- Advanced knowledge and systematic understanding of the sciences, engineering sciences and technologies underpinning the concept of environmental sustainability,
- The ability to identify, formulate, and critically analyse processes and technologies for implementation of sustainability,
- The ability to apply knowledge to quantify the environmental sustainability of products, process and systems using analysis and interpretation of relevant data,
- An understanding of the need for high ethical standards in the practice of engineering, including the responsibilities of the engineering profession towards people and the environment,
- The ability to work effectively as an individual, in teams and in multidisciplinary settings, and to act as a change agent within organisations to integrate and lead sustainability implementation initiatives,
- The ability to communicate effectively on complex sustainability challenges and opportunities within organisations and with society at large.
- School
- School of Biosystems and Food Engineering
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Level
- Graduate Taught
- NFQ Level
- 9
- Award
- Graduate Diploma
- Mode of Delivery
- Blended
- Programme Director
- Dr Fionnuala Murphy
- Overall Programme Credits:
- 60
- Programme Credits:
- Stage 1
Core/Option: 60 Electives: 0 - Major/Minor Core & Option Credits:
- Stage 1: 60
Curricular information is subject to change.
Sustainability is on the agenda for many sectors. All sectors are responding to sustainability goals, with many organisations setting targets to be achieved by 2030 for compliance, consumer or market retention purposes. Consultation with a range of industry stakeholders has identified that there is a deficit of expertise in the market to address the implementation of sustainability agendas, however the scale and speed of the change required is urgent.
Drivers of this demand are the National Sectoral Emissions Ceilings, the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (2021) Act, Future Jobs initiative 'Transition to low carbon economy', Ireland's National Plan on Corporate Social Responsibility, and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions reporting).
This full-time Level 9 Graduate Diploma equips students with the core skills to quantify the sustainability of a product, process or system, identify areas for improvement and devise and manage measures for implementation to improve sustainability.
- The Graduate Diploma in Environmental Sustainability Implementation comprises 60 credits of Modules (10 modules). These modules are offered across the Spring and Autumn Trimesters.
- All synchronous lectures, tutorials and practicals are delivered during normal working hours in Ireland and recorded to allow asynchronous engagement.
- It is possible for students to complete the programme entirely online. However, for those who want to attend campus, students enrolled in the programme are free to attend timetabled face-to-face lectures and practicals on campus if they wish.
The programme is designed to be suitable for people working in any sector in Ireland.
As most modules can be done either in real-time or via recordings – this gives workers flexibility in managing their learnings around their work hours.
Pathway: This 60 ECTS Graduate Diploma is a Pathway programmes that can build to a Masters degree award. Students who complete the Graduate Diploma have the option of completing a 30 ECTS project which builds to a Masters degree award. The fee for the additional 30 ECTS project is 3000 euro.'
Module Information:
Under the "What modules can I take?" section below you will see general module information, for a more detailed description including module selection rules click here.
There is very significant industry demand for engineers and scientists with knowledge on methods to quantify sustainability for internal benchmarking, process improvement, and reporting purposes. In January 2023 there were mopre than 2000 sustainability-related jobs advertised in Ireland (based on data from LinkedIn).
Upon completion of this Graduate Diploma, graduates will have the skills needed to lead the sustainability agenda for a company either individually or as part of a team.
Stage 1
T390 Grad Dip Environmental Sustainability Implementation FT is a one-year, 60-credit, 2 trimester full-time Graduate Diploma Programme. All students must take 60 credits of taught modules across the Autumn and Spring Trimesters, with a balanced workload of 30 credits per trimester. Students must take BSEN40210 & BSEN40720 in the Autumn Trimester.
Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.
Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.
| Trimester | Credits | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Stage 1 Core Modules |
BSEN30360 | Life Cycle Assessment | Autumn | 5 |
Stage 1 Core Modules |
BSEN40480 | Sustainable Energy & Environment | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Core Modules |
BSEN40820 | Carbon Footprinting | Autumn | 5 |
Stage 1 Core Modules |
BSEN40210 | Green Technologies Project | Autumn and Spring (separate) | 5 |
Stage 1 Core Modules |
BSEN40720 | Carbon & Sustainability | Autumn and Spring (separate) | 5 |
Stage 1 Core Modules |
BSEN40620 | Biorefinery Process & Tech O/L | Spring | 5 |
Stage 1 Core Modules |
BSEN40810 | GHG Accounting | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Core Modules |
BSEN40890 | Renew Energy Syst Analysis O/L | Spring | 5 |
Stage 1 Core Modules |
ENVB40380 | Managing the Interface between Science and Policy (On-line) | Spring | 5 |
Stage 1 Core Modules |
MEEN40310 | Project Management | Spring | 5 |
See the UCD Assessment website for further details
Module Weighting Info
Module Weighting Info
| Award | GPA | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Programme | Module Weightings | Rule Description | Description | ||
| GDENA001 | Stage 1 - 100.00% |
Standard Honours Award | First Class Honours | 3.68 |
4.20 |
| Second Class Honours, Grade 1 | 3.08 |
3.67 |
|||
| Second Class Honours, Grade 2 | 2.48 |
3.07 |
|||
| Pass | 2.00 |
2.47 |
|||
The target market are candidates who are recent graduates, jobseekers or are in full time employment, with a Level 8 Honours degree with minimum 2:1 award (NFQ level 8) or international equivalence in disciplines which include strong mathematical, technological and analytical skills. Examples of acceptable disciplines are engineering, physical science, geography and planning, architecture and environmental related degrees.
Those without a Level 8 honours degree in a relevant subject but with >5 years relevant professional experience in a relevant field will be considered.
Minimum English language requirements will apply. The English language requirements for degree courses at UCD are listed here