General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

A minimum 2:i undergraduate UK Honours degree or equivalent international qualification, in an engineering, physical sciences or mathematical subject.

You can see how your current degree score or GPA equates to the British system in our Study pages in the equivalent scores table.

We are willing to consider applications from students with lower qualifications on a case-by-case basis, particularly when the applicant can evidence relevant employment, practical experience or strong performance in undergraduate modules related to their proposed postgraduate course of study.

To ensure you have the essential foundations for the course, and depending on your overall academic profile, we may require you to take a mathematical skills test.

English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:

• Band A
• IELTS overall score of 6.5, minimum component scores not below 6.0.

Additional requirements

There are no additional requirements for this course.

Core modules

Control of Electrical Drives

Modern electrical drives are complex electromechanical systems combining electrical machines, power electronic converters, control and protection circuits.

The aim of the module is to develop an advanced understanding and systematic analysis and design skills on integration of electrical machines and power electronics into up-to-date electrical drives with predefined and required control quality. It will include development of conceptual functional block diagrams of the electrical drives, their mathematical modelling and simulation, systematic design of required controllers, advanced analysis of steady state and dynamic drives’ characteristics, electrical schematics and modern practical implementation.

Advanced Power Electronic Converters and Devices

Practically all electronic equipment, whether domestic or industrial, requires power conditioning to deliver the energy for it to operate correctly. This is using electronics for power processing, not information processing. The applications vary widely from power supplies for laptops and mobile phone chargers, through industrial motor drives, hybrid and electric vehicle drives, electric rail transport, to solar and wind energy systems and power transmission and distribution systems. This module will give you a wide range, in-depth and advanced knowledge of Power Electronics and Devices.

Operation and Control of Power Systems

This module aims to present the current (advanced) technologies and trends in development that will shape future electrical power systems. You will gain a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the construction, operation and control principles of power systems. You will learn advanced analytical skills for examining different modes of operation in complex systems. The content includes the following main elements:

• Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electrical Power
• Balanced and Unbalanced 3-Phase Systems
• Load Flow Analyses
• Fault and Stability Analyses of Power Systems
• Power System Protection Concepts and Techniques
• Operational Security Control
• Benefits and Limitations of Wide Area Measurement (WAM)
• Effects and Management of Distributed Generation
• Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) and High Voltage DC (HVDC) Transmission Technologies
• Power Quality Monitoring and Management
• Renewable Power Penetration and Grid Code Requirements
• The Role of Energy Storage and the Development of Relevant Technologies
• Smart Grids: Communications and standards, demand side response, wide area measurements, privacy and cyber security

Electrical Power Engineering Design Project

The Electrical Power Engineering design project is a group project aiming to give you experience of working within a team, and parallel the way engineers often work in industry. You will integrate your knowledge and understanding in order to specify and solve an Electrical Power Engineering problem (or user need), through the creation and development of a product, process or system.

The project also allows you to develop your understanding of project management, time management, ethics, sustainability, health and safety, risk management and intellectual property rights. You will develop effective communication and leadership skills, for both technical and non-technical audiences.

Research Methods and Professional Skills

The module aims to equip you with the research skills necessary to support masters’ level learning in engineering and facilitate engagement with the individual project through equipping you with a broad research skill set. In addition, this module will provide you with the professional and team skills to support the course and your career in engineering.

Individual Project

This module gives you the opportunity to demonstrate that you have independently contributed primary data and/or a new analysis of secondary data, within your chosen advanced research topic.

Projects will be highly variable in nature to reflect the range of topics within the programmes of study but all will provide you with an opportunity to achieve the learning outcomes. Thus, projects may entail experimentation, modelling, analysis and literary survey skills to develop advanced skills in the discovery and occasionally creation of new knowledge. The module also offers the chance for you to pursue curiosity driven work guided by an academic supervisor.

If you do not have the required previous learning, you are also required to take the following modules:

Power Electronic Converters and Devices

This module is a pre-requisite to the module Advanced Power Electronic Converters and Devices. The module introduces the concept of power electronics as power processing and control, and presents a range of applications of power electronics in today’s society. It introduces power semiconductor devices as basic switching elements used in power electronic converters, and describes the theory of their operation. It also introduces power electronic converters, explains their operation principles and gives examples of applications. It develops an understanding of the issues present in converter and device design, including the impact of physical layout and heat dissipation. MSc students should take this module if they do not have a suitable corresponding background in the area.

Power Systems and Electrical Machines

The aim of this module is to consider, in depth, the design and operation of synchronous, induction and DC machines. In addition, the module aims to provide an in depth knowledge of the modern power system as an interconnection of rotating electrical machines, transformers, transmission lines, switch gear, loads etc.

Optional modules

Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:

• Systems Modelling and Control
• Heat Transfer Theory and Design
• Mathematical and Computer Modelling
• Advanced Robotics
• Batteries and Fuel Cells
• Optical Communication Systems
• Renewable Energy
• Signal Processing

Teaching

The degree comprises eight taught modules and a project. The research project entails an in-depth experimental, theoretical or computational investigation into a topic chosen by the student in conjunction with an academic supervisor.

Class sizes

Class sizes for lectures, practical laboratory sessions and seminars vary depending on the number of students taking the module.

Typical contact hours

The MSc degree (totalling 180 credits) comprises:

• Eight taught modules (15 credits each)
• A research project (60 credits)

The typical workload for a 15-credit module is as follows:

• 20-30 hours of lectures/seminars
• 5 hours of laboratory work
• 45 hours of private/directed study
• 70 hours of assessed work

The research project is valued at 60 credits and students should plan to execute around 600 hours of work towards the completion of the project dissertation.

Assessment

A combination of coursework and written examinations.

Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.

Your career

Graduates from this course can work for:

• Electricity Distribution Companies
• Electrical Power Plants
• Automotive Companies
• Manufacturing Companies of Electrical and Electronic Equipment
• Construction Companies
• Transport Companies
• or pursue research programmes (PhD) in academic institutions

Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant offering impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:

• Options in Engineering
• Meet an Engineer
• Engineering, Science and Technology Fair
• Considering a PhD in the STEM Subjects
• Warwick careers fairs throughout the year

Engineering at Warwick

Use your maths and science skills to creatively solve real-life problems.

Find out more about us on our website.Link opens in a new window

Our Postgraduate Taught courses

• Advanced Mechanical Engineering (MSc)
• Biomedical Engineering (MSc)
• Communications and Information Engineering (MSc)
• Diagnostics. Data and Digital Health MSc
• Diagnostics, Data and Digital Health (Medical Diagnostics) MSc
• Diagnostics, Data and Digital Health (Medical Imaging) MSc
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering (MSc)
• Electrical Power Engineering (MSc)
• Humanitarian Engineering (MSc/PGDip/PGCert/PGA)
• Humanitarian Engineering (with Management) (MSc)
• Humanitarian Engineering (with Sustainability) (MSc)
• Predictive Modelling and Scientific Computing (MSc)

Our Postgraduate Research courses

• CDT to Advance the Deployment of Future Mobility Technologies (EngD/PhD)
• Modelling of Heterogeneous Systems (PhD)
• MSc by Research in Engineering
• PhD/MPhil in Engineering

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your taught course fees  

Fee Status Guidance

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.

Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?

If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.

Find out more about how universities assess fee status

Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.

For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).

Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2022/23 year of study). Information about module department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:

• Core text books
• Printer credits
• Dissertation binding
• Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and bursaries

How to apply

The application process for courses that start in September and October 2024 will open on 2 October 2023.

Applications will close on 2 August 2024 for students who require a visa to study in the UK, to allow time to receive a CAS and complete the visa application process.

How to apply for a postgraduate taught course