Master of Energy study tracks

Energy as a field of study can be approached from many academic disciplines and angles, and the Master of Energy (MEnergy) is therefore open to students with many different undergraduate backgrounds, with the opportunity to choose from a variety of elective courses.

To help you get the most out of your MEnergy experience, we strongly recommend selecting electives that align with your previous studies and your future career or research goals.

This will not only deepen your expertise but also set you up for success in your chosen field. We also encourage you to choose a research project that complements your elective choices – this way, everything you learn works together to support your development.

Entry into electives is not guaranteed. You’ll need to ensure you meet any prerequisites or have an equivalent background before enrolling.

• 120-point MEnergy: you will select two electives alongside a 60-point research project, across TWO semesters.
  
  
• 180-point MEnergy: you will select six electives and a 60-point research project. This allows you to choose from a wider range of electives, or two specialised study tracks. Generally, you would start your research project in the second semester of your studies.

Note: Students who began their studies prior to 2026 still have the option to complete either a 45-point OR 60-point research project.

Not all courses are offered every semester, so it’s a good idea to plan your study pathway early. For most specialisation tracks – except Geothermal Energy – you’ll typically need to begin your MEnergy programme in Semester One to ensure access to the required courses.

You may also be able to include other 700-level postgraduate courses in your MEnergy degree. However, in many cases, to be considered, you’ll need to apply for an enrolment concession.

This process helps confirm that you meet the course prerequisites or have an equivalent background, and ensures the course is a good fit for your study plan.

Your request will be reviewed by:

• The Course Coordinator, to check if you meet the prerequisites or have the right background.
  
  
• The Programme Director, to ensure the course fits well within your MEnergy study plan.

We recommend checking course requirements early and contacting us if you're unsure as support is always available to help guide your choices.

Geothermal Energy is one of the core specialisation tracks in the MEnergy programme, developed in close collaboration with the University’s Geothermal Institute and key industry partners. If you're interested in this track, please note that core geothermal courses are typically offered in Semester Two each year.

This means careful planning is important to ensure you can enrol in the required courses at the right time. Below is a range of suggested electives that complement this track and help you build a strong foundation in geothermal energy systems and technologies.

GEOTHERM 701: Geothermal Resources and their Use (Semester Two)
Worldwide occurrence of geothermal systems, introductory geology, volcanoes and volcanic rocks, New Zealand geothermal systems, structure of the TVZ, hydrothermal alteration, permeability and porosity, introduction to geochemistry of geothermal systems, geothermal surface manifestations, water compositions, geothermometry, silica geochemistry, overview of geophysics for geothermal exploration, geothermal resource assessment.

Corequisite: GEOTHERM 702, and 703 or 720

GEOTHERM 702: Geothermal Energy Technology (Semester Two)
Worldwide geothermal development, types of geothermal systems, thermodynamics, properties of water and steam tables, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, steam-field equipment, geothermal power stations, geothermal drilling, wellbore processes, completion tests, downhole measurements, reinjection, corrosion, stored heat, Darcy's law, cold groundwater, geothermal reservoirs, direct use, reservoir modelling, reservoir monitoring and steam-field management.

Corequisite: GEOTHERM 701

GEOTHERM 703: Geothermal Exploration (Semester Two)
Hydrothermal alteration, clays, fluid inclusions, direct use, subsidence, scaling and corrosion in geothermal wells, production geochemistry, environmental aspects of geothermal development, feasibility study, physical properties of rocks and self-potential (SP), magnetics, thermal methods, gravity, seismic methods, electrical methods, magnetotellurics (MT).

Corequisite: GEOTHERM 701, 702

GEOTHERM 720: Geothermal Engineering (Semester Two)
Completion tests, wellbore flow, two-phase flow, geothermal power cycles, flow measurements, direct use of geothermal energy, environmental effects, scaling and corrosion in geothermal wells, drilling engineering, flow measurements, steam-field operation and maintenance, subsidence, waste heat rejection, heat exchangers, geothermal well-test analysis, stimulation, pipeline design, feasibility study, reservoir modelling theory, TOUGH2, reservoir modelling process, case study (data and conceptual model, natural state modelling), Wairakei model.

Corequisite: GEOTHERM 701, 702

If you have the appropriate background, you may be able to take additional electives from the Department of Physics or the School of Environment in the Faculty of Science. These can be approved on a case-by-case basis, so be sure to check prerequisites:

Explore how energy technologies and projects are shaped by economic policies and regulatory frameworks. This track will introduce you to quantitative tools used to evaluate complex energy and transport for strategic decision-making.

To succeed in this track, you’ll generally need a solid foundation in economics and/or mathematics, as these are prerequisites for the core course listed below. If you have a strong background in these areas, you might also be interested in exploring additional relevant courses:

ECON 720: Econometric Methods (Semester One & Semester Two)
Focuses on harnessing the power of data and regression techniques to estimate relationships and test hypotheses based on economic and business models. Emphasises the identification of causal effects required for policy evaluation, decision-making and strategic planning. Covers applications of econometrics to a variety of areas using a statistical computer package.

Restriction: must not have completed ECON 701 or ECON 711 or ECON 721 or ECON 723

ECON 780: Climate and Energy Economics (formerly ECON 783)
(Semester One)
Examines issues related to the economics of climate change, energy transitions toward electrification, competing energy sources (fossil fuels and renewables), and regulation and market design issues for energy and carbon markets. Natural resource and electricity markets are explored in depth.

Restriction: ECON 783

ECON 777: Economic Development and Wellbeing (formerly ECON 771)
(Semester Two)
Examines economy-wide issues in development, focusing on key factors and using real-world examples. Emphasis is placed on extracting policy insights from recent research and country experiences. Topics include geography, institutions, social welfare, and policy design for enhancing well-being in developing nations.

Restriction: ECON 771

ENGSCI 755: Decision Making in Engineering (Semester Two)
Introduction to techniques for decision making in engineering systems including decision heuristics, simple prioritisation, outranking approaches, analytic hierarchy process, application to group decision making.

Prerequisite: ENGSCI 211 or MATHS 221 or 250

ENGSCI 760: Algorithms for Optimisation (Semester One)
Meta-heuristics and local search techniques such as genetic algorithms, simulated annealing, tabu search and ant colony optimisation for practical optimisation. Introduction to optimisation under uncertainty, including discrete event simulation, decision analysis, Markov chains and Markov decision processes and dynamic programming.

Prerequisite: COMPSCI 101 or ENGGEN 131

ENGSCI 763: Advanced Simulation and Stochastic Optimisation (Semester Two)
Advanced simulation topics with an emphasis on optimisation under uncertainty. Uniform and non-uniform random variate generation, input distribution selection, output analysis, and variance reduction. Simulation-based optimisation and stochastic programming. Two-stage and multi-stage programs with recourse. Modelling risk. Decomposition algorithms. Scenario construction and solution validation.

Prerequisite: ENGSCI 391 or ENGSCI 765

If you have the appropriate background, you may be able to take additional electives Engineering Science, Economics, or Supply Chain Management. These can be approved on a case-by-case basis, so be sure to check prerequisites.

This study track explores the environmental, social, and regulatory dimensions of energy systems, equipping students to evaluate sustainability outcomes, assess environmental impacts, and support evidence-based decision-making. Graduates will be well positioned for careers at the intersection of energy, environmental management, policy, sustainability, and resource planning, helping organisations navigate the transition to a more sustainable future.

ENVENG 702: Engineering Decision Making in Aotearoa (Semester One & Semester Two)
Systems engineering-based decision making; complex problem framing including ontology analysis; cultural opportunity mapping; absolute sustainability analysis; risk threshold determination; temporal cumulative effects; and effective consultation.

ENVENG 708: Environmental Engineering for Sustainable Futures (Semester Two)
Addresses emerging engineering solutions to challenges facing humankind, including climate change, sustainability and resilience of our society, and persistent waste and pollution in the environment. Includes applications of systems modelling through a holistic thinking lens, sustainability innovations, risk assessment and impact in various technologies and processes, climate change adaptation and mitigation.

ENVENG 752: Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment (Semester Two)
Assessment and applications of sustainability principles in the design of products and/or infrastructures, including the use of sustainability tools. Provides an overview of life cycle assessment (LCA) based on ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. Introduces LCA software to assist in analysing the data, interpreting the results and writing LCA reports.

ENVSCI 711: Environmental Impact Assessment (Semester Two)
A focus on the interdisciplinary, scientific assessment of environmental impacts with specific reference to applying this discipline in New Zealand. Methodologies used in the assessment, monitoring and regulation of environmental impacts will be discussed and critically evaluated. The contribution of Environmental Impact Assessment to policy and regulatory decisions in environmental management, including consenting procedures, plan-making processes, and the roles and duties of public and professional participants, will be covered. A key component of the assessment is the preparation of an individual Environmental Impact Assessment report.

ENVMGT 741: Social Change for Sustainability (Semester Two)
Explores how different actors understand the challenge of sustainability and how they instigate the social change required to achieve it. Considers the roles played, visions offered and approaches promoted by a variety of actors, across community, private and public sectors. Case studies are drawn from Aotearoa New Zealand and abroad, highlighting environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability

ENVMGT 742: Social Dimensions of Climate Change (Semester One)
Examine in-depth the social, political, and cultural dimensions of global climate change. Move beyond biophysical science to examine how societies understand and respond to the climate crisis. Key climate change topics include international governance and policy, mitigation and adaptation, and justice at the local and global scale.

ENVMGT 744: Resource Management (Semester One)
A review of advanced principles, concepts and approaches to the sustainable management of natural resources. Case studies emphasise the need for conflict resolution, equitable allocation, and decentralised decision-making to address the social and environmental impacts of resource utilisation.

ENVMGT 746: Collaborative Environmental Management (Semester One)
An exploration of participatory management and its potential for engaging communities, resource users and stakeholders in the pursuit of sustainable development. Students will examine strategies for incorporating local knowledge within conservation practices and for reconciling natural resource management with human welfare, social justice and indigenous right.
 

This track is designed for students who have a strong interest in wind energy and thermodynamics and want to understand the technologies behind them and their practical applications.

You’ll explore how to make the most of energy resources, learn the principles of sizing wind farms for different locations, and dive into the analysis and optimisation of heat pumps. The track also covers innovative uses of binary plants in geothermal energy, giving you a well-rounded view of how these systems work together in real-world scenarios.

This track is a great fit for students with a background in mechanical or industrial engineering, as it builds on core principles from these disciplines. For those looking to broaden their expertise, there may be additional postgraduate elective options available in Mechanical Engineering.

MECHENG 711: Advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics
Application of computational methods to fluid dynamics and heat transfer. Finite volume and finite difference methods. Convergence and stability. Mesh generation and post-processing. Application of commercial computer programs to industrial problems. An individual project in which the student will be required to apply a commercial CFD code to a research problem of the student's choice.

Restriction: MECHENG 718
Offered in: Semester One

MECHENG 712: Aerohydrodynamics
The study of fluid mechanics relevant to external flows, e.g. wind turbines, yachts, aircraft or wind loadings on buildings, boundary layers, and computational fluid dynamics.

Prerequisite: MECHENG 325
Offered in: Semester One

MECHENG 715: Building Services
Principles and practice of heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R), psychrometry, heating/cooling loads, mass transfer and air quality, refrigeration/heat pump systems, cooling towers, pumps, fans, valves, pipes and ducts.

Prerequisite: MECHENG 325
Offered in: Semester Two

MECHENG 718: Computational Fluid Dynamics
Application of computational methods to fluid dynamics and heat transfer. Finite volume and finite difference methods. Convergence and stability. Mesh generation and post-processing. Application of commercial computer programs to industrial problems.

Restriction: MECHENG 711
Offered in: Semester One

The Electrical/Power Systems track is designed for students with a strong foundation in electrical or power systems engineering who want to tackle the challenges of integrating renewable technologies into modern energy networks. You will develop expertise in grid operation, energy markets, and the technical considerations associated with wind, solar, geothermal, and community-scale power systems.

Students should be aware that many Power Systems courses are technically rigorous and have specific prerequisite requirements. You may be required to provide evidence of prior study during the concession process, and success in this track will require a strong commitment to achieving high academic standards.
 

ELECTENG 731: Power Systems
Builds on the knowledge of three-phase power systems components to understand modelling, formulation and typical analysis carried out by electricity transmission, distribution and generation entities. Load flow, fault, stability and power quality. Supplemented by laboratories where students learn to use professional software to implement the theoretical aspects.

Prerequisite: ELECTENG 309. Restriction: ELECTENG 411
Offered in: Semester One

ELECTENG 703: Advanced Power Systems
Electricity markets: structure, pricing, optimisation, ancillary services; Power system protection practices; Distribution network development: Smart Grid, demand side participation; HVDC and FACT devices theory and application; renewable energy grid integration.

Prerequisite: ELECTENG 731. Restriction: ELECTENG 738
Offered in: Semester Two

ELECTENG 738: Selected Topics in Advanced Power Systems
Electricity markets: structure, pricing, optimisation, ancillary services, power system protection practices, distribution network development, smart grids, demand side participation, integration of DG/renewable sources and electric vehicles. Core concepts are extended by an individual research project, a self-guided protection laboratory and industry engagement in advanced power system practices.

Prerequisite: ELECTENG 731. Restriction: ELECTENG 703
Offered in: Semester Two

If you’re passionate about how energy initiatives can drive a country’s development, this track is an excellent choice. It focuses on critical areas such as rural electrification, climate change impact and mitigation, solar energy projects, and rural development. You’ll explore the intersection of technology, policy, and community needs, gaining insights into how energy solutions can transform lives and support sustainable growth.

To build a well-rounded perspective, you could want to include courses in Development Studies, sustainability, and risk management, giving you the tools to address global challenges and create meaningful change.

DISMGT 701: Disaster Risk Management
A broad-based understanding of the critical elements of risk and risk management in pre- and post-disaster scenarios. Key elements include risk identification with regard to the forms and types of risk inherent in areas prone to disasters. Risk management approaches are explored and applied to different aspects of disaster management.

Offered in: Semester One

DISMGT 703: Disaster Management and Resilience
Disaster management concepts and approaches related to urban resilience, including societal and infrastructure resilience. Key elements include exploring holistic approaches to disaster management and assessing the relationship between resilience and disaster management. This includes systems and complexity, policy and general regulatory environment. This course involves group work and a course project.

Offered in: Semester One