131st in the world (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing)
QS World University Rankings 2025
Course Overview
The MSc in Computational Engineering is for students seeking to acquire the necessary skills to develop and apply computational methods for performing virtual simulations of a wide range physical problems, including solid mechanics, fluid dynamics, wave propagation and multi-physics.
Applicants to this MSc are usually students with a background in an Engineering (mechanical, aerospace, civil or electrical) or Science (mathematics, physics) discipline. This is a multidisciplinary programme, with modules that are complementary to those seeking to develop computational engineering skills to further their careers in Engineering and Science.
Students will develop solid programming skills and they will be able to tailor their degree by choosing one of the two available specialisations:
Data-Driven methods: Students will specialise in the integration of numerical methods and machine learning techniques with big data for solving real-life engineering and scientific problems.
Numerical techniques: Students will specialise in the development and analysis of modern computational methods with particular emphasis on the research aspect.
Why Computational Engineering at Swansea?
Swansea University has been a world-leading institution in Computational Engineering since the 1960s, when Professor Zienkiewicz joined Swansea University. Professor Zienkiewicz is internationally recognised as the "Father of the Finite Element Method" and founded the International Journal of Numerical Methods in Engineering and the UK Association for Computational Mechanics. Since then, Swansea University has maintained a privileged international position in the field of Computational Engineering.
The MSc in Computational Engineering is advised by an Industrial Steering Committee with industrial experts on computational engineering including Rolls Royce, Altair, Siemens, Hexagon, ITI Limited, Rockfield, Peritus and Pebble Engineering.
The MSc Computational Engineering is taught by world-leading academics from the Zienkiewicz Institute for Modelling, Data and AI at Swansea University. These academics have a broad experience in creating new numerical methods and delivering computational tools that have been adopted by industry, including Airbus, BAE Systems, Chevron, NASA, SEAT, Siemens, Volkswagen.
In addition, these academics have written famous books in the field of Computational Engineering, and they have important positions in national and international associations in the field.
Students of the MSc Computational Engineering will be able to choose the topic of their dissertation among a wide range of themes. Students will have free access to all the software required to undertake their studies, both at PCs within the University and at home. For their dissertation they will also have access to the high-performance computing facilities available at Swansea, including the Impact Cluster and the Supercomputing Wales facilities at Swansea, with a total of 4,920 cores and 47 Tb of RAM memory.
Did you know? We are:
131st in the World for Engineering – Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing (QS World University Rankings 2025)
100% world-leading and internationally excellent environment - Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
This course offers you the opportunity to do an additional year for an Industry Placement or project, giving you valuable work experience and the opportunity to improve technical plus interpersonal skills.
The second Industry Placement Year course fees are £3600 for International students and £1800 for Home students. We are now able to offer academic performance based bursaries to cover the second year course fee.
Why study Computational Engineering?
Computer modelling and simulation is nowadays a tool that is widely employed in industry, not only to complement experiments and theory, but also as a tool for discovery. The field is quickly growing due to the ever-increasing complexity of the problems faced by industry and society. These problems include the need to mitigate the climate change, the need to engineer new materials and to optimise components, systems, and processes, just to name a few.
Addressing these challenges is only possible by using computational engineering to complement experimental work. Computational tools also provide a unique avenue for companies to reduce the time-to-market and time-to-manufacture of their products. In the current digital era, the use of big data and machine learning to constantly update the models has also opened the door to the development of digital twins in many areas of Engineering and Science.
The MSc Computational Engineering will equip students with the necessary skills to develop computational tools for the challenges of the 21st century.
Graduates of the MSc Computational Engineering have a wide range of opportunities. They can access jobs in industry or academia, depending on their interests.
Due to the unique skills of a Computational Engineer, the expected salary is usually higher than a standard Engineer. For instance, in the UK, the average salary of a Computational Engineering job is £44k in December 2024 (source glassdoor.co.uk), whereas the average salary of an Engineering job is £38K. It is worth noting that employers seeking graduates use either “Computational Engineer”, “Modelling Engineer” or “Simulation Engineer” in their descriptions.
Companies that offer jobs to Computational Engineers include some of the most famous brands worldwide, namely Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Boeing, Chevron, Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, General Dynamics, HP, IBM, Intel, Meta, Microsoft, Nike, Pfizer, Tesla.
After graduation, some students prefer to pursue a PhD in Computational Engineering. Our graduates have gone on to pursue PhDs in many leading Universities worldwide and many Swansea graduates hold research or academic positions in prestigious Universities and R&D centres.
Modules
The first part of the MSc offers a selection of compulsory and optional 10-credit modules on subjects including advanced fluid analysis and computational plasticity, as well as 20-credit research case study.
Your second part is entirely dedicated to a dissertation project, worth 60 credits.
Usually the entry requirements for the MSc Computational Engineering course is a first or second class honours degree in Engineering, Mathematics, or similar relevant science discipline. You will also need to have an overall mark of at least 55%, however performance in key modules will also be considered.
We welcome applications by prospective students from around the world and look for evidence of previous study that is equivalent to the entry requirements stated above. The Postgraduate Admissions Office are happy to advise you on whether your qualifications are suitable for entry to the course you would like to study. Please email postgraduate.admissions@swansea.ac.uk for further information.
If English is not your first language you will need an acceptable pass in an approved English Language qualification to make sure you get the full benefit from studying at Swansea. We consider a wide range of qualifications, including the Swansea University English Test, the British Council IELTS test (with a score of at least 6.5 and 5.5 in each component). A full list of acceptable English Language tests can be found at https://www.swansea.ac.uk/admissions/english-language-requirements
We are proud to provide an outstanding educational experience, using the most effective learning and teaching approaches, carefully tailored to suit the specific needs of your course. Our courses consist of in-person, on-campus teaching, enabling full engagement with your lecturers and fellow students.
Practical skills sessions, seminars, and workshops predominantly take place in person, allowing for group work and presentations.
Lecture recordings also allow for more flexibility to revisit material, to revise for assessments and to enhance learning outside of the classroom. Some modules have extra resources in our virtual learning environment (Canvas), such as videos, slides and quizzes enabling further flexible study.
There are opportunities for Welsh speakers to study some elements of this
postgraduate course through the medium of Welsh but there is not yet enough
provision to reach 40 credits in each year. The Programme Director can outline
to you what is available in Welsh.
Academi Hywel Teifi is here to support
you throughout your time at Swansea University. We can offer you:
Access to the Arwain mobile app for the latest information about Welsh-medium courses and modules available to download free on the App Store and Google Play.
An interview through the medium of Welsh when applying for a place.
Personal correspondence in Welsh, English or bilingually.
The option to create and submit your coursework or sit exams through the medium of Welsh (even if you have chosen to study in English), and your work will be assessed in Welsh.
A Welsh-speaking Personal Tutor.
One-to-one support to improve your academic Welsh language skills.
An opportunity to gain an additional free qualification that serves as evidence of your Welsh language ability for future employers.
This degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) comprising of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, Institute of Highway Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation and the Permanent Way Institution on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for candidates who have already acquired a partial CEng accredited undergraduate first degree. *
See www.jbm.org.uk for further information.
*It should be noted that candidates completing the MSc who hold an underpinning accredited IEng degree or a non-accredited bachelor degree will need to apply for an academic assessment to determine whether they will meet the educational base for CEng registration.
You will be taught by world-class lecturers who are all active researchers. Their research areas of expertise include Energy and Environment, Computational Engineering, Solids, Structures and Coupled Systems, Materials and Sustainable Practice and Transportation Engineering.
Tuition fees for years of study after your first year are subject to an increase of 3%.
You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.
You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.
To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.
International students and part-time study:
It may be possible for some students to study part-time under the Student Visa route. However, this is dependent on factors relating to the course and your individual situation.
It may also be possible to study with us if you are already in the UK under a different visa category (e.g. Tier 1 or 2, PBS Dependant, ILR etc.).
Please visit the University information on Visas and Immigration for further guidance and support.
Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.
You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.
If you're a UK or EU student starting a master’s degree at Swansea University, you may be eligible to apply for Government funding to help towards the cost of your studies.
To find out more, please visit our postgraduate loans page.
To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's
scholarships and bursaries
page.
Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually.
For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.
We are now able to offer academic performance based bursaries to cover the MSc with Industry second year course fee. For more information on this please contact Dr Vasilios Samaras.
Support and guidance is provided to help secure your placement however it is not guaranteed.
Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up.
You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):
Travel to and from campus
Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
Purchase of books or texts
Gowns for graduation ceremonies
The second year course fees are £3600 for International students and £1800 for Home students.
We are now able to offer academic performance based bursaries to cover this second year course fee. For more information on this please contact Dr Vasilios Samaras.
As well as subject specific support by college teaching staff and your
personal tutor, the Centre for Academic
Success provides courses, workshops and one-to-one support in areas
such as:
Academic writing
Maths and statistics
Critical thinking
Time management
Digital skills
Presentation skills
Note taking
Revision, memory and exam techniques
English language skills (if English is not your first language).
In addition, if you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), disability,
mental health or medical condition, the Centre for Academic Success have
Specialist Tutors to support your learning, working alongside the Disability Office and Wellbeing Service to support all your needs and
requirements whilst studying at Swansea University.
For the MSc with Industry candidates will need to supply a personal statement addressing the following 2 questions:
Question 1: What can I bring to the industrial placement?
Question 2: What do I hope to gain from the industrial experience?
Your application must include the following information:
Academic Transcript (including grading structure)
Evidence of any academic prizes/awards you have obtained for academic excellence
Personal statement answering the two questions listed above
CV
Evidence of any sporting achievements, volunteering experience, professional qualifications
Please also note that letters of support will form part of selection process and it is your responsibility to ensure your nominated referees submit references by the closing date
We recommend that you submit your application to our courses as early as you can in advance of our application
deadlines. Courses will close earlier than the application deadlines listed if all available places are filled. You can
find further information on our Application Deadlines webpage.
