Building Services Engineering - MSc

Beautiful architecture. Solid structure. What else do buildings need?

Try living in one without any heating, cooling, electrical power, lighting, water or drainage. What would it be like to work in a tower without lifts? How would you manage without telephones, an IT system or an internet connection? All of these systems and many more are designed by building services engineers. Building Service Engineers turn buildings from empty shells into spaces fit for people to use.

From the very start of the building design, Building Services Engineers are involved helping architects and other members of the design team to get the size, shape and configuration of the building right. They determine strategies for designing energy efficient buildings, making them sustainable in the long term. Buildings are responsible for a large chunk of carbon emissions so this work makes a critical contribution to reducing a building's impact on climate change.

Of all the disciplines working in the built environment today, the building services engineer has the broadest reach and the deepest impact, affecting virtually every aspect of building design. In short, they make buildings work.

This Masters course provides a broad basis of advanced understanding in the technological areas of building services and energy engineering, with particular emphasis on those areas that are relevant to the interaction between the built and natural environments, modern industry, and the analysis of developing technologies.

Modules

The course provides a practitioner perspective with which we analyse building energy requirements in terms of the external environment and internal space, and the effect on energy resources. We consider the principles and analyse associated building engineering systems to understand control, simulation and modelling techniques.

As well as the core engineering skills, appropriate areas of management and research methods are studied to provide a balance foundation for the specialist units. The MSc dissertation provides an opportunity to develop further research skills by application to problems that require in-depth and innovative thinking.

Modules taught on this course include:

Thermal environment, acoustics and lighting
Heating and energy in buildings
Energy resource and use analysis
Electrical power
Sustainable refrigeration
Ventilation and air conditioning
Energy engineering project

Timetable

Full-time timetable: 2 days per week
Part-time day release timetable: 1 day per week

Accreditation

This course is accredited by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and the Energy Institute as masters further learning to meet the academic requirements of becoming a Chartered Engineer (with a suitable first degree). The course is accredited on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer.

Expertise

The course is based in what was formerly the National College for Heating Ventilation and Refrigeration Engineering as well as Centre for Energy Studies, and maintains extremely strong links with all areas of the associated industries. Many of the leaders in energy and building services engineering fields are former LSBU students, lending much support in guidance and industrial collaboration, placement and employment.

Employability

Employment prospects are excellent. Construction and engineering activity is expected to accelerate in the UK, Europe and worldwide over the next 20 years and demand for building services engineers continues to outstrip supply.

LSBU Employability Services

LSBU is committed to supporting you develop your employability and succeed in getting a job after you have graduated. Your qualification will certainly help, but in a competitive market you also need to work on your employability, and on your career search. Our Employability Service will support you in developing your skills, finding a job, interview techniques, work experience or an internship, and will help you assess what you need to do to get the job you want at the end of your course. LSBU offers a comprehensive Employability Service, with a range of initiatives to complement your studies, including:

• Direct engagement from employers who come in to interview and talk to students
• Job Shop and on-campus recruitment agencies to help your job search
• Mentoring and work shadowing schemes.