Master of Renewable Energy

Master degrees like those offered by RMIT are the ideal way to round off an existing education in engineering, physics or chemical sciences. They provide an exceptional degree of knowledge in important capacities, with the opportunity to undergo group projects, interactive seminars and workshops. Students can expect to take on units in topics like:

• Sustainable energy technologies
• Maximising energy efficiency
• Maximising energy sustainability
• Photovoltaic systems
• Sustainable thermal systems
• Biomass and solar fuels
• Wind and hydro power

These programs take two years of full time study to complete, or up to four years part time.

Employment options

The employment options touched on here are excellent choices. Consulting at companies like ITP Renewable Energy Consulting gives graduates the chance to employ their skills for the good of companies and government bodies around the country. They gain the chance to deliver reports, stress test and plot out energy storage solutions. Working as a renewable energy engineer is also a great use of time, as it allows graduates to work directly on the energy solutions of tomorrow. They can expect to build off and refine existing technologies in solar, geothermal, wind, tidal power and more.

Scholarships and funding

There are a variety of scholarship opportunities available, including:

• The Australian Institute of Energy Scholarship, which provides $3,000 to students of renewable energy with a proven interest in the sector. Applicants must demonstrate personal hardship or academic merit to be eligible.
• PRINT Scholarships from the Brazilian government are designed to promote the development of clean energy and water solutions, offering a total of $100 million in funding to students in these sectors for the next four years. Preference is given to the highest level degrees, although students from any postgraduate renewable energy program can enter so long as it has a strong research component.

Applicants who do not succeed for these are welcome to apply for the numerous general scholarships available across disciplines, which can be found here.

Prerequisites and selection process

These programs require students to have either completed a bachelor of engineering, or science in a relevant discipline. This can include:

• Physics
• Chemistry, provided it’s in the field of energy

Students may encounter a GPA requirement of a credit minimum (65%) for some courses, but this often isn’t the case.