Semester 1 (October-January)
The first semester provides a foundation in the most significant issues relating to the sustainable use of innovative structural engineering materials in design and construction; and involves units in natural building materials, advanced timber engineering, advanced composites, sustainable concrete technology and architectural structures.

Five taught compulsory units
Includes coursework involving laboratory or small project sessions.
Typically each unit consists of 22 hours of lectures and 11 hours of tutorials, and may additionally involve a number of hours of laboratory activity and field trips with approximately 65-70 hours of private study (report writing, laboratory results processing and revision for examinations).
Semester 2 (February-May)
Semester 2 consists of a further 30 credits comprising of five core 6 credit units. These units include:

Materials engineering in construction
Advanced timber engineering
Engineering project management.
Students will undertake a group-based design activity and an individual project scoping and planning unit (Project Unit 1). The group-based activity involves application of project management techniques and provides the basis for an integrated approach to Engineering, but with the possibility of specialising in the chosen master's topic.

It is a feature of this programme that the project work proceeds as far as possible in a way typical of best industrial practice. The Semester 2 project activities have significant planning elements including the definition of milestones and deliverables according to a time-scale, defined by the student in consultation with his/her academic supervisor and (where appropriate) his/her industrial advisor.