Course summary
MSc Marine Renewable Energy provides you with a comprehensive understanding of the marine energy sector, including the technical, environmental, and economic drivers which shape the industry. You’ll be involved in interdisciplinary teaching and learning to make a positive contribution in the development of sustainable marine renewable energy initiatives. The programme is suitable for those from a wide variety of academic backgrounds who want to work in the marine renewable energy industry. You’ll become familiar with the key drivers and limitations of marine renewable energy technologies and their associated development processes. The curriculum focuses on three themes of environment, technology, and governance. You’ll understand the marine environment, sources of energy, and consider potential environmental effects of marine energy development. You’ll gain an awareness of the fundamental technology options for generating new marine renewable energy platforms and their limitations, including issues surrounding the storage of energy and the integration of marine energy into wider energy systems. You’ll also explore the relevant policy, legislation and planning approaches, and understand the nature of energy markets and the economic instruments used to promote marine renewable energy through using financial appraisal tools for individual developments. This career-focused master’s programme will develop your technical, scientific, and managerial abilities, and provide you with a specialist education to set you up to become a professional in a range of roles within marine renewable energy. Customise your learning You will study the programme full-time for 12 months in Orkney. You’ll take two mandatory courses that will provide you with current knowledge in marine renewable energy technologies and commercialisation. You can customise your learning to match your specific interests or desired career pathway by choosing six optional courses from a range of over ten environmental, marine, and energy transition specialist courses, including marine planning, environmental processes, oceanography, and transition engineering. In semester three, you’ll undertake an extensive and specialised investigation into your chosen area of interest in marine renewable energy through your dissertation. You’ll be required to demonstrate your mastery of the subject area by researching, investigating, and reporting on a specialist topic, and you’ll be required to do this within the time and resources available. You’ll have the opportunity to go on a two-week field trip to Malaysia through the optional Tropical and Coral Reefs: Monitoring and Management course. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the marine environment whilst learning different techniques for surveying and monitoring coral reefs. Employability Marine planning, including spatial planning, is a fast-developing discipline of global interest with excellent employment prospects. It has the ambition to promote sustainable development of the Blue Economy and mitigate the effects of climate change. The international "Blue Growth Agenda" anticipates increasing economic activity and employment from maritime industries as diverse as offshore oil and gas, renewable energy, aquaculture, biotechnologies, artificial islands, deep sea mining and tourism. The increase in activity requires increased vigilance in marine protection and conservation. An average salary of £ 33,500. Potential career paths -Marine development companies -Utilities -Consultancies -Governments -Regulators -NGOs
Modules
Optional September -Introduction to Marine Planning -Environmental Processes -Climate Change, Sustainability and Adaptation -Oceanography -Marine Resources and Sustainability -Transition Engineering - Achieving zero carbon InTIME -Economics of Renewable Energy Optional January -Integration of Renewable Technology -GIS for Marine and Environmental Scientists -Practical Skills in Marine Surveying -Tropical and Coral Reefs: Monitoring and Management -Energy Transition Lab Mandatory May -ILES Environment Dissertation Mandatory September -Marine Renewable Energy Technology Mandatory January -Renewable Technology Commercialisation
Assessment method
You will be assessed by coursework, exams, and your dissertation, and will receive support and feedback throughout the programme.
Entry requirements
A minimum of honours degree at 2:2 or non-UK equivalent in any academic subject provided that it includes evidence of essay writing and use of critical thinking. We welcome applications from international students and accept qualifications from around the world. Please refer to the entry requirements for your country for more details. English language requirements If your first language is not English, we'll need to see evidence of your English language ability. The minimum English language requirement for entry to this programme is IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) with no score lower than 5.5. If you do not have IELTS 6.0, we offer a range of English language courses to help you meet the English language requirement for this programme prior to commencing your studies.
English language requirements
Applicants whose native language is not English and who have not been educated previously in the English language must provide evidence of their English language ability to ensure they can cope with the demands of a Heriot-Watt programme taught and assessed in English. Further information about the English Language tests that we currently accept as proof of English Language ability including our own English Language programmes, can be viewed on our website.
HWU English Language Requirements
https://www.hw.ac.uk/study/entry/english-language-requirements.htm
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Sponsorship information
Postgraduate scholarships and bursaries We aim to encourage well-qualified, ambitious students to study with us and we offer a wide variety of scholarships and bursaries to achieve this. Over £6 million worth of opportunities are available in fee and stipend scholarships, and more than 400 students benefit from this support. Postgraduate European Union Scholarship Open to any student coming from an EU country, this scholarship is an automatically applied £5,000 fee reduction for a full-time postgraduate taught programme at Heriot-Watt University.
Provider information
Heriot-Watt University
Riccarton
Edinburgh
EH14 4AS