Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Power Engineering and Sustainable Energy at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
The Master's course in Power Engineering and Sustainable Energy places strong emphasis on state-of-the-art semiconductor devices and technologies, advanced power electronics and drives, and advanced power systems. The Power Engineering and Sustainable Energy course also covers conventional and renewable energy generation technologies. Exciting new developments such as wide band gap electronics, energy harvesting, solar cells and biofuels are discussed and recent developments in power electronics are highlighted.
The College of Engineering has an international reputation for electrical and electronics research for energy and advanced semiconductor materials and devices.
Greenhouse gas emission and, consequently, global warming are threatening the global economy and world as we know it. A non-rational use of electrical energy largely contributes to these.
Sustainable energy generation and utilisation is a vital industry in today’s energy thirsty world. Energy generation and conversion, in the most efficient way possible, is the key to reducing carbon emissions. It is an essential element of novel energy power generation system and future transportation systems. The core of an energy conversion system is the power electronics converter which in one hand ensures the maximum power capture from any energy source and on another hand controls the power quality delivered to grid. Therefore the converter parameters such as efficiency, reliability and costs are directly affecting the performance of an energy system.
Transmission and distribution systems will encounter many challenges in the near future. Decentralisation of generation and storage systems has emerged as a promising solution. Consequently, in the near future, a power grid will no longer be a mono-directional energy flow system but a bi-directional one, requiring a much more complex management.
The MSc in Power Engineering and Sustainable Energy is modular in structure. Students must obtain a total of 180 credits to qualify for the degree. This is made up of 120 credits in the taught element (Part One) and a project (Part Two) that is worth 60 credits and culminates in a written dissertation. Power Engineering and Sustainable Energy students must successfully complete Part One before being allowed to progress to Part Two.
Part-time Delivery mode
The part-time scheme is a version of the full-time equivalent MSc in Power Engineering and Sustainable Energy scheme, and as such it means lectures are spread right across each week and you may have lectures across every day. Due to this timetabling format, the College advises that the scheme is likely to suit individuals who are looking to combine this with other commitments (typically family/caring) and who are looking for a less than full-time study option.
Those candidates seeking to combine the part-time option with full-time work are unlikely to find the timetable suitable, unless their job is extremely flexible and local to the Bay Campus.
Modules on the MSc Power Engineering and Sustainable Energy course can vary each year but you could expect to study:
Advanced Power Electronics and Drives
Power Semiconductor Devices
Advanced Power Systems
Energy and Power Engineering Laboratory
Power Generation Systems
Modern Control Systems
Wide Band-Gap Electronics
Environmental Analysis and Legislation
Communication Skills for Research Engineers
Optimisation
The new home of MSc in Power Engineering and Sustainable Energy is at the innovative Bay Campus provides some of the best university facilities in the UK, in an outstanding location.
Engineering at Swansea University has extensive IT facilities and provides extensive software licenses and packages to support teaching. In addition the University provides open access IT resources.
Our new WOLFSON Foundation funded Power Electronics and Power System (PEPS) laboratory well-appointed with the state-of the-art equipment supports student research projects.
Employment in growing renewable energy sector, power electronic and semiconductor sector, electric/hybrid vehicle industry.
The MSc Power Engineering and Sustainable Energy is for graduates who may want to extend their technical knowledge and for professional applicants be provided with fast-track career development. This MSc addresses the skills shortage within the power electronics for renewable energy sector.
BT, Siemens, Plessey, GE Lighting, Schlumberger, Cogsys, Morganite, Newbridge Networks, Alstom, City Technology, BNR Europe, Philips, SWALEC, DERA, BTG, X-Fab, ZETEX Diodes, IQE, IBM, TSMC, IR, Toyota, Hitachi.
As a student on the MSc Power Engineering and Sustainable Energy course, you will learn about numerical simulation techniques and have the opportunity to visit electronics industries with links to Swansea.
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 ranks Engineering at Swansea as 10th in the UK for the combined score in research quality across the Engineering disciplines.
The REF assesses the quality of research in the UK Higher Education sector, assuring us of the standards we strive for.
World-Leading Research
The REF shows that 94% of research produced by our academic staff is of World-Leading (4*) or Internationally Excellent (3*) quality. This has increased from 73% in the 2008 RAE.
Research pioneered at the College of Engineering harnesses the expertise of academic staff within the department. This ground-breaking multidisciplinary research informs our world-class teaching with several of our staff leaders in their fields.
With recent academic appointments strengthening electronics research at the College, the Electronic Systems Design Centre (ESDC) has been re-launched to support these activities.
The Centre aims to represent all major electronics research within the College and to promote the Electrical and Electronics Engineering degree.
Best known for its research in ground-breaking Power IC technology, the key technology for more energy efficient electronics, the Centre is also a world leader in semiconductor device modelling, FEM and compact modelling.
The deployment of power electronic converters and electrical machines continues to grow at a rapid rate in sectors such as hybrid and all-electric vehicles, aerospace, renewables and advanced industrial automation.
In many of these applications, high performance components are combined into sophisticated motion control and energy management systems. This course will give you a rigorous and in-depth knowledge of the key component technologies and their integration into advanced systems.
Many go to work in industry as engineers for large national and international companies, including ARUP, Ericsson Communications, HSBC, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar Land Rover and Intel Asia Pacific.
This is a research environment. What we teach is based on the latest ideas. The work you do on your course is directly connected to real-world applications.
We work with government research laboratories, industrial companies and other prestigious universities. Significant funding from UK research councils, the European Union and industry means you have access to the best facilities.
You’ll be taught by academics who are leaders in their field. The 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) puts us among the UK top five for this subject. Our courses are centred around finding solutions to problems, in lectures, seminars, exercises and through project work.
All of our MSc courses are accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), except the MSc(Eng) Advanced Electrical Machines, Power Electronics and Drives and MSc(Eng) Bioengineering: Imaging and Sensing. We are seeking accreditation for these courses.
You’ll learn through research-led teaching, lectures, laboratories, seminars, tutorials and coursework exercises. Assessment is by examinations, coursework and a project dissertation with poster presentation.
This one-year programme is designed to equip graduates and professionals with a broad and robust training on modern power engineering technologies, with a strong focus on renewable energy conversion and smart grids. It is suitable for recent graduates who wish to develop the specialist knowledge and skills relevant to this industry and is also suitable as advanced study in preparation for research work in an academic or industrial environment.
In semesters 1 and 2, the programmes comprises a mixture of taught courses, workshops and a group design project, led by leading experts in the field, covering the key topics in power systems, electrical machines and power electronics. The final part of the programme is an individual dissertation, which provides a good opportunity for students to apply their acquired skills to real problems in electrical power engineering.
This one year programme at the University of Edinburgh will immerse the students in the most current developments in the area of Electrical Power Engineering, through a combination of taught modules, workshops, a research dissertation, and a range of supporting activities delivered by internationally leading experts in the field. The programme develops through the year from advanced fundamental topics and research tools and techniques in electrical power engineering, to specialist courses on emerging technologies and advanced numerical methods for power engineering problems, and culminates in the summer dissertation project where the acquired skills in various areas are put into practice in application to an actual power engineering problem.
Topics covered within the individual courses of the programme, include (but are not limited to):
In addition, our MSc students actively engage in research as part of their dissertation projects either within the Institute for Energy Systems or with industry, with some joining our PhD community afterwards.
This programme is delivered over 12 months, with two semesters of taught courses, followed by a research project leading to the submission of a Master’s Thesis.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Research Project
The above courses correspond to 120 credits of taught material, plus 60 credits of a research project.
The main objective of the programme is to train the next generation of electrical power engineers who:
Governments worldwide are putting in place plans to decarbonise and modernise their electricity sector. A transition to a green economy will require a highly skilled workforce led by electrical power engineers with a solid academic background, an appreciation of the trajectory of the industry and an understanding of the challenges and implications brought about by the introduction of new power technologies.
According to the Institution for Engineering & Technology (IET): “The business of managing and distributing power in the UK is beginning to undergo revolutionary changes and [power] engineers are the people who will play a pivotal role in keeping the lights on”. This also holds true in many other developed and developing countries in the world.
Power engineers are employed in public/governmental organisations as well as in the private sector and cover areas spanning from generation, to conversion and transmission of electrical power, design and manufacturing of power components and systems, and energy policy and commerce. In the UK, experienced, chartered power engineers can earn around £45,000 a year on average*.
The programme will run in a close association with other activities within the broader Electrical Engineering programme within the School, including networking events, industrial presentations and seminars. It will benefit from the current strong connections with industry (coordinated by the Student Industry Liaison Manager, and existing research associations and consortia (such as the EPSRC Centre for Energy Systems Integration).
Gaining essential knowledge and skills in designing, managing, controlling and analysing the 21st century electric grid, you will bridge the gap that the Electrical Power industry is facing. As an Electrical Power Engineer you will play a vital role in the development of a sustainable energy market. Your role will enable the merger of new technologies and the integration of renewable sources in the industry.
The MSc Electrical Power Engineering offers very exciting opportunities to understand the real challenges in future power networks and to develop innovative solutions.
GCU’s School of Engineering and Built Environment has almost 3 decades worth of graduates in the Electrical and Electronic Engineering field and this new Masters has been developed with UK-SPEC/IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) to develop motivated and critical thinkers for the industry.
Students on the MSc Electrical Power Engineering programme are encouraged to join the IET and the Energy Institute (EI) and to participate in the activities which are frequently hosted by GCU. Involvement in the activities of the engineering institutions is an important aspect of career development for you as a student engineer, especially from the point of view of the eventual attainment of Chartered Engineer Status.
Through the world class research led activities you will undertake you will develop proficiency in:
Project Planning & Management
This module aims to develop in the student, the ability to select, develop and plan an MSc research project; to research and critically analyse the literature associated with the project; to present research findings effectively; and to be able to apply a competent process of thinking to all aspects of the project. In addition, the module aims to give the student an appreciation of the relationship between these skills and those associated with industrial project management.
Power Electronics and Drive Systems
This module examines Electro-magnetism and rare earth permanent magnets. It illustrates the applications of power electronic devices in addition to control and design of converter circuits and determination of filter technologies based on harmonic calculations. Characteristics of modern power electronic devices, driver circuits and protection. Also, it shows analysis and design of practical applications of electrical machines and power electronic systems.
Power System Operation & Protection
Critically analyse and assess technical requirements for power system operation, management and planning. It also develops a comprehensive view of power flow analysis, stability and protections. Appropriate modelling, analysis and design skills of AC power systems in steady state and in post-fault operation will be introduced.
Control Systems
This module aims to consolidate advanced classical and modern control design techniques encompassing the practical considerations in applying control design in an industrial environment. The appropriateness and difficulties encountered in applying various design techniques in practice is explored.
Energy Audit and Energy Asset Management
This module provides an understanding of the basic concepts and exposure to the relevant international standards in the areas of interests before it focuses the strategies and procedures of carrying out energy audit and asset management. The module will focus on life cycle management, including commissioning/decommissioning of equipment, techniques available for condition monitoring and statistical tools for remaining life and risk analysis.
Smart Grid & Sustainable Energy Systems
The module aims to introduce smart grids and renewable energy systems. It equips students with a detailed knowledge and problem solving skills of the engineering aspects of smart grids and the renewable generation of electricity.
Advanced AC and DC Transmission Systems
The module aims to equip the students with the knowledge and skills required for the design and analysis of hybrid modern AC/DC power systems. This module develops the students' understanding of FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission Systems), HVDC and other emerging power electronics applications for power systems and puts emphasis on the skills required to analyse and design such systems.
Condition Monitoring
This module aims to provide an understanding of both Mechanical and Electrical Condition monitoring and associated instrumentation requirements for successful condition monitoring. The application of standard and non-standard electrical condition monitoring systems to a range of electrical plant will be explained. The students learn to use condition monitoring tools and then to evaluate the data provided by them.
MSc Dissertation
The project acts as a vehicle for extending the knowledge and understanding of the student and the technical community in some specialist area. It serves to develop and extend a range of high-level 'thinking' skills, including analysing and synthesising skills and affords the opportunity for the student to demonstrate initiative and creativity in a major piece of technological work.
This programme is for graduate engineers wishing to work in the electrical power industry. It develops your knowledge of electrical power and energy systems, giving you a good understanding of the latest developments and techniques within the electrical power industry.
The programme is centred around three major themes:
There are three routes you can select from to gain a postgraduate Master’s award:
The one-year programme is a great option if you want to gain a traditional MSc qualification – you can find out more here. This two-year master’s degree with advanced practice enhances your qualification by adding to the one-year master’s programme an internship, research or study abroad experience.The MSc Electrical Power and Energy Systems (with Advanced Practice) offers you the chance to enhance your qualification by completing an internship, research or study abroad experience in addition to the content of the one-year MSc.
For the MSc with advanced practice, you complete 120 credits of taught modules, a 60-credit master’s research project and 60 credits of advanced practice.
Course structure
Core modules
Advanced Practice options
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
You learn through lectures, tutorials and practical sessions. Lectures provide the theoretical underpinning while practical sessions give you the opportunity to put theory into practice, applying your knowledge to specific problems.
Tutorials and seminars provide a context for interactive learning and allow you to explore relevant topics in depth. In addition to the taught sessions, you undertake a substantive MSc research project.
In addition to the taught sessions, you undertake a substantive MSc research project and the Advanced Practice module. This module enables you to experience and develop employability or research attributes and experiential learning opportunities in either an external workplace, internal research environment or by studying abroad. You also critically engage with either external stakeholders or internal academic staff, and reflect on your own personal development through your Advanced Practice experience.
How you are assessed
Assessment varies from module to module. It may include in-course assignments, design exercises, technical reports, presentations or formal examinations. For your MSc project you prepare a dissertation.
Your Advanced Practice module is assessed by an individual written reflective report (3,000 words) together with a study or workplace log, where appropriate, and through a poster presentation.
As an electrical power and energy systems engineer you can be involved in designing, constructing, commissioning and lifecycle maintenance of complex energy production, conversion and distribution systems.
Your work can include energy storage systems, management and efficient use of energy in building, manufacturing and processing systems. You can also be involved in work relating to the environmental and economic impact of energy usage.
Examples of the types of jobs you could be doing include:
