"Building the energy transition is likely humanity's largest infrastructure challenge. It also is our opportunity to make energy clean and cheap!" Dr. Jannik Haas - Director of Renewable Energy Engineering Postgraduate Programmes.
"Studying Renewable Energy opens the door to many careers, like an energy analyst, policy advisor, solar or wind engineer, project manager, or sustainability officer."听Dr. Rebecca Peer - Deputy Director of Renewable Energy Engineering Postgraduate Programmes.
Worldwide, jobs in the renewable energy sector have grown from 7 million in 2012 to 14 million in 2022 () and are expected to grow further to 100 million by 2030 (). You can be part of this exciting change.
Become an expert in renewable energy by enrolling into our courses, Master or PhD programmes.听
UC is consistently ranked in the top 2% globally and top 50 in global impacts on Climate Action and Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG Rankings).
Your instructors are world leaders in designing future energy systems and technologies, reflected in over 50 million dollars of funding they have recently attracted.
Many of our students get the听. Check if you are eligible for this or other scholarships.
Our graduates get exciting jobs as policy advisors, transmission system operators, solar system designers, energy analysts, sustainability consultants, and more. Salaries from 95 000 to 110 000 NZD (Seek NZ).
Hike, bike, kayak, swim! Our students and staff love to explore the beaches, mountains, and rivers close to Christchurch, the second-largest city in New Zealand.
颁丑谤颈蝉迟肠丑耻谤肠丑听is among the top 100 Best Student Cities globally (QS, 2025) and has听outstanding biking infrastructure. It is and .
Find out more听about our courses, as well as the Master and PhD programmes in renewable energy engineering.
Renewable energy and sustainable technologies are part of most of UC's undergraduate engineering degrees. At Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, we offer the following courses, which you can choose as electives during your undergraduate studies:
You can also take courses from other engineering departments.
Help shape our future energy systems and policy by becoming a Master in the area of renewable energy.听This one-year programme is designed to be flexible to meet your needs.
The programme is鈥痙irected by the Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, which is consistently ranked in the top 50 globally (; ).
Many other engineering departments teach into the programme. Overall, the University of mini传媒听is consistently ranked in the top 2% globally (Rankings UC, 2024), and does particularly well (top 50 globally) in the Impacts Ranking related to Climate Action, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and听Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG Rankings UC, 2024).
Our students come from a wide range of engineering and science backgrounds and other areas like economics, energy, architecture, business and management, public policy, and international development.听
Our graduates get exciting jobs. For example, we have graduates working as policy advisors (e.g., Ministry for Foreign Affairs), transmission system operators (e.g., Transpower), solar system designers (e.g., Sunrun), energy analysts (e.g., Intelligent Energy Systems), or consultants (e.g., PSC Consulting).
The programme is officially called "Master of Engineering Studies endorsed in Renewable Energy". In other words, you will get a Master of Engineering specialised (endorsed) in Renewable Energy. "Studies" means it听is course-based and not research-based.
You need 8 courses to graduate. We offer many courses on renewable energy, such as:
Further electives inside and outside the Faculty of Engineering allow you to diversify your studies on energy systems, including courses from science, policy, psychology, economics, and others. Courses offered at UC can be searched鈥here.
Many of our students get the . Further scholarships can be found here. Check if you are eligible.
Postgraduate studies in renewable energy are a door opener.听 You could be looking at careers as an:
World-class professors (we call them lecturers in New Zealand) teach into the programme.听Along with other UC staff working on renewable energy, they have recently attracted over 50 million dollars of research funding and founded many startups. For example:
顿谤.听, formerly at Stanford. Lectures . Researches sustainable energy systems.
顿谤.听,听formerly at the German Aerospace Center. Lectures . Researches future energy systems.
顿谤.听, formerly at Harvard. Lectures . Researchers low-carbon buildings.
顿谤.听, formerly at ETH. Lectures . Researches sustainable transport systems.
顿谤.听,听formerly at Cambridge. Lectures . Researches integration of renewable technologies into power grids.
顿谤.听, founder of NILO and Aspiring Materials. Lectures . Researches industrial decarbonisation.
顿谤.听,听formerly at the University of Queensland. Lectures . Researches environmental life cycle assessment.
Dr. Christina Dunker, formerly at RocketLab. Lectures . Works for the space industry.
Dr. , Director of the High Voltage Lab. Lectures . Researches high voltage technologies.
Advance the future of energy: Do a PhD in Renewable Energy Engineering at the University of mini传媒.
Our PhD in Renewable Energy Engineering is designed for visionary leaders and researchers who are driven to shape the future of global energy systems. This program offers cutting-edge research opportunities, access to state-of-the-art facilities, and interdisciplinary collaboration with world-renowned experts.
Your first steps towards a PhD involve finding a supervisor for your topic (see our research groups below) and exploring our PhD scholarships.
You might be interested in attending the upcoming events:
With optimization models, we develop and inform decarbonization energy strategies and policies for countries and companies.
With optimization models, we develop and inform decarbonization energy strategies and policies for countries and companies.
The interdisciplinary team of researchers brings mini传媒 expertise and focused research interests that collectively advance energy solutions. With strengths in thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics, they apply their knowledge to enhance HVAC systems, building services, and combustion processes, optimizing energy efficiency, and sustainability in urban environments
The interdisciplinary team of researchers brings mini传媒 expertise and focused research interests that collectively advance energy solutions. With strengths in thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics, they apply their knowledge to enhance HVAC systems, building services, and combustion processes, optimizing energy efficiency, and sustainability in urban environments
The Design and Manufacturing Group has a mini传媒 range of research and development interests. We look at everything from design methodology, advanced manufacturing techniques, and rapid product development to engineering art and kinetic sculptures. Our group works collaboratively with Robotics, Materials, Instrumentation and Control, Applied Mechanics, Aerospace, and Biomedical disciplines to help reduce their ideas to practice
The Design and Manufacturing Group has a mini传媒 range of research and development interests. We look at everything from design methodology, advanced manufacturing techniques, and rapid product development to engineering art and kinetic sculptures. Our group works collaboratively with Robotics, Materials, Instrumentation and Control, Applied Mechanics, Aerospace, and Biomedical disciplines to help reduce their ideas to practice
UC's Electric Power Engineering Centre (EPECentre) is New Zealand鈥檚 pioneering research centre for electric power and clean energy applications. Learn about our Electric Power Engineering Centre.
UC's Electric Power Engineering Centre (EPECentre) is New Zealand鈥檚 pioneering research centre for electric power and clean energy applications. Learn about our Electric Power Engineering Centre.
UC's Cluster for Community and Urban Resilience (CURe) is a transdisciplinary research team that seeks to build the resilience of communities through innovative, collaborative, and inclusive research that's focused on equitable and sustainable urban systems. Learn about our Cluster for Community and Urban Resilience.
UC's Cluster for Community and Urban Resilience (CURe) is a transdisciplinary research team that seeks to build the resilience of communities through innovative, collaborative, and inclusive research that's focused on equitable and sustainable urban systems. Learn about our Cluster for Community and Urban Resilience.
Most power electronics research involves using electronic devices in their switch mode. Switching power supplies and amplifiers are far more efficient than their linear counterparts. This becomes very important when power levels are large, if power supply is limited, or both. Learn more about UC's Power Electronics research group.
Most power electronics research involves using electronic devices in their switch mode. Switching power supplies and amplifiers are far more efficient than their linear counterparts. This becomes very important when power levels are large, if power supply is limited, or both. Learn more about UC's Power Electronics research group.
QuakeCoRE is transforming the earthquake resilience of communities and societies through innovative, world鈥恈lass research, human capability development, and deep national and international collaboration. We are a Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) funded by the New Zealand Tertiary Education Commission. Learn more about QuakeCoRE.
QuakeCoRE is transforming the earthquake resilience of communities and societies through innovative, world鈥恈lass research, human capability development, and deep national and international collaboration. We are a Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) funded by the New Zealand Tertiary Education Commission. Learn more about QuakeCoRE.
UC's power systems group researches renewable energy, energy efficiency and technology, power quality, transformers, power system dynamics, generation and distribution networks, power electronic control, high voltage engineering, and energy markets. Learn more about our Power Systems group.
UC's power systems group researches renewable energy, energy efficiency and technology, power quality, transformers, power system dynamics, generation and distribution networks, power electronic control, high voltage engineering, and energy markets. Learn more about our Power Systems group.
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Future Students Office
Climate change is perhaps the biggest challenge of our time. Renewable technologies will be pivotal in transitioning the world from fossil fuels to a clean energy supply while providing cheap electricity.听Worldwide, jobs in the renewable energy sector have grown from 7 million in the year 2012 to 14 million in 2022 () and are expected to grow further to 100 million by 2030 ().听
You can be part of this exciting change. Build your skills and knowledge in renewable energy resources and technologies for generation, conversion, and storage, as well as in broader energy systems, policy, energy, and society.
New Zealand has a primary energy mix of approximately 40% renewables and 60% fossil fuels, making it an exciting country to study options for transitioning to a more sustainable energy system. Over 80% of our electricity is presently produced from renewables, which is a good start. Researchers at UC are actively engaged in sustainable energy projects worldwide, including Pacific Island nations.
Learn about the breadth of renewable energy resources and technologies, system modelling techniques, challenges surrounding energy sustainability, and practical solutions to energy issues, preparing your career in the renewable and sustainable energy sector.
There are different ways to study renewable energy engineering:
Below, we will further detail our Master programme.
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Candidates normally need:
You need 8 courses to graduate. At least five courses need to be selected from the following list:
The remaining courses can be chosen freely among the offerings of the University (400- or 600-level, subject to approval). In the past the following courses have been popular with our students:
The programme is officially called "Master of Engineering Studies endorsed in Renewable Energy". In other words, you will get a Master of Engineering specialised (endorsed) in Renewable Energy. "Studies" means it听is course-based and not research-based.听
For full details please refer to the current master's鈥痳egulations.
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