Green Building
Master of Science | PG Diploma | PG Certificate
Develop a comprehensive understanding and confidence to apply sustainable design principles on our MSc in Green Building.
Achieving zero carbon in the design and building industry requires a transformation in materials and methods. This course equips students with critical thinking skills to effectively integrate green building principles into their work, projects, and professional practice, thereby enhancing their future employability in the sustainable construction or property sectors while learning to adapt the built environment to current environmental changes.
The course merges theoretical knowledge with practical hands-on learning and research experience in sustainable building design, construction, and renovation, enabling students to build scientific literacy, academic rigour, and teamwork skills, construct evidence-based arguments, and gain proficiency in research methods to undertake an advanced independent project.
Students will acquire a holistic understanding of sustainability, incorporate risk and vulnerability assessment into their decision-making, and comprehend how the urgency of climate change influences their choices regarding building design, construction methods, materials, and cultures.
Key areas of study
Through the Green Building course, you will gain an in-depth understanding of sustainable design principles and their practical application, best-practice construction methods and standards, evidence-informed approaches, and socially and ecologically responsible practices.
Some of the topics you’ll study include:
- Transformational change, resilience building, and adaptive capacity
- Advanced building analysis and construction techniques
- Heat and moisture flows in buildings, zero carbon building standards, and methodologies
- Circularity applied to building project management and the building project life cycle.
- Environmentally responsive materials, resources, and life-cycle analysis / environmental assessment
- Acute resilience pathways for cities and communities
- Renewable energy systems
- Biodiversity enhancement in buildings and cities and ecosystem services provision
- Environmental politics and the prevailing social and economic systems
CAT Stories: Roshan Nageena Sabeer
Roshan is a Principal Architect at Ávása Architects in Kerela, India. Having studied with us through distance learning on our MSc in Green Building course she is steering her small architecture firm to adopt and experiment with the sustainable ideas and materials she learnt about on the course to find suitable solutions for ongoing design and build projects.
Modules
When studying this course as an MSc you will need to study the two introductory core modules and one other core taught module, plus choose four optional taught modules before undertaking a dissertation.
There are three recommended modules (Energy Flows in Buildings, Low and Zero Carbon Buildings and Circular Building) within your optional modules, of which you must choose at least two, depending on your experience and prior knowledge.
Depending on your pathway through the course, you will also complete the 15-credit Applied Research Design module in the year prior to starting your dissertation. Please click on the descriptions below for information about each module.
Core Modules
- EV1322 – Introduction to Sustainability and Adaptation
- EV7137 – Sustainability and Adaptation Concepts in Practice
- EV7110 – Sustainable Materials in the Built Environment
- EV7125 – Applied Research Design
- EV7101 – MSc Dissertation
Optional Modules
- EV7127 – Ecosystem and Ecosystem Services
- EV7131 – Introduction to Politics and Economics of the Environment
- EV7128 – Energy Flows in Buildings
- EV7105 – Cities and Communities
- EV7134 – Low and Zero Carbon Buildings
- EV7108 – Energy Provision
- EV7122 – Circular Building
Our timetable of module dates changes year on year. You can view our most recent version of the Timetable, Programme Specifications, Course Handbooks and Current Student Information on our Current Students page.
Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for this course for a full MSc for Home Students are £9,800 or for Overseas students £12,600. This is the cost payable to CAT for the course tuition. Please visit our Fees and Funding pages to see the tuition fees for other study levels, additional fees and funding opportunities.
Entry requirements
We ask for a Bachelor’s degree or knowledge and skills equivalent to degree standard.
IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) is required for applicants whose first language is not English.
Why study at CAT?
Benefit from over 50 years’ sustainability experience
CAT is a world-leading eco centre and a pioneer in researching and teaching practical solutions for sustainability, with over five decades experience in low-impact building, energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable food production, natural resource management and more.
Immersive or distance learning
Students can decide whether they want to study a module on-site or via distance learning.
Our taught modules offer an immersive learning experience through lectures, talks, seminars and workshops delivered by our expert in-house staff, with specialist insights from visiting lecturers from industry and academia. Practical sessions during on-site study visits at CAT, allow you to get hands-on with sustainable building materials, ecological assessments and energy efficiency.
Many modules are shared with our other postgraduate courses, providing you with a rich learning experience. Our teaching resources are available through Microsoft Teams for students taking the module by distance learning and on-site, creating a space for students to interact and share ideas and expertise, adding to the immersive learning environment
Flexible study options
Courses can also be studied full or part-time, and our course structure allows you to choose the mode and level of study that suits you, helping you fit your studies around your life and existing commitments.
Full-time study at MSc level will allow you to complete the course in 18 months. Part-time study at MSc level will allow you to complete the course over a recommended three years.
Interested in studying this course? Join us for our next open day, contact us for more information or apply today.
This course is created and delivered by CAT and is validated by Liverpool John Moores University.
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APPLY NOW
Apply for our 2025 entry to study on our MSc in Green Building.
Due to high interest we recommend you apply early as we consider applications on a first-come first-served basis. If you have further questions or need support with your application then do get in touch.