Master in Sustainable Energy Technology

Master in Sustainable Energy Technology is one of 10 English-taught Energy & Renewable Engineering programmes at Master's Degree level in the register, offered by 8 institutions. 2 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from NOK 204,000 to NOK 295,000. 10 are recorded as free for EU, EEA and Swiss students.

What you study

The master's in Sustainable Energy Technology at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) is a two-year, full-time programme worth 120 ECTS. It is taught in English and leads to the Norwegian title sivilingeniør. The programme starts with a broad look at energy resources and their availability, then moves into the technologies, materials and conversion processes used to harness them. You will learn to assess the consequences of different energy choices.

Central questions run through the courses: how to analyse, evaluate and optimise a component, process or whole application for sustainability, efficiency and economic viability; which theoretical and experimental methods and tools to use; how key technologies for converting and storing energy work; what environmental and climate effects, operating costs and efficiency come with design, construction and material choices; what low- and zero-carbon energy carriers are and how they can be produced; how shipping can become more environmentally and climate friendly; and what ocean energy involves, including marine installations.

Sustainability is a thread through all modules, from the first day to the master's thesis. The thesis can be written for a company or as part of energy-related research at HVL.

How the programme is organised

Teaching mixes lectures, laboratory work (including software labs), supervision, group work and project assignments, plus self-study. Problem-based learning is used to encourage active student engagement, and group work in several subjects helps build a social environment among students.

As a master's student you have access to a range of facilities: a hydrodynamics laboratory, a solar energy laboratory, MarinLab (a 50 m wave and towing tank), chemistry and materials science laboratories, a laboratory with thermal engines, and computer labs with simulation software such as Ansys Fluent, Abaqus, Aspen HYSYS and DNV Sesam. You can also use 3D scanners and 3D printers for construction and model building, and a workshop for materials testing and treatment.

Student exchange is possible during the programme. HVL collaborates with institutions including VIVES University of Applied Sciences (Belgium), Université Clermont Auvergne (France), OTH Regensburg (Germany), Korea University (South Korea) and Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain).

Who it suits

This programme suits engineering graduates who want to work on the transition from fossil to renewable energy. You should have a bachelor's degree in engineering (180 ECTS) that includes at least 25 ECTS in relevant mathematics, 5 ECTS in statistics, and 10 ECTS in physics, with 5 ECTS in thermodynamics and 5 ECTS in fluid mechanics. Your grade point average must be C or better. Applicants from outside the Nordic countries must document English proficiency. The programme is for those who like both theoretical and experimental work, and who want to tackle real problems in energy technology.

Admission, language and next steps

To apply, log in to the application portal SøknadsWeb, choose the admission called “Engineering, maritime and climate”, then “English Master Degrees Autumn 2027”, select the programme and submit your application with the required documents. The deadline for EU/EEA citizens is March 1st; for Norwegian citizens it is April 15th. Check the programme page for the exact dates and document requirements.

Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland are normally exempt from tuition fees at state institutions. Other degree students normally pay a fee set by the institution. All applicants should check the programme page for details on fees and funding. The teaching language is English.

Master’s applications go straight to Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, not through the national admission service (NUCAS). Study in Norway states that you need a bachelor’s degree comparable to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS), including courses equal to at least one and a half years of full-time study relevant to the programme. The institution lists its deadline as: March 1st for EU/EEA citizens. April 15th for Norwegian citizens. Deadlines are set by each institution for each programme, so confirm yours. Entry requirements and language tests are also set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, study permits and housing.