The course is divided into three components, which students must pass independently:
1. Core programme (four modules)
The core programme, which consists of four modules that are taken by all students, focuses on developing a breadth of skills and understanding that complements the technical background of participants. The core is designed to provide both a conceptual, qualitative approach to understanding sustainability concepts, values and change processes and a quantitative approach that makes use of key tools in sustainability methods and metrics. (For more details see Core Modules.)
All students also participate in a number of residential field trips and site visits through the year (please see Notes).
2. Elective Programme and Management Component (equivalent to six modules in total)
Students choose four elective modules from a list of around 23 topics offered by the Centre for Sustainable Development, the Engineering Department and other Departments within the University. This allows individuals to tailor their studies to their own needs, providing the flexibility to add more technical depth or to explore wider areas in policy, management, and planning and assessment topics. This flexibility is a major strength of the programme. The electives available for selection change each year. (For more details see Electives and Management.)
3. Dissertation (equivalent to four modules)
The final component is undertaken between April and August when students complete an individual piece of research for their Master’s Dissertation. This can involve working with companies, government agencies, and other organisations and often produces work that is subsequently published in peer-reviewed technical journals. (For more details see Dissertation.)
- Both the course structure and the modules offered for the MPhil are subject to change year on year. This information is representative of the 2020-21 course structure, but some options may not be available in future years.
- The MPhil programme usually includes residential field trips to visit sites across the UK that demonstrate aspects of engineering sustainability and these additional activities are not an assessed component of the course. Whilst the Course Team will endeavour to arrange these (typically in October and March/April), such trips are dependent on the prevailing conditions and constraints at the time and therefore cannot be guaranteed to take place every year.
