Program Overview

With this MSc Renewable Energy: Technology and Sustainability course you will develop a broad understanding of the applications of renewable energy and sustainable technologies, as well as a strong awareness of the environmental impact of using non-sustainable technologies.

Are you looking to pursue or develop your career in energy or sustainability related fields? A master’s from our renowned School, with its strong reputation for research and education relating to the design, construction and operation of the buildings and places within which we live, work and play, will help you take the next step. (The University of Reading is ranked 3rd in the UK for research impact in Architecture, Built Environment and Planning in the Times Higher Education Institutions Ranked by Subject, 2014, based on its analysis of REF 2014.)

Throughout this course, you will engage with issues and debates concerning the role of energy, including examining the technical and policy questions arising from global demands for secure, affordable and sustainable processes.

Accredited by the Energy Institute, and the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, the course is designed to enable you to develop your knowledge further in a range of areas including carbon management and energy use in the built environment. (Accreditation is reviewed periodically. Successful completion of this course satisfies the academic requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer.)

This course is offered as a one-year full-time course, or as a flexible modular course with entry in January. Both the full-time and flexible modular courses are delivered via residential weeks at our campus and supported through our online learning environment.

In addition to the University facilities available to all students, you will have access to the School's dedicated facilities, such as the School’s Resource Room, which includes:

• Study spaces for individual and group work as well as subject-specific learning resources
• Dedicated computer labs for use by our students, equipped with the latest digital technology and software, including building information modelling (BIM), 3D laser scanning, 3D visualisation, virtual reality headsets, building energy simulations and urban microclimate simulations.

Whether you join the full-time or flexible course, you will be taught in one-week intensive blocks, with assignment work between teaching weeks. Class sizes may vary from 10 to 40 students, and optional modules are shared with other programmes in the School. You will develop your skills and knowledge on this course through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, guided reading, online resources and written assignments.

The School has a wide-ranging and diverse research programme that is continuously developing. Every lecturer is involved in research and scholarship, all of which feeds into the teaching you will receive. We also have strong links with industry, and you will benefit from industry visits and industry speakers on this course.