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Renewable Energy Engineering at Heriot-Watt University - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 2026
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

Overview of Programme MSc Renewable Energy Engineering provides you with the opportunity to study a specialist engineering-focused course in the rapidly expanding sector. By studying this programme, you’ll develop critical understanding of the significant changes afoot in the energy system due to the development and integration of wind, marine, biomass, and solar technologies. Upon graduation, you’ll have the necessary knowledge and skills to develop and implement creative solutions to the problems encountered in renewable energy capture, conversion, storage, and management. You’ll gain the knowledge and skills to assess renewable energy resources, design appropriate renewable energy systems, evaluate the performance of these systems and assess the wider impacts of renewable energy development. You’ll be introduced to fundamental energy science and current energy issues, and complete project-led courses in which you’ll design renewable energy systems in response to such energy issues. By doing so, you’ll be exposed to Renewable Energy resources, how the resources are exploited, and the socio-economic and environmental impacts of Renewable Energy-related activities. During the programme, you’ll develop detailed knowledge and critical understanding of the core skills, techniques and practices in renewable energy resources, converters and systems and apply this knowledge to complex applications to deliver original and creative solutions to current and emerging problems. On top of practical knowledge and skills, you’ll develop your communication, independent work, and teamwork skills by working effectively with peers, academics, and staff in a variety of tasks. Our Expertise 96% of Heriot-Watt University’s engineering research was classed as world-leading in the REF 2021 review, which ranked us 1st in Scotland and 3rd in the UK for engineering research through a joint submission with the University of Edinburgh. Our MSc Renewable Energy Engineering is directly informed by the world class research carried out by Heriot-Watt’s Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering (IMPEE) research institute and our Energy Academy. You’ll learn from academics engaged in renewable energy research in five principal areas:

  • Photovoltaics and solar energy
  • Wind and marine energy
  • Renewable energy systems
  • Minimising CO2 emissions
  • Biofuels
Your learning environment During your studies, you’ll benefit from and have access to our specialist equipment, software and laboratories used by professional mechanical engineering, including machining and manufacturing facilities, an air conditioning unit, wind tunnel for fluid mechanics and aerodynamics, 3D printer, and a uniaxial testing machine. You will have the opportunity to work on real-world problems, and work across disciplines to deliver practical solutions with global impact in our state-of-the-art GRID (Global Research Innovation and Discovery) facility. Customise your learning You’ll have the opportunity to focus on the areas of renewable energy engineering that interest you the most. You can customise your degree to match your specific interests or desired career pathway by studying five mandatory courses and choosing three further options from a range of energy, and mechanical engineering specialist courses, including electrical power systems, heat exchangers and heat transfer, climate change, sustainability and adaptation, and demand management and energy storage. In semester three, you’ll undertake an extensive and specialised investigation into your chosen area of renewable energy engineering through your dissertation. You’ll be required to demonstrate your mastery of the subject area by applying design and evaluation techniques to develop new insights and responses to current issues in energy and mechanical engineering industries. Accreditation This programme is accredited by Energy Institute (EI).

Modules

Mandatory: Foundations of Energy

  • Renewable Energy Technologies
  • Economics of Renewable Energy
  • Advanced Renewable Energy Engineering
- Critical Analysis and Research Preparation

Assessment method

Coursework, exams, and dissertation.

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • Energy Institute, The

How to apply

International applicants

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.

Entry requirements

A 2:1 Honours Degree in an engineering discipline or in the physical or chemical sciences. The degree can be from a British or overseas university. We will accept 2:2 in relevant subject areas in conjunction with relevant work experience.

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

England £12192 Whole course
Northern Ireland £12192 Whole course
Scotland £12192 Whole course
Wales £12192 Whole course
EU £25480 Whole course
International £25480 Whole course
Channel Islands £25480 Whole course
Republic of Ireland £25480 Whole 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

No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.

Sponsorship information

Our Postgraduate Scholarship for Academic Excellence in MSc Renewable Energy Engineering offers a £1,000 tuition fee reduction. 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. View our full range of postgraduate scholarships on our website.

Renewable Energy Engineering at Heriot-Watt University - UCAS