Study
Queen Mary University London
Queen Mary offers a three year BEng and four year MEng degree in Environmental Materials Technology. Both are accredited by the Engineering Council through the Institute of Materials. Environmental material engineers are taught about all aspects of materials at different stages of their life time. These stages include: synthesis, production, use, recycling and final disposal phase. As such, they will study materials from the 'cradle-to-grave'. Students will explore some of the critical guidelines and strategies that can be used to improve the environmental and commercial performance of products. They will learn to deal with the complex interaction between a product and the environment through the use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods, where the environmental impact of all the inputs and outputs at the different stages during the life cycle of a product are taken into account.
The Environmental Materials degree also provides a thorough grounding in the physical and chemical structure of materials, the properties of materials, manufacturing processes, design, business studies and management. It covers all materials: metallic, ceramic, polymers, composites and functional materials. This challenging new subject requires a multi-disciplinary approach to understand both the science and engineering aspects of modern materials, their use in real applications together with role in the environment. The environmental materials engineering course covers the core subject of materials science:
- Structure and properties of materials
- Manufacturing processes & design
- Business studies & management
Together with specialised topics like
- Environmental management & economics
- Environmental politics & law
- Clean processing
- Recycling
- Ecodesign & LCA
The MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems is an interdisciplinary degree in which addresses scientific, engineering and technical aspects of ongoing global concerns on the availability of energy sources, sustainability of these sources through exploitation of new technologies or preservation of existing sources, and environmental concerns. The impetus for students to specialise in this area stems from the large projected increases in global population and energy demand, led by those in developing and emerging economies, and is underscored by the need for new workable global supplies of affordable sustainable energy.
The MSc programme in Sustainable Energy Systems at Queen Mary is led by a team of internationally renowned academics, in close collaboration with industry. The expertise provided covers a wide range of topics including fundamentals of thermodynamics and energy conversion, and energy-conversion technologies, devices and powerplants for contemporary and future use (these include contemporary conventional powerplants, combined heat and power, as well as solar, wind, tidal, hydroelectric, other renewable energy sources, fuel cells, the generation and use of renewable fuels and renewable energy carriers, and novel conversion devices and fuels). The aim of the MSc programme in Sustainable Energy Systems is to allow students with engineering, sciences or mathematics background to gain advanced, yet broad knowledge in energy systems, while encouraging specialisation through a research project, and flexibility in the course programme.
University of East London
The MSc in Renewable Energy and the Built Environment examines the theory and practice of renewable energy technologies with special reference to the built environment. It ranges from the political, economic and social background of energy issues, including global examination of energy provision and consumption and climate change to local environmental considerations. The theory and practice of renewable energies are examined through both practical work and the lecture programme enabling students to critically analyse the benefits and drawbacks of renewable energy systems.
This programme, which concentrates on a wide range of current Environmental and Renewable Energy issues, is run by the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), Europe's leading Eco centre, in the Graduate School of the Environment and validated for full MSc status by the University of East London, with students being registered at UEL for the duration of their studies. The programme offers a unique combination of design, evaluation and practical experience that will equip students with skills that are becoming increasingly sought after in all areas of professional practice. Throughout the programme, students are made aware of the relationship between the supply of renewable energy and the demand made by buildings.
University of Greenwich
Geography, Environmental Science and Sustainability
The University of Greenwich offers a suite of undergraduate degree programmes that are interdisciplinary in nature and allow students to explore how the environment works, the state of the environment, how we might prevent continued environmental deterioration in the future, and the opportunities that sustainable practices create.
While maintaining a holistic perspective, the suite of degree programmes allow students to focus on social, natural or physical sciences.
Environmental Science Programme List
Undergraduate Programmes
- Ecology and Global Change Management, BSc Hons
- Environmental Science, BSc Hons
- Geography, BA Hons
- Geography, BSc Hons
- Sustainable Development, BSc
Postgraduate Programmes
- Environmental and Earth Sciences - Research, MPhil/PhD
- Environmental Conservation, MSc
- Environmental Sciences, MSc by Research
- Geographical Information Systems with Remote Sensing, MSc/PGDip
- Remote Sensing with Geographical Information Systems, MSc/PGDip
- Science (Open), MSc
- Science, MSc by Research
- Sustainable Futures, PGDip/MSc
Goldsmiths
The MA in Design Futures aims to broaden and deepen the understanding of design practice in its full context, introducing deep ethical and ecological perspectives into the design agenda. Students are encouraged to challenge the existing boundaries and purposes of design as both a professional discipline and creative practice.
In this sense, the programme offers a ‘metadesign' approach that helps to question design as we currently know it, reconcile creative aspirations with responsibilities as a designer, situate design thinking and practice within a multicultural and interdisciplinary discourse, develop a theoretical framework, and acquire a working design knowledge to develop and articulate subtle ideas to relevant stakeholders.
The programme highlights a range of shared issues that are intended to act as thematic ‘filters' through which individuals can explore concerns. The following four seminar themes correspond to four 5,000 word design proposals required for assessment: Ethics and the Environment; Knowledge and Communication; Society and the Individual; Culture, Technology and Change.
The MA in Design and Environment addresses the intersection of design and environmental issues from the perspectives of both theory and practice based study. In distinction to other programmes in the area, the programme undertakes an intensive inquiry into environmental discourses and practices, and maintains that such an inquiry enables creative projects that would not be possible in other contexts. In this sense, the MA establishes a critical-creative setting which challenges existing theory and practice and explores ways to expand research and practice.
The MA is transdisciplinary in focus, and offers the opportunity to develop a specific design practice or area of research at Master's level in relation to environment topics. Students may have training in design, arts, architecture and landscape architecture. In addition, the programme offers a thesis pathway option, which may be suitable for applicants with training in cultural and social theory, environmental studies, and geography. Applicants will have had some exposure to the creative industries, arts and practice, whether as actual practitioners, curators or people from disciplines engaged with thinking and writing about practice-based fields.
Depending on their area of focus, graduates from the programme will also develop strong conceptual and critical design skills alongside a broad range of transferable skills in areas such as project management, creative facilitation, research methods, and also a working understanding of contemporary environmental topics in relation to creative practice.