Glasgow is the biggest city in Scotland with a population of about 600,000 in the city itself, or over 2 million if the surrounding towns of the Clydeside conurbation are taken into account.

Students wishing to participate in the design of structures such as docks or offshore mining platforms might do well to first complete a program in maritime engineering. Courses often included in these programs are hydrodynamics and ship design.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom and Britain, is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. The two most famous (and oldest) universities are Oxford and Cambridge (often referred to as Oxbridge by many Britons). England also has several other world-class institutions, including several in London (notably Imperial College, the London School of Economics, University College London and King's College London, all are part of London University).

The MSc, or Master of Science, is an internationally recognized academic degree that indicates proficiency and knowledge of a given topic or field. Most MSc programs take about four years to finish, after which some join the workforce while others continue on in the classroom.