energy-and-sustainable-building-design

Energy and Sustainable Development MSc/PG Dip/PG Cert

This course is designed to equip you for a career in the rapidly expanding field of energy, climate change and sustainable development.

Overview

Businesses, society and policy makers are recognising that change is required at all levels if we are to address the challenge of sustainable energy and development and meet the needs of future generations. At DMU, our Energy and Sustainable Development MSc reflects the knowledge and skills required by professionals working to tackle climate change.

On this course, you will develop an understanding of how sustainable development can be achieved and how we can deal with global climate change through sustainable energy, more efficient design and manufacturing, better management of buildings and organisational behaviour change. You will learn from leading academics and specialists from the Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development (IESD), as well as a range of invited experts and guest speakers.

You will graduate with the skills and knowledge to lead communities, organisations and governments. This course is ideal for individuals with a social science or physical science background, or for mid-career professionals with relevant experience.

Key features

  • Our IESD research and teaching staff provide you with the opportunity to learn from scientists actively involved in furthering knowledge and sharing  expertise.
  • Accredited by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and the Energy Institute (EI), you will benefit from the highest-quality teaching and be able to graduate with an industry-recognised qualification. 
  • The course is designed to be flexible and fit around your commitments with on campus, part-time or full-time or distance learning options available.
  • Graduate equipped with the relevant knowledge and expertise required for careers in the industry, with course content relevant to modern day practice, including relevant research projects and industry-related issues.
  • Access specialist facilities such as the Energy Laboratory, a high-tech hub for teaching, research and technology demonstration.
  • Study a course with excellent graduate prospects. Graduates have gone on to work for global companies including the Carbon Trust, BMW, National Grid and the European Commission, as well as a variety of other energy and environmental consultancies, central and local government and multinational organisations.

  

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"I had been working as a sustainable energy consultant for over a year when I decided to study for an MSc at IESD. The course is structured so that it is possible to study part-time over 2 years and attending the university one day a week, which worked really well for me. There is also the option of distance learning." 

Sarah Blois-Brooke, graduate

Scholarships

International Scholarships

Find out about available scholarships and country specific fee discounts for international students.

 

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  • UK
  • EU/International

Course code: F85071

Location of study: De Montfort University campus, Distance learning (online)

Start Date: January, September 

Duration: One year full-time. Two years part-time.

Fees and funding: 

2022/23 full-time fees for UK students: £8,375, part-time fees: £700 per 15 credits, distance-learning fees: £8,375 (january start)

2023/24 full-time fees for UK students: £9,000

2023/24 part-time fees: £750 per 15 credits

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

Course code: F85071

Location of study: De Montfort University campus

Start Date: January, September

Duration: One year full-time. Two years part-time.

Fees and funding: 

2022/23 full-time tuition fees for EU and international students: £16,600 per year, part-time fees: £1,385 (January start)

2023/24 full-time fees for international students: £17,100

2023/24 part-time fees: £1,425 per 15 credits

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

Additional costs and optional extras associated with this course.

Entry criteria

You should have the equivalent of a British Honours degree (2:2 minimum) in a relevant subject or five years’ work experience in an appropriate field.

We are happy to consider equivalent qualifications from anywhere in the world.

If you have no formal academic qualifications but do have extensive industry experience we will consider your application on an individual basis.

 

 

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

 

Structure and assessment

 

Course modules

Teaching and academic expertise

 

 

Sustainable Development covers the key concepts of sustainable development and sustainability. This module discusses social, ecological and economic sustainability concepts and encourages you to develop a critical appreciation of the sustainable development debate

Sustainable Energy describes the sources of energy, and how they are exploited with a wide range of technologies, with an emphasis on their environmental impacts and long-term sustainability

Sustainable Buildings introduces you to the main aspects of sustainability in regards to the built environment, exploring the environmental, economic and social/cultural issues that need to be considered for achieving successful building design and operation. Topics covered include climate-responsive design, low/ zero carbon performance, energy and water consumption, human factors and urban planning

Resource-Efficient Design provides a grounded understanding of resource-efficient design in both industrial and non-industrial contexts.

This module will adopt a 'whole systems' perspective to the introduction of students to the design process and will encourage them to analyse each stage of development in terms of its impact on resource use and overall energy consumption

Energy Analysis Techniques is a particularly practical module that will equip you with the skills to analyse energy data from buildings and industrial processes, and to carry out energy audits and surveys to identify energy and greenhouse gas saving opportunities.

Issues such as heating, lighting, ventilation and general energy use are considered, and crucially, ways to bring about energy savings and how to make energy saving recommendations, sometimes as much as 20% with zero (or very low) investment.

The case studies we use are mainly for non domestic buildings but all of the techniques can also be applied to dwellings.
The module includes the theory behind energy analysis, and we carry out practical building surveys, and data analysis in lab sessions, the assessment being to prepare a report similar to one you would produce as a professional energy efficiency consultant.

 

Study Skills and Research Methods provides the skills necessary to successfully complete a research project of a high standard, introducing you to a range of research methodologies and practices relevant to the successful completion of the MSc

Dissertation will complete the MSc by undertaking a research project on a topic of your choice, supervised by an experienced member of research staff

Optional Modules:

Leading Change for Sustainability aims to equip students with theoretical knowledge and practical skills to enable them to play an effective leadership role in promoting sustainability. The module draws upon applied environmental psychology and theories of social and organisational change as its theoretical basis, alongside practitioner-developed understandings of behaviour change and social transformation. The knowledge and skills developed are intended to be applicable in a range of settings, including organisations, government, communities and the personal sphere.

Low-Impact Manufacturing introduces the concept of an industrial system, linking different types of industry, including raw material processing, manufacturing and waste processing, that combine to satisfy consumer demand. It explains the ways in which energy and resource use can be identified at each stage of a product life-cycle and how the associated environmental impacts can be identified and mitigated.

Key international standards relevant to sustainable manufacturing are described, and a technical approach is taken throughout the module

Engineering Business Environment enables you to understand and reflect upon the role of businesses in a rapidly changing, globalised world. As well as considering the changing environment in which businesses operate, time is spent exploring the steps a business can take to respond to the environmental challenges ahead; for example, through supply chain management, logistics, life-cycle analysis, green accounting and carbon trading

You will complete the MSc by undertaking a research project on a topic of your choice, supervised by an experienced member of research staff.

 

 

Full-time students attend for two days each week and receive formal lectures from experienced researchers and teaching staff, complemented by informal seminars and group discussions. Part-time students attend one day per week. You will also be expected to undertake self-directed study. All teaching material is fully documented and available on the web-based virtual learning environment (VLE) before timetabled events take place. 

Distance learning students follow a structured study plan provided on the VLE, supported by discussion forums with other students, and email and telephone conversations with the module leader. Our course has been commended in an academic quality review for its “innovative and sophisticated forms of e-based learning and teaching”. 

All assessment is by coursework. Each taught module has two items of coursework. The first is a smaller assignment, on which prompt feedback is given while the module is being studied. A second, major assignment is submitted after the material has been assimilated. 

 As well as the eight taught modules, students complete either an individual dissertation or a team-based design project, and all students get to attend the annual MSc conference, where final year students present.

Contact and learning hours
You will normally attend 2-4 hours of timetabled taught sessions each week for each module undertaken during term time; for full time study this would be 12 hours per week during term time. You can also expect to typically undertake a further hours of 6 hours independent study and assignments as required per week.

 

 

 

 The Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development's research has developed over a 30-year period to create the underlying knowledge, techniques and technology necessary to achieve more energy-efficient and sustainable lifestyles.

Current research is driven by the UK's commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase the use of new and renewable energy technology, and provide a high-quality, comfortable, safe and efficient built environment.

Applied research seeks practical solutions to contemporary problems, while more theoretical explorations seek to understand our physical and social world, generating new knowledge that can have long-term benefits in many fields of human endeavour.

Our teaching team are recognised researchers within their field and embed industry relevant case studies into the course to ensure content is current to the issue we face around sustainability and renewable energy.

 

 

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Facilities and features

Facilities

The new Energy Laboratory in the School of Engineering and Sustainable Development is a high-tech hub for teaching, research and technology demonstration. Complimenting DMU’s wider green energy projects, the Energy Laboratory is housed in the Queens Building, the award-winning passively cooled student and research space for Engineering and Media. 

Home to the future of smart energy the Energy Laboratory features a working smart kitchen, a technology testing and proving space for real-world experiments and practical energy projects. The Laboratory is also equipped with a demonstration heat pump system and features performance data from a working off-site heat pump installation at DMU’s ‘Green Energy House’, a traditional terrace equipped with some of the latest low carbon energy systems. 

The Energy Laboratory will become a catalyst for students to think creatively about some significant energy problems of the present and future but also for academic research into energy generation, low carbon transport, heating and light, energy storage and smart grids.

Listen to Professor Rick Greenough, Energy Systems explain the importance of heat pumps and how they work in our Energy Lab.

Learning zones

Our Learning Zones and The Greenhouse also provide space for group or individual work and study.

There are 1,600 study places across all library locations, more than 700 computer stations, laptops to borrow, free wi-fi and desktop power outlets.

You can also book rooms with plasma screens, laptops and DVD facilities for group work and presentations, secure an individual study room with adjustable lighting or make use of our assistive technology.

Library services

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available. 

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose. 

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including Learning Zone, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub. 

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

DMU's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities DMU Careers Team

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DMU Global

This is our innovative international experience programme which aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons – helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world.

Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

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Graduate Careers

Our graduates go on to work in a wide range of energy, buildings and sustainability roles in energy and environmental consultancies, non-governmental environmental organisations, central and local government (including the European Commission), and multi-national organisations. Some of our graduates stay on at DMU to continue their academic training with PhD studies.

Recent graduate destinations include:

  • The Carbon Trust
  • BMW
  • Turley Associates
  • National Energy Foundation
  • European Commission
  • Knightstone Housing Association
  • National Grid
  • Leicester City Council
  • Mott MacDonald
  • WSP Group
  • Arup
  • WYG
  • David Chipperfield Architects

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