MSc in Energy Systems
International Hellenic University (IHU)
Key Information
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Campus location
Thessaloniki, Greece
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
18 - 30 months
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
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Application deadline
30 Jun 2024
Earliest start date
Oct 2024
Introduction
The MSc in Energy Systems Programme is being offered by the School of Science & Technology of the University Center of International Programmes of Studies of the International Hellenic University.
The programme aims to provide postgraduate level education to interested students and is targeted towards graduates including professionals who wish to broaden their knowledge in a range of Energy Issues from a technical point of view with an emphasis on technology and the use of Energy as well as the design, construction and maintenance of Energy Production Systems. Energy and its sustainability will always be a key global issue for modern contemporary societies. To stand out, young professionals in the Energy sector need interdisciplinary education: technical as well as economics/management/law related.
The International Hellenic University offers just such a diverse MSc in Energy Systems programme that is open to candidates from different academic disciplines and which has been in high demand since its first intake of students in 2010. Leading academics from prestigious academic institutions from Greece and abroad, together with instructors from public authorities and key players from energy-related organizations, have taught in this programme in the past years.
The programme has been developed to equip graduates of the Engineering, Geotechnical and Natural Sciences departments with an in-depth understanding of the fundamental issues of energy in the industrial and commercial sectors. It provides up-to-date technical knowledge and skills required for achieving energy management, designing energy-efficient systems and processes, utilisation of renewable energy sources and the cost-effective reduction and control of pollution.
This programme is designed for University graduates of Engineering, Geotechnical and Natural Sciences departments who wish to gain further expertise in the engineering aspects of the Energy sector. The School of Science and Technology during the last 3-years had an educational collaboration funded by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), with Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH – Technische Universität Hamburg-Harburg) to provide common courses in their respective Masters of Science in the field of Energy. In the frame of this collaboration, students of the MSc in Energy Systems were allowed to follow an elective course in TUHH, which was specifically developed and offered in the academic years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 to Master students of both universities. Similarly, master students of TUHH in the field of Energy were also able to follow a specifically developed elective course at IHU. Furthermore, students of IHU were allowed to visit TUHH for 3 months and conduct their MSc thesis in Germany. All travel costs, living expenses and accommodation for students in Greece and Germany were covered by the Greek-German collaboration project.
The courses of the programme are taught exclusively in English. The academic staff comes from Universities in Greece and abroad.
Admissions
Curriculum
During the first term, students are required to follow five mandatory core courses. During the second term, students are required to follow three mandatory core courses tailoring their programme further by two elective courses. Finally, in the third semester, work is dedicated exclusively to the Master’s dissertation. The Master’s dissertation provides a good opportunity to apply theory and concepts learned during the year to a real-world Energy Systems problem or challenge.
1st Term Core Courses
- Quantitative Methods
- Project Finance
- Project Management
- Energy Systems Simulation and Modelling
- Processes for Power and Energy Conversion
2nd Term Core Courses
- Solar Power and Thermal Systems
- Alternative Fuels
- Smart Cities
- The elective courses
During the second term students tailor their programme further by choosing elective courses. The choice of elective courses must sum up to 12 ECTS (2 courses). 2nd Term Elective Courses
- Advanced Design of Energy Processes
- Biofuels and their Assessment
- Energy and Environmental Law
- Environmental Hazard ManagementNEW
- Energy Transmission and Storage
- Environmental and Energy Policy
- Life Cycle Assessment
- Modelling and Simulation of Building Integrated Solar Energy Systems
- Wind and Hydro Power Systems
The Dissertation
During the third semester, students work on their Master’s Dissertation project, the thematic area of which is relevant to their programme of studies and their interests. The dissertation provides a good opportunity to apply theory and concepts learned in different courses to a real-world energy-related problem or challenge. Students are supervised throughout their projects by a member of the academic faculty and the academic assistants. After submission of the dissertation, students present their projects to classmates and faculty at a special event. In collaboration with our academic associates and their supervisors, a number of students in the past have managed to succeed in publishing their dissertation projects in peer-reviewed journals or presenting them at international conferences. An indicative list of student publications includes:
- Martinopoulos, G. Tsalikis, (2018) «Diffusion and adoption of solar energy conversion systems – The case of Greece», Energy, Volume 144, Pages 800-807
- Andreadou, G. Martinopoulos, (2018) «CAPE-OPEN simulation of waste-to-energy technologies for urban cities», International Journal of Sustainable Energy, 37(1), pp. 96-104
- Apergis, G. Vouzavalis, (2018), Asymmetric pass through of oil prices to gasoline prices: Evidence from a new country sample, Energy Policy,Volume 114,Pages 519-528
- C. Akcaoğlu, G. Martinopoulos, and C. Zafer, (2017) «Experimental Analysis of the Potential Induced Degradation Effect on Organic Solar Cells», International Journal of Photoenergy
- Antoniadis, G. Martinopoulos, (2017) «Simulation of Solar Thermal Systems with Seasonal Storage Operation for Residential Scale Applications», In Procedia Environmental Sciences, Volume 38, 2017, pp. 405-412
- Antoniadis, G. Martinopoulos, (2017) «Optimization of a Building Integrated Solar Thermal System with Seasonal Storage», 1st International Conference on Building Integrated Renewable Energy Systems, Dublin
- Ziogou, I., Zachariadis, T., (2017) “Quantifying the water–energy nexus in Greece”, International Journal of Sustainable Energy, 36 (10), pp. 972-982.
- Zachopoulos, E. Heracleous, (2017), “Overcoming the equilibrium barriers of CO2 hydrogenation to methanol via water sorption: A thermodynamic analysis”, Journal of CO2 Utilization, Volume 21, Pages 360-367
- Bampou, (2017). Green buildings for Egypt: a call for an integrated policy. International Journal of Sustainable Energy, 36(10), 994-1009.
- Kontopoulos, G. Martinopoulos, D. Lazarou, N. Bassiliades, (2016) «An ontology-based decision support tool for optimizing domestic solar hot water system selection», Journal of Cleaner Production, 112, pp. 4636-4646
- Anastaselos D.A., Oxizidis S., Manoudis A., Papadopoulos A.M. (2016), Environmental performance of energy systems of residential buildings: towards Sustainable Communities, Sustainable Cities and Society, 20, 96-108.
- Rossios, K. Sardi, G. Martinopoulos, (2015) «Numerical Simulation of LNG Evaporation Inside Semi-Trailer Trucks Used For the Transportation of LNG to Small Scale Terminals and Refueling Stations: Parameters and Implications», 8th GRACM International Congress on Computational Mechanics, Greece.
- Ipsakis D., Kraia T., Fylaki P., Ouzounidou M., Papadopoulou S., Voutetakis S. and Marnellos G., “Design and feasibility study of an integrated process for the exploitation of H2S from the Black Sea for energy and H2SO4 production”, Proceedings of the 10th Panhellenic Chemical Engineering Conference, Patra, 4-6/6/2015
- Ziogou I. and Zachariadis T., Quantifying the Water-energy Nexus in Greece, Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology Rhodes, Greece, 3-5 September 2015
- Dogan K., Martinopoulos G., “Blade Element Momentum Theory and CFD modeling as a tool for optimizing wind turbine blade design” World Renewable Energy Congress WREC XIII, London, 2014.
- Dimitriadis, D. Missirlis, G. Martinopoulos, “Investigation of the performance of a horizontal axis wind turbine with the use of blade element momentum theory and CFD computations”, European Wind Energy Association Conference 2014 – Barcelona
- Anastasiou F. and Martinopoulos G., “Solar Air Conditioning Systems As A Step Towards Nearly Net Zero Energy Buildings”, 10th Conference on Renewable Energy Sources, Thessaloniki, Greece, 2014 (In Greek)
- Martinopoulos G. and Tsalikis G. (2014) “Active Solar Heating Systems for Energy Efficient Buildings in Greece: A Technical Economic and Environmental Evaluation”, Energy and Buildings, Vol. 68, Part A, p. 130-137.
- Martinopoulos, G.Tsalikis, “Active solar heating systems for energy efficient buildings in Greece: A technical economic and environmental evaluation”, Energy and Buildings, Volume 68, Part A, January 2014, Pages 130-137.
- Bitos C. and Kiartzis S., “Energy Demand Analysis and Energy Saving Potentials in the Greek Road Transport Sector”, 7th International Scientific Conference on Energy and Climate Change, Athens, 2014
- Kanellakis M., G. Martinopoulos and T. Zachariadis (2013). European Energy Policy–A Review. Energy Policy, Vol. 62, p. 1020-1030
- Charalampous, G. & Madlener, R. (2013). “Risk Management and Portfolio Optimization for Gas- and Coal-fired Power Plants in Germany: A Multivariate GARCH Approach,” FCN Working Papers 23/2013, E.ON Energy Research Center, Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior (FCN).
- Charalampous, G. & Madlener, R. (2013). “Risk Management and Portfolio Optimization for Gas- and Coal-fired Power Plants in Germany: A Multivariate GARCH Approach,” Proceedings of 14th IAEE European Energy Conference, Rome, Italy.
- Τ. Dergiades, R. Madlener, and G. Christofidou, “The Nexus between Natural Gas Spot and Futures Prices at NYMEX: Do Weather Shocks and Non-Linear Causality in Low Frequencies Matter?,” FCN Working Papers 17/2012, E.ON Energy Research Center, Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior (FCN)
Scholarships and Funding
The School of Science & Technology offers a number of scholarships for the programmes it offers, covering a significant proportion of the fees. These scholarships are competitive. Award criteria include the quality of the first degree, the undergraduate grades of the candidate, his/her command of the English language and overall profile. Candidates for scholarships should include a separate letter with their application documents in which they request to be considered for a scholarship, stating the reasons why they think they qualify.
Career Opportunities
There is a considerable demand for environmentally aware energy specialists with in-depth technical as well as economics knowledge and practical skills. Graduates of this program have been recruited by companies and organisations competing in the energy sector. A number of our MSc graduates follow further research studies leading to PhD degrees. The following indicative employment opportunities are available to our graduates after the completion of the MSc in Energy Systems:
- Senior technical positions in energy engineering
- Managerial positions in the booming Energy as well as Utilities management
- With Government policymaking
In addition to technical skills gained through study, our students benefit from the University’s excellent Careers Office in order to attain essential Soft Skills (e.g. communication skills, interview preparation, CV writing etc.) to better prepare for the job market.