Key information
MSc Energy and Economics is an innovative, postgraduate programme grounded in the cutting-edge, industry recognised, economic research carried out by Heriot-Watt University on behalf of the energy sector.
- Level
- Postgraduate Taught
- Delivery type
- Full Time, Part Time
- Degree qualification
- MSc
- Mode of delivery
- On-Campus
- Duration
- 1 year
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Start date
- September
Our MSc Energy and Economics provides you with a detailed overview of current energy issues, enabling you to apply core tools of economic analysis to the conversion and use of energy resources. You’ll learn from a cutting-edge and globally recognised syllabus, informed by the economic research carried out by Heriot-Watt University on behalf of the energy sector. You’ll develop a practical and theoretical grounding in technologies and wider knowledge and skills relevant to the energy, economics, and business sectors. The industry-relevant programme will set you up for a wide range of careers, including practising engineers, economic analysts, decision-making managers, and policy makers.
During the master’s programme, you’ll gain a broad yet details overview of energy resources conversion, the socio-economic and environmental impacts of energy-related activities and use the core tools of economic analysis, with applications to the energy sector. You’ll be introduced to current energy issues and specialist engineering and economics knowledge and skills to enable you to analyse, appraise, and design energy policy, systems, and equipment. You’ll develop a critical awareness of current issues in research and knowledge creation within specialist areas of the two disciplines, making you highly employable within the energy industry upon graduating.
The career-focused master’s programme will develop your professional and advanced communication skills. You’ll gain relevant knowledge and skills which will prepare you for a dynamic career as an energy consultant, or for a graduate job in energy economics across business, government regulation and environmental NGOs. You’ll have the opportunity to choose from optional courses to customise your learning and gain additional expertise in applied economics and finance. You’ll use your learned knowledge and skills to carry out an original research project at the forefront of knowledge on your chosen topic through your energy and economics dissertation.
You’ll benefit from the Economics department’s close links to industry-leading organisations, such as the World Bank and British Petroleum (BP), as well as wider links to the London Stock Exchange and Bloomberg. You’ll have access to several key industry figures, including Spender Dale, Chief Economist at BP, who delivers guest economics lectures.
Your student experience
Your learning will be informed by the expertise of our research-active economists and academics in the fields of energy, the environment and developing countries. You’ll benefit from their extensive real-world experience with business and global policymakers.
Our MSc Energy and Economics is directly informed by the research carried out by Heriot-Watt’s Centre for Energy Economics Research and Policy (CEERP). This ensures your studies remain cutting-edge and industry-focused.
You’ll benefit from our innovative approach when it comes to the promotion and communication of energy research activities. Our Energy Academy, a virtual learning centre used to connect all energy-related research across the university, gives you direct access to the latest research carried out across the university. Heriot-Watt has three dedicated energy research centres which study:
- Energy Generation, Conversion and Storage
- Intermittency of Supply, Storage and Control
- and Energy Policy and Strategy
Go Global
With Go Global, Heriot-Watt's global student programme, you can carry your studies to new places and experience new cultures, expanding your horizons on the way. You'll discover what it means to be a true global citizen and emerge prepared for wherever your career journey will take you.
Inter-Campus Transfer
Fees and funding
| Status | Full Time | Part Time |
|---|---|---|
| UK | £10,528 | £5,264 |
| International | £21,192 | £10,596 |
- Status: Your residency status is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the three years before the start of your course.
- International: 'International' includes applicants from European Union countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled status in UK. (This does not include students from the Republic of Ireland - see above).
Scholarships and bursaries
Postgraduate scholarships and bursaries
We aim to encourage well-qualified, ambitious students to study with us and we offer a wide variety of scholarships and bursaries to achieve this. Over £6 million worth of opportunities are available in fee and stipend scholarships, and more than 400 students benefit from this support.
Entry requirements
We have standard entry requirements for all of our courses that you will have to meet.
An honours degree (first or second class) or non-UK equivalent in a relevant subject such as Economics, Engineering, Mathematics, or an unrelated degree that demonstrates numerical ability.
Why Heriot-Watt
We're the top university in Scotland for graduate outcomes which means that more of our graduates are employed or in postgraduate education than any other institution in the country and we ranked 5th in the UK.
We're also rated number one in the UK for CEO or MD roles, meaning more of our graduates go on to become CEOs or MDs than any other university in the whole of the UK. On top of that, we have beautiful campuses, across the globe, so you'll get a truly international education. Our Edinburgh Campus is home to Oriam, Scotland's National Sports Performance Centre combined with plenty of wellbeing resources, prioritising fitness and mental health for all students. Our Global Research Institutes look at solving real world issues such as climate change and saving our oceans as well as working on the next medical technological breakthrough and the future of AI and robots.
Student life
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