Rise to the challenge of delivering an innovative, sustainable future.
It’s time for new thinking. Rapid environmental change has forced global industries and governments to consider different ways of doing things - from the way we build, to the way we power our machines and lifestyles.
Our new MSc in Sustainable Engineering will help you become a future leader and advocate for Net Zero.
You’ll explore the realities and possibilities of Sustainable Engineering, including the search for new energy sources, innovative material design and recycling, and how to meet upcoming global environmental targets.
You’ll learn on a course that’s been developed alongside industry, with practical projects and real-world challenges. You’ll gather insights from people and organisations at the forefront of the Green Industrial Revolution. And you also have the option to see how these solutions are delivered, with an optional year in industry.
To deliver a more sustainable future, we need people with skills, ideas and imagination. People who dream of better. People like you.
If you’re ready to start shaping a more sustainable future, you can also start our Sustainable Engineering MSc in January.
The following modules are what students will typically study, but this may change year to year in response to new developments and innovations.
The modules on this course are designed to help you develop well-rounded, critical and relevant skills in sustainable engineering. At the end of your course you will complete your Project and Dissertation. This is a culmination of all your progress throughout the course and is a fantastic example of your skills, knowledge and insight to show employers after you graduate.
Compulsory modules currently include the following
TBC
Power grid and energy storage technologies are critically essential to meet users’ demand for sustainable system as well as to provide cost effective security and quality supply.
In this module, you will be learning a comprehensive knowledge of advanced power grid technologies, focusing on modelling, analysis, operation, and storage integration. The module covers a wide aspect of electrical power systems, including generation, transmission, and distribution, with an emphasis on addressing contemporary challenges and implementing cutting-edge solutions. Essential concepts such as power flow and voltage control will be covered, alongside advanced topics like security-constrained optimal power flow, current & voltage protection, and the operation of power flow controllers. Additionally, concepts related to smart system issues will be studied through both software-based experiments and industrial tutorials.
Smart Energy Systems and renewable energy technologies are the study and application of new decarbonised clean energy technologies. This module provides an overview of the fundamental principles of and Smart Energy Systems and renewable energy technologies which are critical for achieving sustainable and decarbonized energy future. You will gain in-depth knowledge of various renewable sources, including solar photovoltaics, wind, hydropower, geothermal, bioenergy and emerging technologies as well as their integration into intelligent and optimised energy systems. Then you will study the design principles, components, and operation of smart energy systems, which integrate and intelligently control diverse energy assets, such as renewable generation, energy storage, heat networks, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, to optimise energy efficiency and deliver value to communities. You will also assess the technical, economic, environmental, and social aspects of these technologies throughout their lifecycle through exploration of the policy frameworks, regulatory environments and socio-economic factors.
Smart Energy Systems and renewable energy technologies forms the future sustainable energy exploration. Understanding these energy systems will foster critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and the capacity to propose innovative, interdisciplinary solutions that address the multifaceted challenges of transitioning towards a sustainable energy future.
With the increased complexity of sustainable engineering projects, engineers must be able to communicate project requirements, objectives and risks to all stakeholders effectively. To stay competitive, what are the essential project management skills for effective communication and leadership in engineering projects?
This module provides important aspects of project management in sustainable engineering including the project management techniques and tools used to effectively plan, organise, and control engineering projects, as well as efficient management methods revealed through practice and research. To assist you to build up essential knowledge and skills, a series of lectures are designed along with industrial tutorials. Most importantly, the module is equipped with practical group mini-projects, which facilitate you with hand-on experience to bring project management knowledge to practice.
Additionally, the module will also challenge you to solve problems that involve the critical consideration of engineering relevant legal, social, ethical and professional issues and enable you to develop and practice a professional approach to the delivery and appraisal of written and oral presentations.
By enabling real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision-making, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) enhances efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness across various industrial sectors. Additionally, IIoT facilitates the integration of advanced technologies such as sensing, connectivity, networking, and security, paving the way for smarter, more agile, and interconnected industrial systems.
In this module, you will have an in-depth exploration of IIoT, focusing on key aspects including sensing, connectivity, networking, security, and applications. The module covers the principles, technologies, and methodologies required to design, implement, and manage IIoT systems in industrial settings. Through a combination of theoretical lectures, practical workshops, case studies, and hands-on projects, students will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to deploy robust and secure IIoT solutions across various industrial domains.
Developing sustainable materials is crucial to realise a circular economy and achieve net-zero emissions. What are sustainable materials? Why do sustainable materials make sense economically and ecologically? How to build a sustainable and resilient future?
In this multidisciplinary module, you will learn general principles of material characterisation, identification and selection. You will have comprehensive understanding of sustainable materials and their applications in engineering. You will also learn sustainable design principles during the production life cycle and the methodologies to assess environmental and economic impacts. The state-of-the-art research and technologies and the future development trend in sustainable materials will be introduced with examples. Through a series of practical sessions, you will gain hands-on experience in applying engineering skills to resolve problems from industrial sectors. In the seminars and case studies, you will have the opportunity to identify sustainability challenges in engineering practices, explore innovative technologies and propose to engineering solutions to enhance sustainability in engineering applications.
This module will guide you through the different stages of working on an exciting sustainable engineering project. With sustainable systems becoming more crucial for creating a better environmental and societal future, you’ll have the opportunity to conceptualise, design, develop, and test your own sustainable system capable of solving the identified challenges. In this module, you will explore and critically evaluate state-of-the-art literature, identify relevant research methodologies to advance topics in sustainable engineering, carry out independent investigations, and make an impact in the research community. You’ll be empowered to explore different techniques and skills learned throughout your degree programme and apply them in the technical domain identified for your master’s project. Finally, you will reflect on your project journey and demonstrate achieved learning outcomes through oral presentations and a written dissertation.
To assist you in building the necessary knowledge and skills required in developing an advanced sustainable engineering project, you will be provided with a series of lectures and seminars. World-leading experts in the field will support you along the way by providing supervision and monitoring of your weekly activities.
2.2 or above in an acceptable subject
A 2.2 honours degree or above, or equivalent in subject related to engineering, physics, computing or mathematics.
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
The 2026/27 annual tuition fees for this course are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Tuition fees may be increased in the second and subsequent years of your course. Detailed information on possible future increases in tuition fees is contained in the Tuition Fees Increase Policy.
The 2026/27 annual tuition fees for UK postgraduate research courses have not yet been set by the Research Councils UK. This is ordinarily announced in March. As a guide only, the full-time tuition fee for new and returning UK postgraduate research courses for 2025/26 is £5,006.
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
You'll need regular access to a desktop computer/laptop with an internet connection to use the University of Kent’s online resources and systems. We've listed some guidelines for the technology and software you'll need for your studies.
Find out more about student accommodation and living costs, as well as general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:
Making an impact
Companies all over the world are looking for graduates who can deliver innovative sustainable solutions, using technical skills, data analysis and project management.
Students who graduate from this MSc will be able to apply for a variety of roles, including:
Sustainability engineer
Renewable energy consultant
Environmental analyst
Research scientist
IoT specialist
Project manager
Graduate earnings grow by
A degree can boost average lifetime earnings by over
Learn more about the application process or begin your application by clicking on a link below.
You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.
