Information for students

The Geo-Engineering Masters programme is open to BSc students with a Civil Engineering or (Applied) Geology degree. All our MSc courses are offered in English. The Geo-Engineering programme is designed to provide the student with a high level of competence in the basics, a working knowledge of the specialist techniques required by industry, and ability to recognise ground engineering problems and know how to tackle them in order to mitigate the consequences, and an ability to adapt to new technologies and environmental situations.

Core courses, Specialisation courses, and Optional courses that may be elected

The Geo-Engineering Masters programme comprises a total study load of 120 ECTS, usually taken over a two year period. (Within the European Credit Transfer System, 1 ECTS credit equates to approximately 28 hours of work including tuition and private study). This study load is distributed around a core of compulsory courses. Each specialisation then has further compulsory courses relevant to that discipline, including practical work and the MSc thesis. Optional courses are offered ("electives"), and guidance is available to advise on suitable topics in support of the individual's ambitions. The table below lists the study load in ECTS for the various courses currently on offer.

Type	Geomechanics	Geotechnical Engineering	Underground Space Techology	Engineering Geology
WM0312 Ethics	4	4	4	4 (-)
Core courses	20	20	20	20
Compulsory courses for this specialisation	14	8	12	46
Optional courses relevant to this specialisation	2	8	4	0
Other courses that may be selected	16	16	16	8 (12)
Practical work and other project or dissertation options	22	22	22	0
MSc thesis	42	42	42	42
ECTS	120	120	120	120

The following table lists the Core courses (C), Compulsory courses for this specialisation (X) and Other specialist courses that may be selected (E). Where a number is given, this is the total number of ECTS that may be selected as electives from within other civil engineering MSc programmes.

Lecture	ECTS	Geomechanics	Geotechnical Engineering	Underground Space Techology	Engineering Geology
CT4130 Probabilistic design	4	C	C	C	C
CT4360 Material models for soil and rock	4	C	C	C	C
CT4380 Numerical modelling of geotechnical problems	3	C	C	C	C
CT4390 Geo-risk management	3	C	C	C	C
CT5320 Site characterisation, testing and physical modelling	6	C	C	C	C
CT4350 Numerical geomechanics	4	X	E	E	E
CT4352 Continuum mechanics	6	X	E
CT5142 Non-linear methods in computational methods	4	X
CT5330 Foundation engineering and underground construction	4	E	X	X
CT5350 Geosynthetics in civil engineering	4	E	X	E
CT4780 Underground Space Technology - Special Topics	4			X
CT5740 Trenchless technologies	4		E	X
OT4624 Offshore soil mechanics	4	E	E
CT5340 Soil dynamics	3	E	E
CT5301 Theory of consolidation	3	E	E	E
CT5305 Bored and immersed tunnels	4		E	E
CT5480 Soil science	3		E		E
AES1602 Engineering geology fieldwork	11				X
AES1630 Engineering geology of soils and rocks	4				X
AES1640 Environmental geotechnics	3				X
AES1650 Shallow depth geophysics	6				X
AES1660 Subsidence	2				X
AES1700 Professional practice in engineering geology	3				X
AES1710 GIS for engineering geology	3				X
AES1720 Rock mechanics applications	4				X
AES1730 Soil mechanics applications	3				X
CT4420 Geohydrology I	4				X
MSc Civ.Eng. construction		4	4	4
MSc Civ.Eng. hydraulic engineering		4	4	4
MSc Civ.Eng. concrete structures		4	4	4
MSc Civ.Eng. structural mechanics		4	4	4
MSc Civ.Eng. building engineering		4	4	4
MSc Civ.Eng. road & railway engineering		4	4
MSc Civ.Eng. infrastructure planning				4
MSc Civ.Eng. water management		4	4

Other courses that may be selected

Students who wish to follow the Geo-Engineering Masters programme are expected to have taken the following courses within their BSc/BEng programme:

• CT3300 Use of Underground Space
• CT3320 Groundwater Mechanics, Flow and Transport
• CT3350 Soil Structures and Soil-retaining Structures
• CT3360 Subsurface Management
• TA3750 Natural system of soils; geology for civil engineers

If one or several of these courses have not been followed during the BSc/BEng programme, these courses are obligatory as part of the free electives. On the other hand, Applied Earth Sciences students will normally have completed the course WM0312 Ethics during their BSc. These students can use an additional 4 ECTS for their free electives, increasing their ECTS allocation from 8 to 12.

There are no other restrictions regarding the 16 ECTS worth of optional courses, so the following possibilities are available:

• Civil Engineering Management courses (profile)
• Courses in Mechanics and Structural Engineering (deepening and broadening of horizons, for students graduating in Geo-Engineering)
• Courses appertaining to Water Management (broadening, related field of study)
• Courses appertaining to Hydraulics (broadening, related field of study)
• Courses appertaining to Offshore Technology (broadening, related field of study)
• Additional specialist courses in Geo-Engineering (often given by visiting professors, deepening the students understanding)
• Social courses (profile or broadening)

All courses in the third year of the BSc programme (A- and B-list) and in the entire MSc programme offered by Civil Engineering can be taken as optional courses. Courses from other MSc programmes at Delft University (or other institutions, by agreement) may also be selected.