Overview
NEW FOR 2024: A pioneering course designed and delivered with a passionate commitment to achieving net-zero.
Taught within Brunel’s young and vibrant chemical engineering department, this new master’s programme is the first of its kind in the UK. The course’s pioneering approach is rooted in its collaboration with four other departments within the university - mechanical and aerospace engineering, civil engineering, environmental science and social and political sciences - giving you a holistic view of low carbon technology and the issues that surround it.
You will be taught by a team of world-leading academics with extensive experience and diverse backgrounds in low carbon technologies, who deliver research-informed teaching across topics such as hydrogen production, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), biorefineries and fuel cells. You will benefit from the programme’s blended approach to teaching, which includes interactive modes, traditional lectures and tutorial-style learning, along with an active learning approach through extensive discussion.
A clear benefit of the programme’s interdisciplinary approach is that while you acquire the ground-breaking science expertise you’ll also have the opportunity to select employability-boosting modules, focusing for example on project management, environmental legislation and climate politics. The compulsory modules will give you industry-relevant problem solving and transferable skills through holistic assessments, including assignments, written exams, oral presentations, and report writing.
Brunel is recognised for its sector-leading chemical engineering facilities on campus, from where you will undertake practical project work comprising both computational modelling and laboratory experiments. This will not only enhance your employability on graduation, but also offer you a unique and exciting perspective on a range of modern technologies, and their potential to achieve sustainable resource management with minimal environmental impact.
At the end of their final year, engineering and maths students are invited to showcase their project work at Brunel Engineers +, an event that both celebrates their achievements and gives them the chance to network with industry figures and employers. This video shows some of the projects exhibited at the 2024 Brunel Engineers + event, with explanations by the students themselves.
You can explore our campus and facilities for yourself by taking our virtual tour.
Course content
Compulsory
- Process Engineering Principles
The aim of this module is to provide students with the principles of chemical and process engineering to allow them to fully understand the core unit operations required in the design of low carbon technologies. In order to achieve this, the laws of thermodynamics and their application to chemical processes, and the principles of mass and energy balance calculations will be covered. The demonstration and application of chemical engineering software suites will also be included in this module
- Process Design and Safety
The aim of this module is for students to enhance their understanding of various elements, assumptions and considerations involved in designing chemical processes and low carbon technologies. This advanced knowledge will enable them to create detailed designs, to analyse and to synthesise chemical processes and low carbon technologies including techno-economic, environmental and societal impacts. This will be further supported by learning process safety concepts and by applying appropriate techniques in safe process designs. The students will acquire and apply engineering management skills such as project management, reflective practices, critical thinking, decision-making and conflict resolution skills, while solving complex engineering problems.
- Advanced Process EngineeringThis module aims to deliver advanced knowledge and skills in process engineering design, advanced particulate process technologies and advanced reactor design. It will enable students to properly select various separation processes in diverse industrial applications and designs.
- Engineering Fundamentals for Hydrogen Economy
This module aims to develop knowledge, understanding and skills for hydrogen economy, including hydrogen production, distribution and storage, as well as the design and analysis of safety critical infrastructure in hydrogen economy. The module's aims are:
- To introduce and enhance the student’s perception on current hydrogen production, storage and distribution systems
- To introduce students to the principles of hydrogen as an energy carrier and its environmental impact
- To analyse safety of the infrastructure used for storage and distribution of hydrogen, including the hydrogen – material systems interaction, such as hydrogen embrittlement, corrosion and hydrogen induced cracking.
- Emerging Low Carbon TechnologiesThis module ties closely with global environmental challenges and focuses on process intensification, which is a sustainable disruptive step change process at the core of modern Chemical and Biochemical Engineering thinking. The low carbon emerging technologies tackle and reduce capital, power and footprint through integration with advanced separation apparatus, manufacturing and thermodynamic cycles.
- Research Dissertation
The aim of this module is to give students the opportunity to develop independent and proactive learning, decision-making skills, and the ability to identify research needs in emerging areas. The open-ended nature of the research project related to low carbon technologies facilitates the development of critical thinking and problem-solving capacities.The aim of this module is to provide students the opportunity to develop independent and proactive learning, decision-making skills, and the ability to identify research needs in emerging areas. The open-ended nature of the research project related to low carbon technologies facilitates the development of critical thinking and problem-solving capacities.
- Innovation ToolboxThe aim of this module will be to consider the principles of leadership, strategic management and business culture in the management of chemical engineering projects and to develop understanding of how research drives innovation in a business context.
Optional
- Environmental Management and LegislationThis module enables students to understand the key management principles necessary for the successful implementation of sound environmental management practice, to understand the environmental, methodological and technological and legislative issues in environmental management, and to understand the main environmental legislation and policy at the level of the European Union as well as internationally.
- The Politics of Climate Change
The principal aim of this module is to enable students to attain a comprehensive understanding of key concepts and theories in the politics and political economy of climate change. It will provide students with resources to assist them in making informed judgements on a range of questions and debates.
- Project Management
This module will develop deeper understanding of the roles of various engineering professionals involved in engineering and construction project delivery, deeper understanding of management science as applied to engineering and infrastructure projects, and wider appreciation of the role of the Engineer in society and in sustainable project development.
- Sustainable and Environmental EngineeringThe main aim of this module is to provide the students with advanced knowledge and understanding of the grand challenges and key principles in energy, water and food sustainability. The module will cover energy and economics of technology aspects and skills needed to analyse sustainable energy systems.
This course can be studied undefined undefined, starting in undefined.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Read more about the structure of postgraduate degrees at Brunel
Careers and your future
This MSc programme has been developed to address the skills gap in the workforce needed to decarbonise industries in response to the growing energy demand and to achieve the net-zero target. Our MSc graduates will possess a comprehensive understanding of emerging low-carbon technologies and interdisciplinary knowledge in environmental sustainability, climate change politics, and project management. Equipped with these skills, they will be able to tackle global challenges such as meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals and addressing climate change.
Graduates will be proficient in sustainable industrial system design, enabling them to take up vital technical, managerial, and advisory roles in engineering and consultancy firms, think tanks, and governmental organisations. They will play a key role in industrial decarbonisation, facilitating the transition from a fossil-based economy to a cleaner economy across sectors including energy, transportation, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, waste management and recycling, among others.
UK entry requirements
2024/5 entry
2:2 or above in Chemical and Process Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Physics, Chemistry
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.
Applicants who will need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) Certificate: find out if you will need an ATAS certificate, by visiting this webpage: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/find-out-if-you-require-an-atas-certificate#when-you-need-an-atas-certificate.
The deadline for Admissions to make offers to applicants who will require an ATAS certificate is 5th August 2024. If you are an ATAS requiring applicant, you will need to apply for the 2025/6 intake as there is no longer enough time to obtain an ATAS certificate for September 2024 intake.
EU and International entry requirements
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.
English language requirements
- IELTS: 6 (min 5.5 in all areas)
- Pearson: 59 (59 in all sub scores)
- BrunELT: 58% (min 55% in all areas)
- TOEFL: 77 (min R18, L17, S20, W17)
You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.
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 through our Brunel Language Centre.
Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.
Fees and funding
2025/26 entry
UK
£14,435 full-time
International
£26,250 full-time
More information on any additional course-related costs.
Fees quoted are per year and are subject to an annual increase.
See our fees and funding page for full details of postgraduate scholarships available to Brunel applicants.
Scholarships and bursaries
Teaching and learning
This MSc programme offers significant flexibility for interdisciplinary learning, allowing students to engage with core chemical and process engineering subjects and select elective modules from various departments. Interactive learning modes are emphasised, combining traditional lectures with tutorial-style sessions and fostering active learning through extensive discussions.
Students will have the opportunity to work on design projects focusing on emerging low-carbon technologies, adopting a systems approach that considers economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Additionally, the programme provides exciting cutting-edge research projects encompassing both computational modelling and laboratory experiments, offering students insight into modern technologies and their potential for sustainable resource management and minimising environmental impact in the near future.
Assessment and feedback
Assessment of all learning outcomes is achieved through a balanced combination of coursework, projects, and examinations. Assignments, design projects, and research projects provide students with opportunities to apply their knowledge to real-world situations. Holistic assessments are conducted through a variety of summative and formative methods, including group and individual assignments, written exams, oral presentations, and report writing.
Read our guide on how to avoid plagiarism in your assessments at Brunel.
