that identifies high-quality engineering degree programmes in Europe and abroad.

www.enaee.eu

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

What

The Fire Safety programme 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). Students taking our Master’s programme will be well-prepared for professional activities within this evolving field of FSE, as they will obtain a broad and high-level knowledge. This is a clear asset offered by the joint expertise of three partners, all of whom have a leading role in FSE research and education in Europe.

The IMFSE students will learn how to:

  • master the scientific knowledge to understand, evaluate and analyse the phenomenon fire and its consequences critically;
  • evaluate and judge risk with respect to fire and explosions critically;
  • compute and design different types of fire protection concerning structures, passive fire protection, detection and suppression;
  • judge 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 IMFSE programme consists of four terms of thirty credits each. The organisation of the curriculum facilitates student mobility: students can choose to change their study location after each term, to learn from the strengths and expertise of each partner university.

The first term, covering basic topics in fire safety engineering, is taught at Ghent University or the University of Edinburgh. All students spend their second term at Lund University, with emphasis on enclosure fire dynamics, risk analysis and human behaviour. During the third term, the focus at Ghent University is on general fire safety engineering in the built environment, while at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) the focus is on wildfires and industrial fire protection. The fourth term is devoted to the Master’s dissertation, hosted by one or more of the partner universities.

Master's Dissertation 

Completing the Master's dissertation is a requirement for any student who wants to obtain their Master’s degree. In our case, it is supervised by at least one of the four partner universities. The Master’s dissertation is an original piece of research. Its aim is to develop and strengthen the students’ research skills. Students either define their own topic or select 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.