Climate change is possibly the most significant threat that humanity has faced in its history. A massive global effort will be required to find sustainable solutions to future energy needs, that significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from current levels. A new generation of scientists, engineers and policy-makers will need to be equipped with skills to enable them to make informed decisions on all aspects of this important and rapidly developing subject. Our Masters degree in Renewable Energy and Environmental Modelling is designed to produce graduates with a broad and balanced skills base, within a degree of real depth and a sound contextual basis. Graduates from the degree should be able to make an immediate contribution to the renewable energy sector.
Please take a look at our web pages below, and don't forget to visit Dundee University Centre for Renewable Energy (DUCRE) where many of our project students carry out research projects.
Renewable Energy is the study of the energy sources of the future. It involves every aspect of the study of matter and energy, and forms the basis of the science, engineering and technology of tomorrow. A degree in renewable energy offers an impressive set of graduate skills, and on completion of your degree you will be highly numerate, have wide ranging problem solving skills, be experienced in the practical application of science, as well as familiar with modelling techniques using computer programming. This skill set is highly prized by employers and offers a near unparalleled set of opportunities in a wide range of renewable energy technologies and energy policies.
While renewable energy studies opens the door to a wide range of jobs it also offers a huge intellectual challenge and offers you the chance to get involved with the biggest questions and problems the world faces today: you will be developing the understanding and technology to battle climate change .
Although an aptitude for mathematics helps, you do not have to be another Einstein to consider renewable energy as a subject choice! An enquiring and creative mind is more important than outstanding theoretical ability. Some individuals will specialise in theory, others in experimental investigations, and some in increasingly important computational methods. As long as you can cope with the basic ideas of algebra and calculus, and enjoy solving the world’s most fundamental problems, then you can be an energy scientist or engineer or adviser.
Traditionally, undergraduates at Scottish universities studied for the 4-year BSc honours degree. In recent years we, in common with other universities, have introduced an extended undergraduate degree the MSci (not to be confused with the post-graduate MSc degree). This degree is five years in duration and is intended for those who wish to make a career in renewable energy itself at the most advanced level and particularly for those looking at postgraduate study.
The extra year in the MSci programme is intended to allow a deeper understanding of energy studies to be developed and to enable a more advanced undergraduate project, taken over years 4 and 5, to be undertaken. Students therefore develop more sophisticated theoretical and practical skills. The degree is seen as increasingly attractive to graduate employers, particularly those looking for strong numerical, modelling or practical skills. The MSci will bring you to a technical level comparable to graduates from other European nations.
Is the BSc still valuable? Yes, it is the best choice if you are planning a subsequent career outside renewable energy as a general graduate, or at a lower level within renewable energy itself.
So which should you choose if you are not sure? Always apply for the MSci because it is perfectly acceptable to decide to shorten your studies if you decide to change your expectations or career plans. Extending from the BSc involves both achieving suitable performance and negotiation with funding bodies.
We also offer fast-track programmes with direct entry to second year, restricted to those with entry qualifications at a sufficiently high level to meet the challenge. This reduces the BSc to three years and the MSci to a four.
All BSc students undertake a research project in their final year of study. This is a substantial two-semester exercise, undertaken under the supervision of a member of staff with a keen interest in the subject area chosen. Often you will be working within the supervisor’s research team and taking part in original research. This will definitely be the case for MSci students whose project extends over two academic sessions giving an experience which is a strong foundation for PhD studies or industrial research. In either case, a project dissertation must be produced as a culmination of the work, and this gives you invaluable experience in producing a substantial piece of formal written work.
Projects are one of the most rewarding parts of the degree – once they are completed! But the challenges you will face and overcome in tackling your project are always acknowledged by graduates to be of the greatest personal and educational value. Taking place near the end of their studies, projects often help students decide on their future career directions.
Recent project titles include:
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Battery Technology for Transport Use |
Fuel Cell Technologies |
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Investigation into the use of heat pumps for domestic heating |
Combined Heat/Cooling and Power |
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Integration of Large Scale Wind Power |
Carbon footprints for Companies/Buildings |
For more information on this course, please refer to the Renewable Energy page in the University Prospectus.
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