Key information
- Level
- Postgraduate Taught
- Delivery type
- Full Time, Part Time
- Degree qualification
- MSc
- Mode of delivery
- On-Campus
- Duration
- 1 year
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Start date
- September
MSc Advanced Sustainability for Brewing and Distilling offers you the opportunity to delve into sustainability problems and solutions relevant to the malting, brewing, distilling and allied industries. Sustainability is a multifaceted term that is strongly associated with both climate change and our transition towards a low-carbon society and achieving Net Zero. As a result, many sectors and industries have developed pathways and strategies towards decarbonisation and set ambitious targets to reach national and international Net Zero goals. All these targets and strategies are underpinned by the concept of sustainability or adopting enhanced sustainable practices. It is therefore vital that individual sectors and industries evaluate their current operations and assess a viable roadmap to decarbonisation which addresses factors across technology, environment, economy and society. You’ll explore core theories and subjects across bioscience, engineering, brewing, distilling, and sustainability to set you up for a wide range of future-proof careers.
During your studies, you’ll develop your science, engineering skills and sustainability knowledge to the requirements of the brewing and distilling sector and gain a specialist expertise. You’ll explore sustainability issues involved in the beverage industry, including within raw materials, explore specific business case studies, and propose sustainable solutions to combat the increasing issues faced by industry.
You’ll learn from a comprehensive course structure, exploring the principles, processes, and raw materials involved in sustainable brewing and distilling, whilst also choosing optional courses to customise your learning based on your interests and goals. Study options range from economics and management to sustainable solutions and circular economies of future foods.
The research dissertation component of the MSc will provide you with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience by undertaking either a lab or desk based research project, which can include the use of our on-site brewery, distillery, or rectification laboratory. This allows you to apply your scientific learning in a practical setting and develop the skills and expertise valued across brewing, distilling, and allied industries.
The research relevance of this postgraduate programme ensures your studies remain innovative and industry focused.
Your student experience
Your learning will be informed by the expertise of our research-active brewing and distilling scientists and academics. Teaching in Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt began in 1903, which led to the establishment of the highly reputable International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) in 1989. The ICBD has established itself as an excellent research centre, with close ties with the professional and industrial world of science, engineering, and technology.
The International Centre for Brewing and Distilling is a unique teaching and research facility which meets the needs of the brewing, distilling and malting industries worldwide. You will learn directly from academics involved in this world leading research, whose work focuses on promoting excellence across five main research themes across the brewing and distilling industries:
- Raw materials
- Malting
- Process improvement
- Sustainability
- Biochemistry and microbiology
The research relevance of this postgraduate programme ensures your studies remain innovative and industry focused.
Go Global
There are currently no Go Global opportunities for this particular programme. However, other Go Global opportunities may be available. Please contact studywithus@hw.ac.uk for more information.
Course content
September Intake - Edinburgh
Year 1
Mandatory September
- Beverage Process Sustainability
- Principles of Sustainability Criteria
Optional September
- Economics of Renewable Energy
- Process Intensification
- Future Foods
Mandatory January
- Research and Professional Practice
- Beverage Industry Sustainability
- Raw Materials Sustainability for Brewing and Distilling
Optional January
- Carbon Solutions
- Management in the Food and Beverage Industries
Mandatory May
- MSc Research Project
Disclaimer
The courses mentioned above may change between now and the time that you study. For more information, please view our Terms and Conditions.
Programme Video
Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt
Fees and funding
| Status | Full Time | Part Time |
|---|---|---|
| UK | £12,744 | £6,372 |
| International | £28,952 | £14,476 |
- Status: Your residency status is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the three years before the start of your course.
- International: 'International' includes applicants from European Union countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled status in UK. (This does not include students from the Republic of Ireland - see above).
Scholarships and bursaries
Postgraduate scholarships and bursaries
We aim to encourage well-qualified, ambitious students to study with us and we offer a wide variety of scholarships and bursaries to achieve this. Over £6 million worth of opportunities are available in fee and stipend scholarships, and more than 400 students benefit from this support.
Entry requirements
We have standard entry requirements for all of our courses that you will have to meet.
Year 1
Candidates must hold a First or Second Class Honours degree, or equivalent qualification from a British or overseas university, in a science or engineering subject (for example, Biological Sciences, Chemistry or Chemical/Mechanical Engineering).
Where candidates hold a first degree from a discipline based outside of those described but have a professional qualification (e.g. Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers (formerly Institute of Brewing & Distilling) or substantial work experience within the brewing, distilling or allied industries, these applications will be considered on a case by case basis.
English language requirements
If your first language is not English, we'll need to see evidence of your English language ability.
The minimum English language requirement for entry to this programme is IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) with no score lower than 5.5.
If you do not have IELTS 6.0, we offer a range of English language courses to help you meet the English language requirement for this programme prior to commencing your studies.
Please see our detailed English language requirements.
Why Heriot-Watt
We're the top university in Scotland for graduate outcomes which means that more of our graduates are employed or in postgraduate education than any other institution in the country and we ranked 5th in the UK.
We're also rated number one in the UK for CEO or MD roles, meaning more of our graduates go on to become CEOs or MDs than any other university in the whole of the UK. On top of that, we have beautiful campuses, across the globe, so you'll get a truly international education. Our Edinburgh Campus is home to Oriam, Scotland's National Sports Performance Centre combined with plenty of wellbeing resources, prioritising fitness and mental health for all students. Our Global Research Institutes look at solving real world issues such as climate change and saving our oceans as well as working on the next medical technological breakthrough and the future of AI and robots.
Student life
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