Course summary
Join an online MSc that’s training the next generation of systems engineers. Help our planet transition from oil and gas to net-zero, with a degree you can study online, flexibly. Join the first online energy transition degree of its kind in the UK. Prepare for an engineering career in the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables. Energy transitions require technical, economic, and social solutions to the complex challenges of decarbonisation. In this online MSc in Energy Transition, you’ll develop a detailed understanding of these diverse challenges. You’ll learn how we can integrate Low Carbon Technologies (LCTs) into current and future energy systems. With guidance from University of Aberdeen academics, engineers, and industry professionals, you’ll gain in-depth technical knowledge of LCTs, including:
- wind
- tidal
- solar
- hydrogen
- and biomass.
Modules
You’ll work through eight 15-credit courses and a 60-credit project to gain your MSc. Our online awards are flexible, so you can progress at a pace that suits you.
Assessment method
This degree usually combines online assessment with written exams that you attend in person. Exams usually take place at the end of each term, during our official exam periods: For the January term, exams usually run in early May; For the May term, exams usually run in early September; For the September term, exams usually run in early December. Your precise exam dates will be made available nearer the time. If you fail or miss an exam, you can resit it in the next exam period or during our summer resit period. This is usually at the end of June/start of July.
How to apply
International applicants
You do not need a visa to study online with us, and as you will be studying from your home country, ATAS is not required.
This course has a subject classification which requires students whose nationality is outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland to have an ATAS certificate, irrespective of country of residence at the point of application.
Further information can be found on the UK Government's website: www.gov.uk/academic-technology-approval-scheme
Entry requirements
A UK Honours degree at 2:1 (upper second class), or an Honours degree from a non-UK institution which is judged by the University to be of equivalent worth, in Engineering or a related field such as the natural sciences, physical sciences or mathematics. or A UK Honours degree at 2:2 (lower second class) in Engineering or a related field, or equivalent with 5+ years relevant experience.
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | Overall - 6.5 with: Listening - 5.5 or above; Reading - 5.5 or above; Speaking - 5.5 or above; Writing - 6.0 or above. IELTS Indicator or IELTS General Training are not accepted. |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 90 | TOEFL iBT and TOEFL Home Edition: Overall - 90 with: Listening - 17 or above; Reading - 18 or above; Speaking - 20 or above; Writing - 21 or above. DI code is 0818 |
| PTE Academic | 62 | Overall - 62 with: Listening - 59 or above; Reading - 59 or above; Speaking - 59 or above; Writing - 59 or above. Online Test is not accepted |
| Institution's Own Test | Academic English Pre-sessional Programme (PSE) - Pass (valid for one year) Academic English Preparation Programme undertaken at other UK HEI - accredited by BALEAP and within 1 year of start of course |
To study for a postgraduate degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write academic English fluently. These skills will allow you to understand lectures, produce high standards of written work, and perform well in examinations. We can assess your English language proficiency through a variety of means: through your nationality, through the qualifications you gained in high school, through the degree you undertook or are undertaking at university, or through a recognised English language test. Postgraduate Standard requirements are used by the Schools of Biological Sciences; Engineering; Geosciences; Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition; Natural and Computing Sciences; and Psychology. Please note certification must be within the two years prior to commencement of your course, unless otherwise stated.
Please use the checklist at the following webpage to determine how you can meet our English language requirements:
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/requirements-pg-266.php
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| EU | £14300 | Whole course |
| International | £14300 | Whole course |
| England | £14300 | Whole course |
| Northern Ireland | £14300 | Whole course |
| Scotland | £14300 | Whole course |
| Wales | £14300 | Whole course |
| Channel Islands | £14300 | Whole course |
| Republic of Ireland | £14300 | 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
This indicative cost is based on 180 credits of study over three years, starting in September 2024. The fee quoted above is based on you starting your studies with us in the 2024/25 academic year. We have confirmed that our fees will rise by 5% for the 2025/26 academic year. Our indicative cost includes a 5% fee rise each year.
This is a pay-as-you-go degree. You do not have to pay the full tuition fee upfront. You can spread the cost and pay as you go, term by term. You decide how many credits to study for each term. At the start of term, you pay only for the credits you’re taking that term. This gives you control over your costs and workload for each term of your degree.
Sponsorship information
The University of Aberdeen provides an Alumni Discount Scheme: The University of Aberdeen is very pleased to offer a 20% discount on postgraduate tuition fees for all alumni who have graduated with a degree from the University of Aberdeen.
Provider information
University of Aberdeen
Directorate of External Relations
King's College
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX