Master of Science in Fire Safety 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 who take on our Master’s programme will be well-prepared for professional activities within this evolving field of FSE.

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

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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After graduation

What

The Fire Safety Engineering 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.

MFSE students will learn how to:

  • master the scientific knowledge to understand, evaluate and analyse the phenomenon of fire and its consequences critically, in particular with respect to structures (structural fire engineering);
  • 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 MFSE programme consists of four terms of thirty credits each. In the first term, the general course units cover basic knowledge on thermodynamics, heat transfer, structural (fire) engineering, fire dynamics and fire science in general (at Master’s level). In addition to those general course units, we offer several elective course units on design, structures and fire safety engineering. We also have elective course units available with a focus social skills, such as the work placement.

The advanced FSE course units are taught in the second and third terms . The broad domain of FSE is covered in the built environment and industry, including risk assessment and human behaviour. The fourth term is mainly devoted to the Master’s dissertation, which can be completed in collaboration with the industry. The structure of the MFSE programme supports education within the worldwide context of evolution from prescriptive to performance-based codes and standards regarding fire safety and fire protection. Starting from the basics of fire safety science (including thermodynamics and fire dynamics) and structural (fire) engineering, and adding the important topics of risk assessment and human behaviour, the students evolve in the spirit of performance-based fire protection designs as they are taught specialist course units and advanced fire safety science and structural fire engineering. The students’ Performance Based Design [PBD] skills are assessed through their Master’s dissertation and in the PBD-devoted course unit.

Master's Dissertation 
Completing the Master's dissertation is a requirement for any student who wants to obtain their Master’s degree. 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. The Master’s dissertation consists of a literature review, practical research, and an original analysis of the chosen topic.

Labour Market

Our graduates can find a job as fire safety engineers:

  • at fire protection consultancy companies;
  • at design agencies for structural stability and/or technical equipment of buildings;
  • at architectural firms;
  • in larger cities’ fire prevention services;
  • as head of fire prevention in the industry;
  • at fire brigade prevention departments;
  • in the fire protection equipment industry;
  • as fire experts at insurance companies;
  • as fire experts at governmental agencies;
  • at standard testing laboratories;
  • at environmental impact assessment consultancy agencies;
  • at health and safety organisations;
  • at research and education institutes.