Engineering - Sustainable Energy

Course Outline
If you want to help the world address the energy 'grand challenge' of the 21st century, then Ireland's first Masters in Engineering Science degree programme in Sustainable Energy is for you. Our modern world depends on a secure, reliable, and affordable energy supply and Sustainable Energy is crucial to addressing some of the most challenging issues facing the world today. Our Sustainable Energy graduates will be required to source, design, convert, transmit and supply useful energy to meet our present and long-term needs for electricity, mobility and heating and cooling.

In this MEngSc programme, we consider firstly how to reduce human impact on the climate through innovative low-carbon energy supply systems and secondly, how to provide a better standard of living for the world's growing population through access to sustainable and secure energy supplies.

This programme is open to Engineering graduates of all disciplines with an 8-month programme option leading to a Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Energy.

Why Choose This Course?
Our Energy Engineering school is committed to energy research, development, and innovation and we are fortunate to have access to a large number of campus-based research groups. The Environmental Research Institute (ERI) at UCC has over 200 researchers working across six academic institutions collaborating with over 45 industry partners. The ERI coordinates our innovation centre MaREI: MaREI combines the expertise of a wide range of research groups and industry partners, with the shared mission of solving the main scientific, technical, and socio-economic challenges across marine and renewable energy sectors.

Energy Engineering research at UCC encompasses many aspects of energy generation, transmission, distribution, end-use, and policy, and our active research groups include the following:

Energy Policy and Modelling Group
Intelligent Efficiency Research Group
Materials & Structures
Bioenergy Research
Photonics for Energy Efficient Systems Research
Photovoltaics
View more Energy Engineering news here.

Connected Curriculum

Our teaching staff includes faculty from across the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science (SEFS). We are committed to the Connected Curriculum where we emphasise the connection between students, learning, research, and leadership through our vision for a Connected University. Our staff are at the forefront of this integrative approach to learning and will support you in making meaningful connections within and between topics such as engineering, science, and the environment.

Students take 90 credits over two parts as follows:

Part I (50 credits)

NE4008 Photovoltaic Systems (5 credits)
NE6003 Wind Energy (5 credits)
NE6004 Biomass Energy (5 credits)
NE6005 Ocean Energy (5 credits)
NE6006 Solar and Geothermal Energy (5 credits)
NE6007 Energy Systems Modelling (5 credits)
NE6012 Energy in Buildings (5 credits)
NE6013 Sustainable Energy (5 credits)
NE6016 Energy Systems in Buildings (5 credits)
EE6048 Smart Grids (5 credits)

Depending on the background of the student, the Programme Coordinator may decide to replace some of the above modules from the following list of modules up to a maximum of 20 credits:

CE4020 Environmental Hydrodynamics (5 credits)
CE6024 Finite Element Analysis (5 credits)
CE6042 Transportation and Energy (5 credits)
EE3011 Power Electronics and AC Machine (5 credits)
EE3012 Electric Vehicle Energy Systems (5 credits)
EE4001 Energy Systems, Power Electronics and Drives (5 credits)
EE4002 Control Engineering (5 credits)
EE6035 Electrical Power Systems (5 credits)
ME6007 Mechanical Systems (5 credits)
NE6010 Offshore Wind Energy (5 credits)
NE6011Advanced Energy Systems Modelling (5 credits)
NE6014 Energy Innovation (5 credits)
NE6015 Data Analytics for Engineering (5 credits)
PE6003 Process Validation and Quality (5 credits)

In addition, all students take the following module:

NE6008 Preliminary Research Report in Sustainable Energy (10 credits)

Part II

NE6009 Dissertation in Sustainable Energy (30 credits)

Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Energy
Students who pass but fail to achieve the requisite grade of 50% across the taught modules and the Preliminary Research Report will be eligible for the award of a Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Energy. Candidates passing Part I of the programme who do not wish to proceed to Part II may opt to be conferred with a Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Energy.

See the Postgraduate Academic Calendar (MEngSc Sustainable Energy) for further course content and learning outcomes.

Modules

Further details on the modules listed above can be found in our Book of Modules. Any modules listed above are indicative of the current set of modules for this course but are subject to change from year to year.

University Calendar

You can find the full academic content for the current year of any given course in our University Calendar.

Candidates must have a BE (Hons) or BEng (Hons) Degree or equivalent engineering qualification, with a minimum Second Class Honours Grade II (NFQ, Level 8). However, candidates with equivalent academic qualifications and suitable experience may be accepted subject to the approval of College of Science, Engineering and Food Science under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). In all cases, the course of study for each candidate must be approved by the Programme Coordinator.

Candidates from Grandes Écoles Colleges are also eligible to apply if they are studying a cognate discipline in an ENSEA or EFREI Graduate School and are eligible to enter the final year (M2) of their programme.

English Language Requirements
Applicants that are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements. Please visit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.

For applicants with qualifications completed outside of Ireland
Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.

International/Non-EU Applicants
For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.

In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.

Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.

The closing date for non-EU applications is 30 June 2023

How Do I Apply
1. Check Dates: Check the opening and closing dates for the application process in the fact file boxes at the top of the page.

For Irish and EU applicants we operate a rounds system and you can check the rounds closing dates here.
Note that not all our programmes are subject to the rounds system so check the opening and closing dates for your specific programme in the fact file boxes above.

2. Gather Documents: Scanned copies of supporting documents have to be uploaded to the UCC online application portal and include:

Original qualification documents listed on your application including transcripts of results from institutions other than UCC.
Any supplementary items requested for your course if required.

3. Apply Online: Apply online via the UCC online application portal. Note the majority of our courses have a non-refundable €50 application fee.

Any questions? Use our web enquiry form to contact us.
Additional Requirements (All Applicants)
Please note you will be required to provide additional information as part of the online application process for this programme. This will include the following questions:

You may enter the details of professional or voluntary positions held. We strongly encourage you to complete this section with all relevant work experiences that will support your application.
Please upload your CV here.
Please enter the name and email address of two referees.

90

1 year full-time.

Start Date 7 September 2020

Skills and Careers Information
Please contact the coordinator for further details.