Master of Science in Sustainable Construction University of Wales Trinity Saint David - Swansea Campus, UK

The construction industry is a large employer, with over 100 million people worldwide believed to depend on it. The resulting built environment accounts for nearly 50% of carbon emissions as it consumes an equal percentage of extracted, natural materials generating large quantities of landfill waste and using a vast amount of water, all valuable and increasingly scarce resources.

What you will learn

UK construction is well-placed to benefit from the opportunities presented by the global shift to a low carbon economy and green construction, but there is a continuing need to ensure investment in innovation and technology alongside increased collaboration between businesses and research institutions to enable the UK to realise this potential.

There is also scope for further progress, particularly concerning addressing evident skills shortages.  The global green and sustainable building industry is forecast to grow at an annual rate of 22.8% between now and 2017 as a result of increasing low carbon regulatory requirements and greater societal demand for greener products.  It seems that the market is recognising these opportunities.

According to recent research by McGraw-Hill Construction (2013), around half the architects, engineers, contractors, building owners and building consultants around the world anticipate that at least 60% of their work will be green by 2015, up from 28% of firms in 2012 and only 13% in 2009.

The UK’s existing housing stock, which accounts for over half of the greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment, presents growth and development opportunities for the UK’s low carbon and sustainable construction market.

The programme will draw upon subject expertise within the School of Architecture, Built and Natural Environments, which has been commended by Externals for its commitment to innovative teaching and learning.

The programme enhances several advanced transferable skills and equips the student with a range of skills appropriate for a wide variety of future opportunities as well as providing skills and competencies for those students who are progressing to MPhil / PhD. Regularly, our MSc students have progressed to our PhD provision.

Sustainability is seen as a priority in construction circles; the very nature of its operation places a heavy burden on the environment. The programme holds firm the sustainability concept and provides students with ‘real’ examples of established practices.