Engineering - Marine Renewable Energy (MEngSc)

Course details

The programme covers a range of engineering and non-engineering topics relevant to the marine renewable energy industry, which is expected to grow rapidly in the coming decade. This will lead to a requirement for engineers with good knowledge of engineering fundamentals as well as detailed knowledge of how wind, wave and tidal devices will be designed, deployed and operated. A key aspect of the programme is the provision of specially-developed advanced modules in marine renewable energy which are not available in any other master’s course.  This is an all-Ireland programme, hosted by UCC, delivered in partnership with the following academic institutions: Cork Institute of Technology, Dublin Institute of Technology, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Queen’s University Belfast, University College Dublin and the University of Limerick.

Course Details

Students take 90 credits as follows:

In Part I students must take the five core modules (unless these or equivalent courses have already been taken), to a total of 25 credits. Students also choose electives from the list below, or may, with the approval of the Programme Director, choose other modules from the University’s Calendar.

NB: For the purposes of this programme it has been agreed that all non-UCC modules are treated as either 5 or 10 credits.

Part II consists of a Marine Renewable Energy Research Project (NE6020), to the value of 30 credits, completed over the summer months, either in industry or in an academic research laboratory in one of the partner institutions. Projects are offered subject to availability of suitable proposals from industry, and will be offered to students based on order of merit of results achieved in Part I. Students are also encouraged to make efforts to secure their own placement from suitable industrial hosts, outside of the list provided.

In every case, the final choice of modules is subject to the approval of the Programme Director of the MEngSc (Marine Renewable Energy). Students may take a maximum total of 15 credits only of undergraduate modules on this programme.

Part I

Core Modules

• CE4020 Environmental Hydrodynamics (5 credits; UCC)
• NE6003 Wind Energy (5 credits; UCC)
• NE6005 Ocean Energy (5 credits; UCC)
• NE6010 Advanced Topics in Marine Renewable Energy (5 credits; All institutions)
• NE6906 Tidal Energy (5 credits; QUB; 1-week block)

Elective Modules

Students select modules to the value of 35 credits from the following list, (or from elsewhere in the UCC Calendar, subject to approval):

• AC6301 Innovation Finance (5 credits) (UCC)
• NE3003 Sustainable Energy (5 credits; UCC)
• CE4013 Harbour & Coastal Engineering (5 credits; UCC)
• CE6024 Finite Element Analysis (5 credits; UCC)
• EE4001 Power Electronics, Drives & Energy Conversion (5 credits; UCC)
• EE4010 Electrical Power Systems (5 credits; UCC)
• EV4012 Environmental Impact Assessments (5 credits) (UCC)
• GL6007 Practical Offshore Geological Exploration (5 credits; offered subject to availability of survey vessel time) (UCC)
• IS6306 Technology Business Planning (5 credits) (UCC)
• LW6104 Intellectual Property Law for High-Tech Entrepreneurs (5 credits) (UCC)
• NE6007 Energy Systems Modelling (5 credits; UCC)
• NE6901 Control Systems (5 credits; NUIM - EE612)
• NE6902 Maintenance & Reliability (5 credits; CIT - MANU8003)

Part II

• NE6020 Marine Renewable Energy Research Project (30 credits; All institutions; Summer)

Course Practicalities

You will be studying a range of engineering and non-engineering topics relevant to a career in the marine renewable energy industry. 

The programme will include modules in engineering topics such as Wind Energy, Wave Energy, Tidal Energy, Ocean-Structure Interactions; Ocean Energy Device Design; Control Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Grid Integration and Storage; Marine Operations & Robotics.

The course content will be delivered via blended learning, with some modules presented in traditional lecture format, and some modules delivered remotely using e-learning technologies. All modules will have a significant element of continuous assessment throughout the year. The Tidal Energy module is delivered during a one-week field visit to the Portaferry research laboratory of Queen’s University Belfast.

A significant element of the programme is a R&D project carried out in conjunction with either an industry partner or an academic research group, with the final three months spent working on the project on placement with the partner.

Non-engineering topics available include Intellectual Property Law; Innovation Finance; Environmental Impact Assessment; Practical Offshore Geological Exploration.