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The University of Edinburgh: GeoEnergy

Institution The University of Edinburgh View institution profile
Department School of GeoSciences
Web https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying
Study type Taught

Summary

Your career in a low-carbon future starts here.

Our MSc GeoEnergy enables you to pursue a geosciences-related career in the rapidly evolving energy sector, as it transitions from fossil fuels to a net-zero future.

Your training aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, especially:

  • Goal 6: "Clean water and sanitation"

  • Goal 7: "Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy"

  • Goal 13: "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts"

The programme uses subsurface geological knowledge to open diverse career paths in low-carbon energy technologies, the disposal of energy-related wastes and the evolving hydrocarbon industry.

You will learn about various ways to reduce CO2 emissions from the energy sector to help meet net-zero targets to tackle climate change. For example, you will learn about methods such as carbon capture and storage, along with energy storage technologies that complement renewable energy provision.

We have specifically designed this MSc to explore a wide range of energy topics, giving you opportunities for a varied career path.

What is GeoEnergy? GeoEnergy encompasses the entire range of energy technologies and sources that interact with the geological subsurface.

This includes both established energy technologies, such as hydrocarbons, and developing areas, such as geothermal energy production and the storage of radioactive waste.

These technologies require either injection, extraction or interaction with fluids from the subsurface, which are subject to fundamental geological controls.

Understanding these controls is essential for the responsible and safe utilisation of these energy-related technologies for a low-carbon future.

Reputation, relevance and employability You will benefit from the strength and international reputation of our research groups.

We are one of the largest groups of geoscientists in the UK actively researching a variety of GeoEnergy technologies, including:

  • carbon capture and storage

  • radioactive waste disposal

  • energy storage (including compressed air, heat and hydrogen)

  • geothermal energy

  • sustainable use of water resources

  • supply of critical elements for the energy transition

  • unconventional and conventional hydrocarbons

Our work supports global initiatives to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Is the MSc for me? The rapidly developing GeoEnergy industry offers you challenges and opportunities to meet the need for reliable low-carbon energy. This is urgently needed to meet internationally agreed global decarbonisation targets and the United Nations' sustainable development goals.

This MSc is ideal for those seeking an environmentally responsible career focused on providing affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy for the future.

It is also suitable for those seeking to retrain from the traditional energy industry to meet the low-carbon needs of the future.

Play a vital role in the climate crisis As a world-leading University, we are driving efforts to mitigate climate change and transition to a low-carbon economy. Our research is internationally renowned in the areas of carbon capture and storage, as well as negative emissions (also known as greenhouse gas removals). We are working within the UK and across the world on the delivery of net-zero emissions targets to meet the UN Paris Agreement.

MSc

University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh. Extraordinary futures await.

The University of Edinburgh is one of the world's top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50, and placed 27th in the 2025 QS World University Rankings.

Our position as one of Britain’s leading research universities was reaffirmed by the results of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top research-intensive universities, ranked 4th in the UK for research power (Times Higher Education, Overall Ranking of Institutions), with 90% of our research activity classified as world leading or internationally excellent in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

Our …

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