Postgraduate Programs 2025/26
Postgraduate Diploma and Master of Science Programs in Civil Infrastructural Engineering and Management
Award Title

Postgraduate Diploma in Civil Infrastructural Engineering and Management
Master of Science in Civil Infrastructural Engineering and Management

Program Short Name

PGD(CIEM)
MSc(CIEM)

Mode of Study

PGD: Part-time
MSc: Both full- and part-time

Normative Program Duration

PGD

Part-time: 1 – 1.5 years


MSc

Full-time: 1 – 1.5 years
Part-time: 2 – 2.5 years

Program Fee

PGD

Part-time: HK$93,450


MSc

Full-time: HK$186,900
Part-time: HK$162,800

New students admitted with credit transfer and PGD graduates subsequently admitted to the MSc Program are also required to pay the full program fee.

The program fee covers 3 terms of study for the part-time PGD Program, 4 terms for the full-time MSc Program, and 6 terms for the part-time MSc Program. Students who stay in the program beyond the normative study period covered by the program fee, or take additional courses or need to retake any courses are required to pay additional fee.

Program Advisor

Program Director:
Prof Tim K.T. TSE, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) and Master of Science (MSc) Programs in Civil Infrastructural Engineering and Management offer advanced civil engineering and management courses beyond the undergraduate level and the courses are designed for those who wish to strengthen their knowledge and prepare for advanced engineering practices with management responsibilities.

The programs are designed with flexibility to meet the students’ needs at different stages of their careers. Students are given the option to complete a concentration in a selected sub-area, or cover a broad base by taking courses from different areas. Another essential component of the MSc program is an independent project supervised by a faculty member. This degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the academic requirement for Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). To hold accredited qualifications for CEng registration, candidates must also hold a Bachelor (Hons) degree that has been accredited as partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). See www.jbm.org.uk for more information.

On successful completion of the program, graduates will be able to:

  1. Describe basic and advanced knowledge and skills in civil infrastructural engineering and management;
  2. Identify civil infrastructural engineering and management problems and propose feasible solutions;
  3. Plan and design civil infrastructural engineering components and systems; and
  4. Analyze major factors impacting civil infrastructural systems and provide strategies for managing these.
  1. Minimum Credit Requirement

    PGD: 15 credits
    MSc: 30 credits 
     

  2. Credit Transfer  

    Subject to the approval of the Program Director and the University regulations governing credit transfer, a maximum of 6 credits may be transferred to the PGD Program and a maximum of 9 credits may be transferred to the MSc Program.
     

  1. Required Courses

PGD: 15 credits
MSc: 24 credits

The courses offered by the programs are arranged in seven sub-areas. To ensure breadth of the curriculum, PGD students must take courses from at least two sub-areas, whereas MSc students must take courses from at least three sub-areas. Students are recommended to select Infrastructural System Engineering and Management as one of the sub-areas.
 

  1. Infrastructural System Engineering and Management
CIEM 5160
CIEM 5140
CIEM 5170
CIEM 5180
CIEM 5810

 

  1. Material Engineering
CIEM 5240

 

  1. Structural Engineering
CIEM 5310
CIEM 5311
CIEM 5320
CIEM 5380
CIEM 5390

 

  1. Environmental Engineering
CIEM 5410
CIEM 5420
CIEM 5460
CIEM 5480

 

  1. Water Resources Engineering
CIEM 5390

 

  1. Transportation Engineering
CIEM 5620
CIEM 5630

 

  1. Geotechnical Engineering
CIEM 5720
CIEM 5740
CIEM 5760
CIEM 5770
CIEM 5790

 

Subject to the approval of the Program Director, students may take CIEM 6000 which covers one or two of the above sub-areas.
 

CIEM 6000

 

Subject to the approval of the Program Director, students may take the following courses as partial fulfillment of the program requirements:
 

  • PGD students may take a maximum of 6 credits of JEVE or IBTM courses from the MSc Program in Environmental Engineering and Management, and MSc Program in Intelligent Building Technology and Management.
  • MSc students may take a maximum of 6 credits of JEVE courses from the MSc Program in Environmental Engineering and Management, and a maximum of 6 credits of IBTM courses from the MSc Program in Intelligent Building Technology and Management.

 

  1. MSc Project

MSc: 6 credits

MSc students must complete CIEM 6980, which may cover one or two of the above sub-areas.
 

CIEM 6980

 

  1. Remarks

  • Part-time PGD and MSc students may take a maximum of 9 credits in each term.

  • Students of the MSc Program may subsequently apply to transfer to the PGD Program, subject to the approval of the Program Director, and vice versa.

  • Students failing to meet the graduation grade average (GGA) requirement of 2.850 or above are required to repeat or take additional course(s) even if they attain passing grades for all courses.

 

Students are given an option to complete a concentration in a selected sub-area:
 

  1. Infrastructural System Engineering and Management

  2. Material Engineering

  3. Structural Engineering

  4. Environmental Engineering

  5. Water Resources Engineering

  6. Transportation Engineering

  7. Geotechnical Engineering


To opt for a concentration, PGD students are required to complete at least 9 credits in a selected sub-area, whereas MSc students are required to complete at least 12 credits in a selected sub-area.

 

Last update: 31 July 2019

To qualify for admission, applicants must meet all of the following requirements. Admission is selective and meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
 

1. General Admission Requirements of the University
  • Applicants seeking admission to a master's degree program should have obtained a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution, or an approved equivalent qualification.

2. English Language Admission Requirements

Applicants have to fulfill English Language requirements with one of the following proficiency attainments:

  • TOEFL-iBT: 80 *

  • TOEFL-pBT: 550

  • TOEFL-Revised paper-delivered test: 60 (total scores for Reading, Listening and Writing sections)

  • IELTS (Academic Module): Overall score: 6.5 and All sub-score: 5.5 *

* Refers to scores in one single attempt only. Test at home option is not accepted.


Applicants are not required to present TOEFL or IELTS score if

  • their first language is English, or

  • they obtained the bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an institution where the medium of instruction was English.

3. Program-Specific Admission Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree with second class honors in Civil Engineering or a related engineering area

4. Additional Information
  • Applicants with degrees in non-Civil Engineering areas may be required to complete remedial civil engineering courses prior to their study.

 

Integrated Bachelor-Master Pathway

  • Only for HKUST students in Year 3 or above who are studying a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or Civil & Environmental Engineering with academic performance equivalent to second class honors or above. 
  • Successful applicants will receive a conditional offer for admission to MSc(CIEM) and need to pay a deposit at the prevailing deposit rate.
  • They will be allowed to start taking MSc(CIEM) courses in their final year of undergraduate study, and will enter the MSc(CIEM) Program upon successful completion of the undergraduate degree.
  • Upon entering MSc(CIEM), they can transfer up to 9 credits taken during the undergraduate study to fulfill the MSc(CIEM) program requirements. They will pay tuition fee for the remaining credits on a pro-rata basis, with a minimum payment for 21 credits.

Apply online before the application deadlines.

 

Application Fee

HK$450

Application Deadlines

For 2025/26 Fall Term Intake (commencing in Sep 2025):

PGD

Non-local Applicants*
Part-time: 15 Dec 2024 (Round 1); 1 Apr 2025 (Round 2)

Local Applicants
Part-time: 15 Dec 2024 (Round 1); 15 May 2025 (Round 2)

 

MSc

Non-local Applicants*
Full-time: 15 Dec 2024 (Round 1); 1 Apr 2025 (Round 2)
Part-time: 15 Dec 2024 (Round 1); 1 Apr 2025 (Round 2)

 

Local Applicants
Full-time: 15 Dec 2024 (Round 1); 15 May 2025 (Round 2)
Part-time: 15 Dec 2024 (Round 1); 15 May 2025 (Round 2)

 

For 2024/25 Spring Term Intake (commencing in Feb 2025):

PGD

Non-local Applicants*
Part-time: 1 Nov 2024
 

Local Applicants
Part-time: 1 Nov 2024

 

MSc

Non-local Applicants*
Part-time: 1 Nov 2024

 

Local Applicants
Part-time: 1 Nov 2024


 * Applicants are considered as non-local students if they hold (i) student visa/ entry permit; or (ii) visa under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG); or (iii) dependent visa/entry permit who were 18 years old or above when they were issued with such visa/ entry permit by the Director of Immigration. For details on student visa/ entry permit requirements, please click here.