Year 1

During the first year, we build your core knowledge and understanding of the essential pillars of energy engineering, energy systems and chemical fuels. You can choose to study at one of two top-ranked European universities:  AGH: University of Science and Technology in Krakow or SUT: Silesian University of Technology, in Gliwice, Poland.

Year 2

In year 2 you dive deeper into your topic of interest. You can choose to specialise in energy conversion, renewable energy, fuels or energy efficiency and pursue a range of elective courses to sharpen your expertise in the areas that most interest you. All students study at IST: Instituto Superior Técnico, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Towards the end of your second year, you will undertake your Master’s thesis, with a strong focus on finding innovative solutions relevant to your field of study. Working on your thesis gives you privileged access to some of the most prestigious companies, research centres and installations in Europe. Their experts become mentors for your research.

Your thesis corresponds to five months of full-time study and is worth 30 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System credits (ECTS).

The Master's in Energy Transition programme makes sure you have plenty of chances to meet and engage with our industry partners, business experts, fellow students, recent graduates and thriving start-ups throughout your two years of study.

Students of the Master's in Energy Transition are also trained in data science skills to analyse, forecast and optimise energy demand using Python.

This training ensures students are prepared to land jobs in a high-demand sector within the energy industry.

The course 'Data science for energy engineers: the case for demand-side management' includes modules such as:

• Introduction to data science
• Exploratory analysis
• Forecasting with machine learning
• Optimisation cases
  and more... 

During Year 1, we encourage you to develop an idea for a start-up business. Working with your fellow students, you choose and develop a business plan for a project that is relevant to your own country. You then pitch your idea to InnoEnergy Business Creation Services – our specialist business accelerator. They will give you assessment and feedback from businesses at the cutting edge of innovation and entrepreneurship in the energy sector.

The challenge projects are based on the case teaching methodology developed by Harvard University.

Our industry partners will set you a real-world challenge to solve. The challenge is designed to enhance your problem-solving skills and your awareness of all the technological, environmental and economic factors involved in the decision-making process – and how they all interact.

Our partners will ask you to look at a specific issue facing the industry, to assess historical and current information, and use your research to propose the most feasible solution. You will then need to justify your proposals to the business that originally set the challenge.

Specialists from various fields are available to help you develop your proposed solution. Your conclusions are compared to the actions that the challenge-setting company took in real life.

PRINCE2 Foundation (Projects in Controlled Environments) is an internationally recognised project management method created by combining practical experience with best practices in Project Management. It is a method not only designed for the management of Information Technology projects, but it is also suitable for all other types of projects. The main objective of PRINCE2 Foundation is the management of projects or work in a project environment using the most globally recognised project management methods, delivering to budget, quality and time, while mitigating risks, managing interdependencies and identifying opportunities. Moreover, the method focuses on the use of a structured approach with controls to provide a delivery methodology that works repeatedly and will enable you to successfully deliver projects and designing plans and reports to meet the needs of each level in the project team and Project Board, therefore, improving communication and control.

During your second year on the Master's in Energy Transition programme, you complete a two-month internship at one of our industry partners, a research institute or laboratory. Your internship gives you insight into industrial reality and current best practice.

During Year 1, students will have the opportunity to benefit from a tailored to them workshop on design thinking.

During Year 1 of the programme, students will undergo the workshop aimed at integration of the new group, to know the relationship between the team leader and the group. Learning technique used to help a large group of people reach a common understanding on a set of issues or proposal and increase their feeling of participation in a relatively short amount of time.

During the Year 1 students will undergo a problem solving workshop delivered by professional training centre, training for students how to effectively solve problems, which methods could be used in different situations and using those methods in practice.

Training for students, improving skills of academic self – presentation and presentation of good practices.

Workshop delivered by professional training centre, organised by: AGH during Year 1 of studies.

During the programme, you have the opportunity to visit some of the most up-to-date facilities in Poland and Portugal. A total of 12 structured visits are arranged over the two years of study, covering the full range of modern energy installations from traditional fossil fuel based power plants to energy-storage facilities and the best examples of renewable energy installations. The visits give you a valuable perspective on the practical, technical and environmental aspects of contemporary power plants. 

Companies involved in the Master's in Energy Transition programme include: EdF, Exalo. MetalERG, PEC Gliwice, Rafaka, SBB Energy, Spyra Primo, Tauron, and Tractebel.

In particular, you will gain:

• In-depth understanding of the principles and practices of the operational stages of low-emission combustion, as well as clean-fossil and new-generation fuels.
• Detailed knowledge of the latest renewable technologies and how they work alongside other energy sources like biomass and waste-to-energy systems.
• Experience of evaluating economic, policy and regulatory frameworks for implementing clean-fossil and next-generation fuel projects – and the ability to engage positively with politicians, engineers and regulators among others.
• Proficiency in developing and following a business plan designed within the energy field.

You study at two different universities in two different countries.

You have the choice of studying at AGH: University of Science and Technology or SUT: Silesian University of Technology in your first year. In the second year, all students study at IST: Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, Portugal. 

After successfully completing the programme, you will receive a degree from each of your chosen universities:

• AGH: Master of Chemical Technology
• SUT: Master of Engineering
• IST: Master of Energy Engineering and Management

You will also receive a PRINCE2 Management Method Certificate (foundation and practitioner) and the InnoEnergy Certificate in Business & Entrepreneurship Excellence.

The EIT Label is a quality seal awarded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) to a KIC educational programme that has been assessed positively by the EIT on the implementation of the EIT Quality Assurance and Learning Enhancement (EIT QALE) system and the application of specific quality criteria with focus on the EIT Overarching Learning Outcomes (EIT OLOs), robust entrepreneurship education, highly integrated, innovative ‘learning-by-doing’ curricula, international mobility and outreach. For more information please check here.

You don’t just read about applying engineering principles and good practice in the development of high-quality industrial systems – you get to experience them in action. The visits combine insights and teaching in engineering, economics and management to give you a complete perspective on modern industrial systems.

Each visit gives you the chance to engage with the potential hosts of your internship and thesis – and even a possible employer.

You will visit 10 different facilities during your first year in Poland, and one during your second year in Portugal.

The current programme of study visits is as follows:

Known for its size, modern approach to technology, and its commitment to environmental protection, the Bełchatów lignite mine is responsible for approximately 20 per cent of electricity in Poland. The study visit to the Bałchatów lignite mine gives you essential insights into the economic and environmental factors of fossil fuel extraction.

The Bełchatów power plant is one of the world’s largest brown-coal power stations, and is responsible for 15 per cent of production capacity in the Polish power industry. Visiting the Bałchatów power plant gives you greater understanding of the complexity of the large power industry, and the scale of the challenge in transitioning from fossil to renewable fuels and the potential impact on the economy, labour market and environment.

MetalERG specialises in the production of a wide range of metal elements and is a large-scale exporter of biomass boilers and heaters. During your visit to this small but extremely vital and innovative company you have the chance to see how modern solutions are applied to production processes and gain perspectives on the implementation of renewable solutions in the energy mix.

MASTER specialises in municipal waste disposal, waste management, selective waste collection, collection of hazardous waste, alternative fuels, production of electricity and heat from landfill biogas, and environmental education. Master’s facilities are some of the most advanced, fully automated plants for the treatment of waste and will enhance your knowledge of waste management systems and their role in a sustainable power sector.

At 320m below the surface, this underground museum is the deepest visitor mine in Europe. On the site of the Guido mine, which was operational from 1855 to 1960. Visiting the mine gives you the chance to see how the coal mine worked – and to work as a miner for a few hours. You’ll also see evidence of the environmental consequences of mining as well as links to other parts of the economy and the labour market.

This waste-to-energy plant project in Krakow was developed to thermally treat residual waste while ensuring compliance with applicable regulations and directives, and is the most advanced waste-to-energy system in Europe. During this visit you explore the advantages and disadvantages of waste incineration, how it compares to other waste-management methodologies, and its impact on the energy mix and the wider economy.

The Łagisza power plant is used to generate both power and heat, and is an example of the most advanced technology for generating energy from coal combustion. During this visit you can identify the differences between old and new technologies in this field, as well as examining the progress in environmental protection in the fossil fuel based power industry.

Foster Wheeler Energia Polska is dedicated to developing boiler technology to the highest standards using the latest engineering advances.  During this visit, you will learn about the modern design process for power boilers – which are supplied to the Łagisza power plant (above). Together these visits give you unique insight into the entire boiler development process, from design to installation and operation.

The Porąbka-Żar power plant has been an important source of peak load and grid stability in the Polish power system since 1979. During this visit you’ll learn about the importance of energy storage and its role in the implementation of renewable energy as a starting point for considering the connection between renewables and industry, and the potential economic impact renewable energy sources.

The mission of the Institute foe Chemical Processing of Coal is to deliver innovative knowledge and technologies that support carbo-chemical, power-generation, mining and waste-processing industries to ensure the efficient use of fossil, renewable and alternative fuels. This is your chance to visit the most advanced research centre dealing with different thermal process, and explore the opportunities and threats to the environment presented by using fossil fuels.

The Alqueva project is designed to integrate the management of strategic water reserves for multiple purposes – including the generation of clean energy. Its five core components are: the Alqueva dam, the Alqueva hydroelectric power station, the Pedrógão dam (Alqueva counter-dam), the Pedrógão mini hydroelectric plant, and the general irrigation system. During this study visit you will learn about state-of-the-art energy generation from hydro systems.