Engineering (Renewable Energy) MEng (Hons)

Durham University

The MEng Renewable Energy degree is a four-year first degree that delivers the breadth and depth that you will need in the world of engineering. It is designed to produce graduates who will go on and lead engineering teams. Your first two years offer you a broad-based engineering education. You then specialise into Renewable Energy in your third and fourth years. It is important to highlight that you can transfer between the different Engineering programmes that we offer (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronic, etc.) up until the end of the second year, provided that you meet the relevant progression requirements. We believe that students should make an informed decision about their futures and allowing our students to transfer between programmes, once they understand the different disciplines, demonstrates our commitment to this and the Department’s General Engineering philosophy.

In the first three years of your degree at Durham you will take six modules, the year is divided into three terms and there are examinations at the end of each year. The taught modules in the final year are smaller to reflect their specialist content – you will take six of these modules plus a dissertation, or final year, project.

Year 1 You will study four modules in engineering, one in mathematics and one optional module. In your engineering modules, you will receive instruction in the use of 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) software (e.g. SolidWorks), be taught how to implement engineering algorithms into computer code (specifically in C and MATLAB) and take part in a number of practical labs. You will also take part in a group design activity where you have to design, build and test a device to solve specific engineering challenge. Recent examples include miniature hydroelectric generators and chain-climbing robots. On the course, you also attend lectures, problem classes and supervisions with academic staff.

Year 2 Engineering and mathematics now occupy the full six modules in the timetable.

You will undertake a major design project as part of a small team with guidance from an academic supervisor and an ‘Industrial Tutor’ (an engineer from industry). This lets you put into practice the skills and knowledge that you have developed in your lectures. The end result is a detailed design report and a series of CAD drawings good enough to manufacture a device from.

Year 3 At this point in the degree you will specialise into Renewable Energy.

You will take five taught modules covering important aspects of Renewable Energy. The sixth module is a major team design project, where you consider your design challenge as a product and do everything from basic market research to design for manufacture. These design projects span our different third year specialisms so you will be working with students from other engineering disciplines – much like you will do when working as a graduate engineer. Practical skills, in addition to the weekly laboratory sessions, cover topics from such as industrial problem solving with interaction with local industry.

Year 4 The highlight of the degree for many of our students is the final year project. This activity, which is half the year in most streams, involves working closely with an academic supervisor on an area of cutting-edge research and development. The best student projects have been featured in internationally recognised engineering journals, indicating that our students are amongst the finest young engineers in the world. In addition to this, you will take modules on advanced Renewable Energy topics and be able to choose from some optional modules.