Course Structure

About The Course

In FIBE2 CDT we offer a radical rethink to deliver innovation for the cross-disciplinary and interconnected challenges in resilient infrastructure.

Our FIBE2 CDT 1+3 MRes/PhD programme proposes a new approach to infrastructure research where students from different
disciplines proactively forge new training and research collaborations. FIBE2 achieves this through:

Expanding the paradigm of a ‘T’ shaped engineer embodying a combination of depth and breadth of knowledge, by adding a third dimension to it (see Figure) to capture our new thinking around cross-disciplinary training and research.
High level infrastructure engineering concepts which are closely related to underpinning technical challenges and solutions using a mix of theoretical and experimental work.
A broad cohort-based training of the relevant environmental, societal, economic, business and policy impacts as well as RI and ED&I training.
These depth and breadth elements are interwoven and brought together through problem-based challenges using large-scale cross-disciplinary infrastructure case studies.

T-shaped Training Approach.jpg

The MRes Year

The MRes year is cohort-based and provides the essential foundation knowledge and research skills on the challenges of designing, maintaining, protecting, and improving critical infrastructure. In addition, each student will develop a unique personalised development plan with their supervisors.

The MRes year will focus on a range of professional, commercial and personal skills training (entrepreneurship, RI, creativity) in the form of:

MRes Year graphic.jpg

The collated activities:

are built around concepts of peer-to-peer learning through a problem-based approach.
will include self-reflection exercises structured around coursework to improve critical thinking
are crafted to exploit and provide context for a range of professional, commercial and personal skills training (Entrepreneurship, RI, Creativity)
will promote technical, personal and professional resilience
will leverage significant input and involvement from from project partners.

PhD Research (year 2 - 4)

By the start of the 3-year PhD, each student will have acquired a strong skills foundation through cohort and personalised training, carried out background and exploratory studies and generated a detailed plan of their PhD work programme in collaboration with their academic and industry supervisors.

FIBE-CDT PhD students will then spend both time on their core research topic as well as ongoing bespoke CDT training activities including:

Impact studies
Engagement with policy makers, the general public and relevant stakeholders
Activities linked with the industry co-supervisors
Placement with an international academic partner
Integration studies
Transferable RI, ethics and professional upskillling

The objective is to enrich the students’ PhD research experience and ensure wider impact, application and benefits to society.

Details of available projects are under Research Themes and Projects.

Part-time Study Option

It is possible to study the FIBE2 CDT programme on a part-time basis (please note part-time study is dependent on the suitability of the studentship).

MRes Course

If studied on a part-time basis, the MRes course will be delivered over 2 years.

Just as with full-time study, the part-time course is cohort-based and will provide the same essential foundation knowledge and research skills.

The MRes course consists of 6 core modules: CM1-4 plus two electives from the Part IIB modules (4^th year undergraduate Engineering degree), three projects (Nurturing and Managing Innovation in Science -NMIS, Mini-project and Desktop Study) and an MRes Research Project.

The part-time mode of delivery splits the MRes components over two years as outlined in the diagram below. For Michaelmas and Lent Terms, it would be necessary to attend two days a week in order to have in-person teaching of the core modules and the NMIS project. Other elements of the MRes course lend themselves to remote learning such as the Mini-project, Desktop Study and MRes Research Project (if not lab-based).

MRes Course Part-time Study Structure

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PhD Years

If studied full-time the PhD would normally take 3 years, but it could be studied on a part-time basis at the standard 60% FTE, over 5 years.

Either option would be possible having studied the MRes course on a part-time basis, but a change from part-time to full-time would constitute a mode of study change - ESPRC terms and conditions allow the mode of study to be changed only once within a programme of study.

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