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Full time | Swansea Campus | 1 year | 01-SEP-24

Study mode

Full time

Duration

1 year

Start date

01-SEP-24

Key information
DATA SOURCE : IDP Connect

Qualification type

MSc - Master of Science

Subject areas

Construction Energy Efficiency (Buildings) Sustainability

Course type

Taught

Course Summary

The construction industry is a large employer, with over 100 million people worldwide believed to depend on it. The resulting built environment accounts for nearly 50% of carbon emissions as it consumes an equal percentage of extracted, natural materials generating large quantities of landfill waste and using vast amount of water, all valuable and increasingly scarce resources.

Course Overview

UK construction is well-placed to benefit from the opportunities presented by the global shift to a low carbon economy and green construction, but there is a continuing need to ensure investment in innovation and technology alongside increased collaboration between businesses and research institutions to enable the UK to realise this potential. There is also scope for further progress, particularly with regard to addressing evident skills shortages. The global green and sustainable building industry is forecast to grow at an annual rate of 22.8% between now and 2017 as a result of increasing low carbon regulatory requirements and greater societal demand for greener products. It seems that the market is recognising these opportunities.

The UK’s existing housing stock, which accounts for over half of the greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment, presents growth and development opportunities for the UK’s low carbon and sustainable construction market.

The programme will draw upon subject expertise within the School of Architecture, Built and Natural Environments, which has been commended by Externals for its commitment to innovative teaching and learning. The programme enhances a number of advanced transferable skills and equips the student with a range of skills appropriate for a broad variety of future opportunities as well as providing skills and competencies for those students who are progressing to MPhil / PhD. Regularly, our MSc students have progressed to our PhD provision. Sustainability is seen as a priority in construction circles; the very nature of its operation places a heavy burden on the environment. The programme holds firm the sustainability concept and provides students with ‘real’ examples of established practices.

Assessment

Assessments used within this Programme are normally formative or summative. In the former assessment is designed to ensure students become aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Typically, such assessment will take the form of practical exercises where a more hands-on approach shows student’s ability on a range of activities. Traditional formal time-constrained assessment is by means of tests and examinations, normally of two-hour duration. Examinations are a traditional method of verifying that the work produced is the students’ own work.

To help authenticate student coursework, some modules require that the student and lecturer negotiate the topic for assessment on an individual basis, allowing the lecturer to monitor progress. Some modules where the assessment is research-based require students to verbally/visually present the research results to the lecturer and peers, followed by a question and answer session. Such assessment strategies are in accord with the learning and teaching strategies employed by the team, that is, where the aim is to generate work that is mainly student-driven, individual, reflective and where appropriate, vocationally-orientated. Feedback to students will occur early in the study period and continue over the whole study session thereby allowing for greater value added to the student’s learning.

Modules

Research Methods and Professional Development
Building Services and Energy Performance in Buildings
Management of the Integrated Working Environment
Master’s Project
Construction Technology and Building Information Management
Sustainable Development
Environmental Planning and Policy

Tuition fees

UK fees
Course fees for UK students

For this course (per year)

£7,800

International fees
Course fees for EU and international students

For this course (per year)

£15,000

Entry requirements

Applicants can be considered eligible to register on this Master’s Degree programme provided s/he holds one of the following qualifications prior to commencement: an initial degree from an approved degree awarding body; a non-graduate qualification which has been deemed to be of an appropriate standard for the purpose of postgraduate admission; specific entry requirements of the programme. Applicants may also be considered eligible to register on this Master’s Degree programme provided that s/he has held, for a minimum of two years, an appropriate position which is relevant to the programme to be pursued. Such applicants will be considered on a case by case basis. As part of an inclusive approach to learning, we encourage students from non-traditional entry points or without recognised educational backgrounds, but who have an equivalent and appropriate professional qualification or significant relevant professional experience to apply.