Energy Policy MSc

Program Overview

The Energy Policy MSc (online) from the University of Sussex equips professionals with knowledge and skills to navigate the complex world of energy policy. This 100% online program emphasizes interdisciplinary thinking and challenges conventional approaches, preparing graduates for careers in energy policy, regulation, and the clean energy transition. Through a mix of modules, assessments, and networking opportunities, students gain a global perspective on energy policy and develop practical solutions for sustainable energy transitions.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Energy Policy MSc (online) is a program designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the complex world of energy policy. It focuses on contemporary issues impacting energy policy at local to global scales, providing students with a toolkit of frameworks, practical skills, and analytical techniques. The program is delivered 100% online and draws on expertise from globally renowned academics from the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) and the Sussex Energy Group, one of the largest energy policy research groups in the world. Students have the opportunity to engage in rich debates with other professionals and gain a global perspective by exploring policy across organizations, governments, and countries.

Outline:

The Energy Policy MSc (online) is structured around a series of modules, each lasting seven weeks and delivered via Canvas, a state-of-the-art online learning platform. Students can access the platform from a computer, tablet, or smartphone, allowing for flexible learning. The recommended study time is 20 hours per week.

Modules:

• Introduction to Energy Policy: This module introduces students to the functioning of energy systems, their sustainability challenges, and clean energy innovation as a potential solution.
Students learn about interdisciplinary energy policy mix thinking and apply a policy mix mapping approach to a real-world energy transition challenge.
• Policy Analysis: This module provides students with a practical approach to developing policy proposals, drawing on concepts from welfare economics and public choice theory.
Students learn to understand specific policy problems, identify relevant goals, develop evaluation criteria, identify alternative policy options, assess the likely impact of those options, and provide practical policy recommendations.
• Understanding the Policy-Making Process: This module explores the policy-making process in modern economies, focusing on different stages of the process, their characteristics, and influences.
• Science, Technology and Innovation: This module provides students with a grounding in economic and non-economic frameworks for studying science, technology, and innovation in relation to energy production and policy.
Students gain knowledge and shared concepts to communicate with the wider industrial, academic, and policy communities.
• Energy and Sustainability: This module introduces students to the main issues of energy and sustainability, and the challenges of transitioning to a low carbon energy system.
It covers topics such as the unsustainability of energy use, energy efficiency, market liberalization, carbon pricing, energy use in transport, the electricity system, renewable energy, and controversial technologies.
• Energy Justice: This module explores the intersection of energy and justice, examining how justice theory can inform decisions about energy production, delivery, use, and effects.
It covers topics such as the global energy system, justice theory, policy mechanisms for promoting energy justice, and case studies of communities or countries promoting energy justice.
• Perspectives, Methods & Skills: This module provides students with the basic building blocks for social scientific research, focusing on inter and transdisciplinary research.
Students develop abilities to understand, critically evaluate, conduct, and communicate research.
• Quantitative Research Methods for Energy Policy: This module equips students with essential analytical skills for evidence-based decision-making in energy policy.
It covers descriptive and inferential statistics, statistical tests and analyses, regression analysis, and issues and biases affecting quantitative research.
• Governing Energy Transitions: This module explores the co-evolution of technologies with political, institutional, economic, and social factors in the context of long-term, socio-technical change in the energy sector.
It analyzes policy approaches for governing low carbon transitions and examines case studies from the energy sector.
• Energy and Development: This module examines energy policy challenges faced by developing countries, including increasing energy access, reducing energy poverty, and addressing energy security.
It explores the implications of lock-in, path dependency, and leapfrogging for development and critically engages with debates on strategies and policy instruments for sustainable energy systems.
• Energy and Economic Growth: This module investigates the challenge of reconciling economic growth with sustainable energy use.
It explores the role of energy technologies in driving economic growth and assesses the potential for a new surge of economic growth based on low carbon energy technologies.
• Energy Policy Capstone Project: This module provides students with the opportunity to integrate knowledge, skills, and capacities from the entire program into a student-directed capstone project.
Students develop a policy briefing paper focused on a specific energy policy problem and provide recommendations for a defined audience.

Assessment:

The program uses multiple assessment methods to assess students' knowledge, competence development, and engagement. These methods include:

• Written reports
• Simulations
• Essays
• Project reports
• MCQs
• Portfolios
• Group work submissions
• Presentations
• Exams
• Problem sets
• Peer reviews

Teaching:

The program is delivered 100% online via Canvas, a state-of-the-art online learning platform. Students can access the platform from a computer, tablet, or smartphone, allowing for flexible learning. The program draws on expertise from globally renowned academics from the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) and the Sussex Energy Group. Students have the opportunity to engage in rich debates with other professionals and gain a global perspective by exploring policy across organizations, governments, and countries.

Careers:

The Energy Policy MSc (online) is designed for professionals looking to launch or progress their career in energy policy. This could include work in government, NGOs, and private companies with a focus on the transition to clean energy through regulation. The tools learned on the course to develop, implement, and analyze policies are transferable across organizations, institutions, and markets.

Other:

The program emphasizes innovation and challenges conventional approaches to policymaking. Students have the opportunity to network with professionals from around the globe and join informal monthly social e-events to meet SPRU academics. The program offers flexibility in terms of assessment, allowing students to shape their assessments according to their interests by choosing real-world case studies. Students can complete the course in two years or a maximum of four years, with the option to take a break in studying.