Program Overview

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MSc Sustainable Design and Manufacture

Overview

MSc Sustainable Design for Manufacture will prepare you for the growing need to minimise waste, reduce environmental impact, conserve energy, and reduce reliance on natural resources when creating products or services. You’ll develop a well-rounded set of advanced engineering skills that focus on sustainable design and management. Throughout the course you’ll improve on your existing skills and awareness of mechanisms, such as cradle to grave, upcycling, recycling, life cycle and material flow analysis, material structure, and performance and sustainability relationships.

This course focuses on two key areas, design and management. You’ll strengthen your knowledge of sustainability in design techniques, as well as the impact that poor design has on the manufacturer, the environment, and society as a whole. You’ll learn more about leadership and innovation, globalisation, market boundaries, measuring performance, promoting growth through technology, and promoting entrepreneurship for the successful implementation of sustainable design techniques and strategies.

Why us?

• A degree in engineering can equip you with transferable skills to excel in a range of industries including technology, healthcare, financial, and manufacturing sectors, as well as teaching, project management, and more
• Our strong links with industry provide excellent networking opportunities, often leading to work-experience opportunities and graduate employment. With a host of engineering companies in the region, there are plenty of opportunities for graduate employment
• Our Centre for Excellence in 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing offers you the chance to access over £1m worth of 3D printer technology. No other university in the north-east has that combination of printers to allow progression in the field of engineering

Course Structure

We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods which include lectures, group work, research, discussion groups, seminars, tutorials, and practical laboratory sessions. Compared to an undergraduate course, you'll find that this master's requires a higher level of independent working. Assessment methods include coursework, practical reports, critical reviews of real-world case studies, presentations, viva, and the master's project.

Course Modules

Core Modules:

• Sustainable Energy Production and Consumption (30 credits)
• Sustainable Engineering Design (30 credits)
• Human and Societal Aspects (30 credits)
• Leadership and Innovation (30 credits)
• Project/Dissertation (60 credits)

Facilities

You will be based at the David Goldman Technology Centre. Our specialist labs include:

• Product Development Lab
• Electronics Lab
• Automation Lab
• Project Lab
• Material Characterisation Lab
• Formulation Lab
• Thermofluids Lab
• Mechanical Engineering Lab

You will have access to a range of industry leading technologies at the Industry Centre, the home of the Institute of Automotive and Manufacturing Advanced Practice as well as access to industrial standard software to help prepare you for a future career in a digital context.

Entry Requirements

Our typical offer is:

• Qualification | Minimum grade
  • a bachelor's degree (3 years) | 2:2 classification

If you already hold a postgraduate qualification, please see our Applying for additional postgraduate degrees Help and Advice article.

If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.

If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at for further advice.

We usually require applicants to hold a 2:2 honours degree in an engineering discipline or an equivalent professional qualification. We will consider applicants with a wide range of relevant experience.

If English is not your first language, please see our English language requirements.

International students may need to apply for an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate to study this course in the UK. You must apply for this before we can issue you a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) which you will need when applying for a visa. Read more about the ATAS scheme and find out if you need to apply on the gov.uk website.

Is your qualification not displaying here? For international qualifications, search our full list of international entry requirements for this course.

Fees and Finance

• 2025/26 fees are:
  • £9,000 if you're from the UK/Europe
  • £17,000 if you're an international student

If you're unsure whether you qualify as a UK, EU, or international student, find out more in our Help and Advice article.

See the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

Career Ready

This course equips you for a wide range of roles throughout the engineering and manufacturing sector. Employers recognise the value of qualifications from Sunderland, which has been training engineers and technicians for over 100 years.

Employability

This course will prepare you for higher levels of responsibility and leadership in the workplace, society, and beyond. You'll develop transferrable skills and become adaptable to change.

All of our modules combine teaching and application of innovative problem-solving skills that can be applied in the workplace. You'll study real-world case studies, which will help you to develop skills that can be applied throughout your career.

Career Options

Our recent engineering graduates have gone on to work for companies such as McLaren Automotive, General Motors, Jaguar, Perkins Engines, GSK, Northumbrian Water, Hitachi, and Parametrics Technology. Other graduates conduct research with major automotive manufacturers such as Ford, Vauxhall, and Nissan.