Overview
As concerns over climate change and energy independence grow, the drive towards reducing energy consumption through energy-efficient building is intensifying.
Brunel’s Building Services Engineering with Sustainable Energy MSc gives graduates interested environmentally responsible buildings the knowledge and skills to apply renewable and sustainable energy technologies to the design, construction and operations of interior environments.
As with our Building Services Engineering MSc, you'll get a solid grounding in the core subjects of heat transfer, energy conversion, acoustics, electrical services and lighting design as well as in the practicalities of building management, fire and smoke control, waste disposal and lifts and escalators.
On top of this, you’ll gain a thorough understanding of key sustainability issues such as renewable energy technologies, including its generation, storage and economic and environmental impacts, energy-efficient ventilation, and air conditioning.
We offer two study options. You can choose one-year full-time or three to five years via our distance learning programme.
This course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Energy Institute, which means your degree will put you on course to gain Chartered Engineer (CEng) status in the UK.
Throughout your studies you’ll have use of our state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and 24-hour access to industry-standard specialist software for engineering design at dedicated computer clusters on campus, so you’ll have the opportunity and equipment to explore ideas and tackle problems.
In an era where sustainable, low-to-zero emission buildings are a goal of the construction industry, demand for job candidates with the skills to design and manage energy-efficient building projects is on the rise. Your Brunel engineering master's will give you these and stand you in good stead for a range of rewarding jobs.
Enquiries
Contact our Enquiries team.
Course Enquiries: +44 (0)1895 265599 (before you submit an application)
Admissions Office: +44 (0)1895 265265 (after you submit an application)
Course content
The course aims to give graduates the technical and managerial training they need to pursue careers in business services engineering, with a focus on sustainable design.
Work for your business services engineering with sustainable energy degree consists of compulsory modules and a 15,000-word dissertation.
Compulsory modules
- Building Heat Transfer and Air Conditioning
- Electrical Services and Lighting Design
- Acoustics, Fire, Lifts and Drainage
- Energy Conversion Technologies
- Building Services Design and Management
- Renewable Energy Technologies
- Energy Efficient Ventilation for Buildings
- Dissertation
Read more about the structure of postgraduate degrees at Brunel
and what you will learn on the course.
Employability
Careers and your future
Our graduates work in building services and construction-related consultancies such as Hoare Lea, Arup, BuroHappold, AECOM, Cundall, BRE, ChapmanBDSP, Atkins, WSP Group, Faber Maunsell and Hilson Moran.
Other employers include county councils within their building management and environmental departments, EDF Energy, Skanska, Trend Control Systems and Honeywell Control Systems.
You can also progress to academic research.
At Brunel we provide many opportunities and experiences within your degree programme and beyond – work-based learning, professional support services, volunteering, mentoring, sports, arts, clubs, societies, and much, much more – and we encourage you to make the most of them, so that you can make the most of yourself.
» More about EmployabilityEntry criteria 2019/20
Entry to this programme requires all students who are not nationals of the European Economic Area (EEA) and have temporary immigration permission to remain in the UK to obtain an ATAS certificate. If you are made an offer to join this course and you are not an EEA national, you will be required to obtain an ATAS certificate as a condition of your offer.
Entry criteria are subject to review and change each academic year.
International and EU entry requirements
If your country or institution is not listed or if you are not sure whether your institution is eligible, please contact Admissions
This information is for guidance only by Brunel University London and by meeting the academic requirements does not guarantee entry for our courses as applications are assessed on case-by-case basis.
English language requirements
- IELTS: 6 (min 5.5 in all areas)
- Pearson: 51 (51 in all subscores)
- BrunELT: 60% (min 55% in all areas)
You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.
If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list. This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.
Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason.
We offer our own BrunELT English Test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options at the Brunel Language Centre.
Teaching and learning
Our staff have national and international reputations for their research, publications and applied work. Many carry out their research in the fields of solid and fluid mechanics and energy and environment, and in collaboration with leading industrial firms and governmental laboratories. This means that your education will be at the forefront of scholarship and practice, covering the most up-to-date industry knowledge.
Your course will consist of combinations of lectures, seminars, tutorials, laboratory and practical sessions, coursework and group work.
Distance learning students are supplied with a study pack of text books and CD-ROMs.
MSc dissertation projects are normally carried out over four months for full-time students or one year for distance-learning students.
Our Building Services Engineering courses have been awarded the Happold Brilliant Award for teaching excellence by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers.
Should you need any non-academic support during your time at Brunel, the Student Support and Welfare Team are here to help.
Modes of study
One-year full-time
The taught element of the course takes place from September to April. From May to September you’ll conduct an individual project and prepare your dissertation.
Three-to-five-years distance learning
The self-study distance learning programme enables you to conduct most of your studies at home, in your own time and at your own pace.
You have up to five years to complete the course, though the average is three years, with students taking four modules in the first year, four modules in the second year and writing their dissertation in the third year.
You should allow about twelve hours each week for study.
You can sit your examinations either at Brunel University or in the country where you are resident. We have an extensive network of organisations (universities, colleges and British Council offices) throughout the world that can provide invigilation services.
Assessment and feedback
Modules are assessed by combinations of formal examination and written assignments. Examinations are normally sat in May or June.
Successful completion of the taught modules allows you to proceed to the dissertation stage. To qualify for the award of the MSc degree, you must submit a satisfactory dissertation.
Read our guide on how to avoid plagiarism in your assessments at Brunel.
Fees and funding
Fees for 2019/20 entry
UK/EU students:
£9,100 full-time
International students:
£18,720 full-time
Some courses incur additional course related costs. You can also check our on-campus accommodation costs for more information on living expenses.
Distance learning students September 2019 and January 2020: £845 per 15 credit module, plus £3,380 for a 60 credit dissertation
Distance learning students January 2019: £815 per 15 credit module, plus £3,260 for a 60 credit dissertation
Read about funding opportunities available to postgraduate students.
UK/EU students can opt to pay in six equal monthly instalments: the first instalment is payable on enrolment and the remaining five by Direct Debit or credit/debit card.
Overseas students can opt to pay in two instalments: 60% on enrolment, and 40% in January for students who commence their course in September (or the remaining 40% in March for selected courses that start in January).