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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition at Heriot-Watt University - UCAS

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2025 - 2026
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Course summary

MSc Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition will equip you with the skills and knowledge to have a real impact as a leader in renewable energy and energy transition. You don’t need to be an engineer to apply for this master’s programme as it is suitable to professionals from a wide variety of academic backgrounds who want to work in the industry and through interdisciplinary teaching and learning, you’ll be prepared for active participation in the transitions of energy generation and use. You’ll acquire a broad knowledge of renewable energy systems and the issues surrounding them, and you’ll gain the tools to understand the wider systems that rely on energy and look for solutions beyond the simple decarbonisation of existing activities. At the centre of the programme is the discipline of Transition Engineering. This is a relatively new field that focuses on driving and facilitating transitions towards a more sustainable and resilient future. It is rooted in the recognition that significant societal and technological shifts are necessary to address pressing global challenges, such as climate change and resource depletion. You’ll learn from experts in renewable energy, economics, and transition engineering, and develop a clear understanding of the key drivers of energy transition and transition engineering through being introduced to:

  • aspects of energy transition,
  • the technologies of renewable energy generation and its integration into wider systems,
  • the importance of energy efficiency in buildings and in transport,
  • energy policy,
  • economics,
  • project finance,
  • environmental science, which is critical for predicting and managing the impacts of energy systems.
Teaching is reinforced with project work where emphasis is placed on simulating real-life situations and processes. Through this, you’ll learn how to use key communication platforms including digital tools for data analysis, modelling, and other interactive approaches. Upon completion of this master’s programme, you will possess a diverse skill set that opens a wide range of opportunities and roles in renewable energy companies, government agencies, consulting firms, community groups, research institutions, and non-profit organisations. Your learning environment You’ll study at Heriot-Watt Orkney, our specialist campus which is one of the United Kingdom’s most stunning and unique university locations. By choosing to study at our Orkney campus, you’ll become part of a vibrant local community, hear from guest lecturers from leaders in the sector, network with ingenuity-led industry professionals from many renewable energy sectors, benefit from relatively small class sizes, and participate in practical sessions right at the heart of the industry. You will have the opportunity to work on real-world problems, and work across disciplines to deliver practical solutions with global impact. MSc Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition uses a diverse range of teaching and learning approaches, including lectures, discussion sessions, project work, fieldwork, and more. Throughout your studies, you will get to know and build relationships with your teaching staff, academics, and peers.

Modules

You’ll take seven mandatory courses and can customise your degree to match your specific interests or desired career pathway by choosing one optional course from a range of environmental specialist courses. In semester three, you’ll undertake a specialised research project of your choice through your dissertation. You’ll be doing genuine research to produce new knowledge in an area that interests you, under the supervision of an appropriate academic.

Assessment method

You will be assessed by coursework, exams, and your dissertation, and will receive support and feedback throughout the programme.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on our website.

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

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

Sponsorship information

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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition at Heriot-Watt University - UCAS