Future Power Networks
Deepen your understanding of operating practice, design standards and regulatory policies in the electricity supply industry.
Deepen your understanding of operating practice, design standards and regulatory policies in the electricity supply industry
Get industry recognition by achieving an accredited degree, awarded on behalf of the Engineering Council
Explore the business aspects of bulk electric power supply systems
Course key facts
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Qualification
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MSc
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Duration
1 year
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Start date
September 2024
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Study mode
Full-time
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Fees
£17,600 Home
£40,900 Overseas
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Delivered by
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Location
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South Kensington
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Minimum entry standard
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First class Honours (minimum of 75% overall) in electrical/electronic engineering or a related subject with a substantial electrical/electronic engineering component
Course overview
Learn about the challenges posed by the rapidly changing power generation mix with increasing fractions of clean energy sources such as wind and solar.
Study the enabling technologies and the system-level solutions to facilitate deep decarbonisation of the electric power sector in a secure and cost-effective way.
Understand the interplay with decarbonisation of the heat and the transport sector.
You’ll receive insights from industry experts outlining practical realities and challenges faced on the ground.
A substantial individual research project will be a major focus of your studies, carried out in an area of your interest.
You’ll have the opportunity to develop the skills engineers require to work in the electricity industry, increasingly driven by clean and low-carbon energy sources, as well as enter further research.
Structure
This page is updated regularly to reflect the latest version of the curriculum. However, this information is subject to change.
Find out more about potential course changes.
Please note: it may not always be possible to take specific combinations of modules due to timetabling conflicts. For confirmation, please check with the relevant department.
You’ll take all of the following core modules.
Core modules
This module introduces advanced technical concepts and guiding principles behind the rapid transition in the electric power sector driven by low carbon generation technologies, flexible demand, electric transportation, ICT and big data applications, and regulatory and policy changes.
This module covers two broad HVDC technologies and their system-level impact. The focus is on HVDC converter operation and control, operation of HVDC links and HVDC grids and interaction between HVDC and host AC systems.
This module provides an overview of five important topics - flexible AC transmission, power electronics in distribution, state estimation, impact of low system inertia and multi-vector integrated energy system.
This module covers stability and control challenges encountered in a low (or zero) carbon electric power system including mitigation measures to facilitate deep decarbonisation. The scope is power systems with 100% inverter-based resources using a combination of grid-following and grid-forming converters.
This module covers modelling of synchronous, asynchronous generation technologies (wind turbine generators), their control for system voltage, and frequency support and interaction with the system.
Improve your lab skills and improve your understanding of the steady-state and dynamic behaviour of a microgrid.
You’ll also choose three optional modules.
Optional modules
Explore the theoretical basis and applicability of modern methods for spectral estimation, algorithms which underlie adaptive signal processing, and machine intelligence techniques.
Understand the principles for designing linear multivariable control systems to meet a range of practical applications.
Analyse the design of digital filters and in multirate signal processing techniques.
Gain an overview of the technologies involved in making an electric vehicle (EV), as well as those required to enable wider adoption of EVs.
Learn how to design computer algorithms for finding minima and maxima and discover how to interpret and modify algorithms found in standard computer packages.
This module covers the analysis of market participants' strategies, the impact of demand elasticity on the market outcomes and prices, operational reliability and ancillary services, network congestion and related locational marginal pricing including transmission access rights, coordination of trading between energy and balancing services, investment in generation and transmission assets.
Gain the analytical skills required to study random phenomena in engineering systems and learn how to set up probabilistic models for engineering problems.
Understand the concepts and theoretical techniques needed to study the stability and stabilisation of nonlinear control systems.
This module covers the enabling technologies and system-level considerations for transforming the electricity system into a more sustainable form. Apart from operation of the low carbon energy technologies (such as wind, solar, hydro, heat networks etc.) the planning and operational challenges posed by decarbonisation are described.
Broaden your knowledge of advanced modern control methodologies and explore topics including Kalman filtering and tracking, fault detection and isolation, and linear matrix inequalities.
Develop a conceptual framework for modelling and analysing different communication networks and discover how to set up models and use them for performance analysis.
Learn to find alternative representations of signals in order to extract essential information quickly and effectively.
You'll also carry out an individual research project in an area of your interest.
The project is assessed by a written report and poster presentation.
You’ll have an academic mentor to support you throughout the project.
Professional accreditation
This course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council.
It meets the full academic requirements for registration as an Incorporated Engineer and partially meets the academic requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).
Candidates must hold a CEng accredited BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree to comply with full CEng registration requirements.
Our accreditation agreement with the Institution of Engineering and Technology is renewed every 5 years, and the current agreement runs between 2019 and 2023.
Teaching and assessment
Balance of teaching and learning
Key
- Lectures and lab work
- Independent study
- Research work
- 20% Lectures and lab work
- 36% Independent study
- 44% Research work
Teaching and learning methods
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Lectures
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Flipped classroom approaches
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Virtual learning environment
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Quizzes
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Computer sessions
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Individual research project
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Independent study
Balance of assessment
Key
- Coursework
- Examinations
- Practical
- 50% Coursework
- 40% Examinations
- 10% Practical
Assessment methods
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Coursework
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Examinations
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Practical
Entry requirements
We consider all applicants on an individual basis, welcoming students from all over the world.
How to apply
Apply online
You can submit one application form per year of entry. You can choose up to two courses.
Application deadlines – Round 3 closes on Friday 24 May 2024
We operate a staged admissions process with several application rounds throughout the year.
Apply by midnight (UK time) on the relevant application round deadline to ensure that you receive the outcome of your application by the decision date.
We recommend applying as early as you can – we cannot guarantee that places will be available, or that courses will remain open, in later rounds.
Application rounds
Round 1
- Apply by 19 January 2024
- Decision by 9 March 2024
Round 2
- Apply by 4 April 2024
- Decision by 11 May 2024
Round 3
- Apply by 24 May 2024
- Decision by 27 July 2024
There is no application fee for MRes courses, Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas, or courses such as PhDs and EngDs.
If you are applying for a taught Master’s course, you will need to pay an application fee before submitting your application.
The fee applies per application and not per course.
- £80 for all taught Master's applications, excluding those to the Imperial College Business School.
- £100 for all MSc applications to the Imperial College Business School.
- £150 for all MBA applications to the Imperial College Business School.
If you are facing financial hardship and are unable to pay the application fee, we encourage you to apply for our application fee waiver.
Find out more about how to apply for a Master's course, including references and personal statements.
An ATAS certificate is not required for students applying for this course.
Tuition fees
Home fee
2024 entry
£17,600
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the College, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
The government has not yet published the loan amount for students starting courses in Autumn 2024. As a guide, the maximum value of the loan was £12,167 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2023.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Overseas fee
2024 entry
£40,900
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the College, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
The government has not yet published the loan amount for students starting courses in Autumn 2024. As a guide, the maximum value of the loan was £12,167 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2023.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
How will studying at Imperial help my career?
Develop engineering skills in a wide range of fields that employers highly value.
With specialised knowledge, you'll be highly sought after in a range of sectors.
Employers in the power engineering industry, network operators, equipment manufacturers, and consulting firms will be highly interested in your skills.
Many graduates also opt to pursue doctoral research in the UK or overseas.
Further links
Contact the department
- Telephone: +44 (0)20 7594 3123
- Email: eeepgoffice@imperial.ac.uk
Course Director: Dr Balarko Chaudhuri
Visit the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering website.
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Terms and conditions
There are some important pieces of information you should be aware of when applying to Imperial. These include key information about your tuition fees, funding, visas, accommodation and more.
You can find further information about your course, including degree classifications, regulations, progression and awards in the programme specification for your course.
Programme specifications