Start with a short course
Our online short courses provide an alternative entry route to this online Masters degree if:
- you want to get your postgraduate studies started without committing to a full Masters
- you’ve missed the deadline to apply for the degree.
How it works
- Complete 30 credits’ worth of short courses that are part of this online Masters.
- Then apply to transfer to the online Masters in August.
By earning 30 credits successfully, you’ll have proved you’re capable of learning at this level. You’ll then be eligible to apply to transfer to the online Masters.
Degree transfers take place once a year, in August only.
Buy
Purchase and complete at least 30 credits’ worth of short courses that are part of this online Masters degree.
Apply
We’ll contact you during your studies to help you apply to transfer to the online Masters in August.
Transfer
Provided the programme coordinator is happy with your performance, and you meet our English language requirements, we can transfer you in August.
Get started on the short course route
To start on the entry path to this online MSc, complete at least 30 credits’ worth of the following recommended courses.
All are core courses for online MSc Renewable Energy Engineering.
These courses are delivered at MSc level. At this level of teaching, you should have:
- a 2:1 (upper-second) UK honours degree (or equivalent) in any branch of Engineering, Physics, Maths or Chemistry, or
- a 2:2 (lower-second) UK honours degree (or equivalent) in any branch of Engineering, Physics, Maths or Chemistry and at least two years’ relevant experience.
Courses starting on 18 September 2023
Energy from Biomass (15 credits)
Learn about the technologies involved in converting wood, crops, plants and organic waste to usable energy.
Buy Energy from Biomass
Geothermal and Hydro Energy (15 credits)
Study the physical principles, technologies and systems associated with geothermal and hydro energy.
Buy Geothermal and Hydro EnergyCourses starting on 22 January 2024
Energy Conversion and Storage (15 credits)
Learn how we can store and deliver renewable energy efficiently to meet the needs of communities and businesses.
Buy Energy Conversion and Storage
Legislation, Economics and Safety (15 credits)
Study the legislation, economics and safety issues that impact how the renewable energy industry works.
Buy Legislation, Economics and SafetyPurchasing your courses
To join a course, apply via the course page and follow the application and checkout process.
Courses are available to purchase until one week after their start date, but we encourage you to purchase your courses as early as possible to ensure a smooth start to your studies.
Study at your own pace
We estimate that each 15-credit course is around 10 – 15 hours of study time per week.
If you’re planning to study part-time, especially if you’re studying around full-time work, we recommend taking a maximum of 30 credits per term.
You’re welcome to go at a slower pace and begin with one 15-credit course. But you cannot transfer to the degree until you have 30 credits from courses that are part of this online Masters.
Online Masters route not for you?
You do not have to transfer to the Masters degree. Our online short courses give you the flexibility to:
- study any short course standalone, earning credits with each one
- build your credits up to a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma instead
- continue course by course, at your own pace, with the option to transfer to the online Masters when you’re ready.
Frequently asked questions
Here are answers to the most common questions we receive about our short course routes.
If your question is not answered here, we’re here to help. Get in touch.
We recommend these specific courses for this entry route for two reasons:
- It allows for a smoother transition to the online degree, because these are the courses that students on the online Masters degree will also be studying. So you’ll have a cohort of online degree students studying alongside you. When you then transfer to the online degree, you’ll continue on with these same students, whom you’ve already met and worked with.
- It’s the recommended route set out by the degree coordinator.
But because our online degrees are flexible, you’re free to choose other courses as long as they are part of this online Masters.
Yes, absolutely.
Our online degrees are flexible. Each term, you can choose to take one or two 15-credit courses.
- 15 credits is around 10 – 15 study hours per week.
- 30 credits is around 20 – 30 study hours per week.
You can also take study breaks between terms, as long as you complete your qualification in time. You need to complete:
- a Masters degree within six years
- a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) within four years
- a Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) within two years.
You’ll be eligible to transfer to the online Masters when you:
- pass 30 credits’ worth of short courses from this Masters degree successfully
- receive your official passing grades for these courses, and
- meet this degree’s English language requirements if English is not your first language.
If you fulfil these requirements, you should be able to transfer. The programme coordinator makes the final decision on degree transfers.
You can transfer once a year, in August. We carry out transfers in August because:
- August is the start of the new academic year, and
- it gives you time to choose your courses ahead of teaching starting in September.
The transfer process takes place once a year, in August only.
The School will contact you during your studies to find out what your intentions are for the next term. It’s at this point you can apply to transfer in August. The School will support you through the transfer process.
If you’re taking the short course route, you do not need to apply for the Masters degree separately via our Applicant Portal. Instead, the School will fast-track you onto the online Masters, providing you meet the eligibility criteria.
If you fail your first attempt at a short course, you’ll be offered one chance to resit the course assessment.
If you fail this resit, you cannot take the course again.
We would then be able to advise you as to your options – you may still be able to qualify with a postgraduate qualification in a different specialism.
No. Once you’ve completed your entry-route short courses, you will not need to study them again when you transfer to the online Masters degree.
The credits you have completed will count towards the Masters degree.
Once you’ve transferred to the online Masters, you will not need to pay for the courses that you have already studied. Your online Masters fee will be adjusted to deduct the cost of the courses you have already paid for.
A pay-as-you-go degree
We never charge the full fee for an online Masters degree upfront. Instead, we charge for our degrees one term at a time, so you can spread the cost.
How pay-as-you-go works
Each term, you decide how many courses you’d like to take. Then you pay for these courses just before term starts. This gives you control over your degree fees and your workload, term by term.
Each 15-credit course is around 10 – 15 hours of study time per week.
This is an indicative guide to the time required for a typical student at this level to achieve the learning outcomes.
You’ll find more detailed and course-specific study hours on each of our online course pages.
Studying around work?
If you’re planning to study part-time, especially if you’re studying around full-time work, we recommend taking a maximum of 30 credits per term.
If you’ve already submitted an application for this degree, please:
- email our Postgraduate Admissions team with your applicant number and ask them to cancel your degree application
- then purchase and join your chosen short course(s).