Energy Supply for Low Carbon Futures – (M.Sc.)

Suitable for scientists and engineers concerned with achieving lower environmental impacts through an integrated approach to addressing the challenges of energy supply, demand and efficiency.

Takes you on to a wide range of careers as a professional scientist or engineer in energy production, distribution and demand management in the environment, energy and offshore sectors.

You will be taught by industry-active research academics from Cranfield with an established track record, supported by visiting lecturers from industry. To ensure the programme is aligned to industry needs, the course is directed by its own Industrial Advisory Committee.

Course description

Energy is recognised as fundamental to virtually every product and service in use in modern lifestyles. Modern society has developed a dependence on abundant, cheap and ultimately polluting fossil fuel technologies. However, evidence suggests that production from conventional oil resources has already peaked, and that, at current usage rates, similar peaks will occur in the foreseeable future for natural gas and coal.

It is clear that investment in, and support for, energy production from renewable sources, from clean fossil fuel sources with carbon capture and storage, and from nuclear power must significantly increase to provide an affordable and balanced portfolio of energy supply to satisfy modern society’s needs.

The MSc in Energy Supply for Low Carbon Futures develops professional engineers and scientists able to respond to the urgent need to achieve more sustainable futures for human society and address the key concerns of energy security, carbon emissions and climate change, energy pricing and affordability, to meet the UK Government’s ambitious target of 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Cranfield is a respected provider of energy related research and teaching, which represents about 10% of the University’s income. Students benefit from dedicated state-of-the-art facilities including unique engineering-scale facilities for the development of efficient technologies with low CO2 emissions.

The MSc course comprises eight assessed modules, an integrated group project and an individual project. Students undertaking the Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) complete the eight modules and the group project. Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) students complete six modules.

Group project

The group project experience is highly valued by both students and prospective employers. It provides students with the opportunity to take responsibility for a consultancy-type project, working within agreed objectives, deadlines and budgets. For part-time students a dissertation usually replaces the group project.

Individual thesis project

The individual thesis project, usually in collaboration with an external organisation, offers students the opportunity to develop their research capability, depth of understanding and ability to provide sustainable solutions to real problems in energy supply and demand management.

Modules:

* Principles of Sustainability
* Offshore Renewable Energy Technologies
* Land-based Renewable Energy Technologies
* Fuels and Energy Conversion
* Energy Production Emissions Control, Carbon Capture and Transport
* Materials and Reliability in Energy Systems
* Demand Management for Industry and the Built Environment
* Energy Policy, Carbon Markets and Futures