Major overview
The Renewable and Sustainable Energy major develops advanced expertise in the design, analysis, and optimisation of low-carbon energy systems, integrating technical, economic, and policy perspectives. You'll build practical knowledge of solar, wind, and energy storage technologies, together with the principles of energy efficiency and management that support sustainable energy transitions.
Through system modelling, economic analysis, and policy evaluation, you'll learn to assess renewable resources, design hybrid and storage-integrated systems, and identify cost-effective pathways for decarbonising power and transport. The major emphasises industry-standard tools such as HOMER and LEAP for energy system simulation and scenario planning, alongside life-cycle costing and investment assessment for evaluating real projects.
As one of the two majors you'll complete in the Master of Decarbonisation, Energy and Sustainability Management, Renewable and Sustainable Energy can be paired with Strategic Decarbonisation, Sustainable Cities and Infrastructure, or Corporate Sustainability Management, letting you build a cross-disciplinary skill set suited to your career goals.
3 reasons to study renewable and sustainable energy at Murdoch University
- #1 in Australia for overall educational experience, skills development, teaching quality and learner engagement in Engineering and Technology. Good Universities Guide 2026*
- Master the tools of the clean energy transition, designing and optimising solar, wind, and storage-integrated systems using industry-standard simulation tools such as HOMER and LEAP.
- Pair Renewable and Sustainable Energy with a second major to develop the complementary, cross-disciplinary expertise today's fast-evolving workplace demands.
What you’ll learn
- Design and evaluate renewable energy and energy-efficiency systems, weighing technical performance, life cycle cost, and environmental impact.
- Use system modelling and scenario analysis to plan and optimise low-emissions energy futures with industry-standard software.
- Apply economic, regulatory, and market principles to assess the effectiveness of energy policies at the local, national, and international levels.
- Justify the integration of energy technologies in a project, using tools such as life-cycle costing, energy yield modelling, and risk assessment.
- Analyse how energy systems, policies, and decarbonisation targets interact, and build a strategic energy transition plan for a sector or region.
Your future career
This major prepares you for technical and strategic roles across the clean energy transition, in renewable energy development, utilities, consulting, government, and international organisations. Roles could include:
- Energy systems analyst
- Clean energy specialist
- Energy transition planner
- Renewable energy project manager
- Sustainability and policy advisor
For more details about our Renewable and Sustainable Energy major, download our information pack.
Start dates
| Starting period | Location | Face to Face | Online |
Mixed mode
In this attendance mode, teaching and learning activities are delivered both face-to-face and online, with scheduled or flexible learning times. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trimester 3, 2026 | Murdoch | Yes | Yes | No |
| Trimester 3, 2027 | Murdoch | Yes | Yes | No |
| Trimester 1, 2027 | Murdoch | Yes | Yes | No |
View the dates for our teaching periods or find out more about attendance modes.
Start dates (Transnational)
| Starting period | Location | Face to Face | Online |
Mixed mode
In this attendance mode, teaching and learning activities are delivered both face-to-face and online, with scheduled or flexible learning times. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trimester 3, 2026 | Kaplan Higher Education Academy Pte. Ltd | No | Yes | No |
| Trimester 3, 2027 | Kaplan Higher Education Academy Pte. Ltd | No | Yes | No |
| Trimester 1, 2027 | Kaplan Higher Education Academy Pte. Ltd | No | Yes | No |
| Trimester 3, 2027 | Murdoch University Dubai, UAE | No | Yes | No |
View the dates for our teaching periods or find out more about attendance modes.
Major Structure
Visit the Course Handbook - Get detailed information on units, prerequisites, and pathways.
To help plan the structure of your course, search for our suggested course plans.
| Unit code | Unit name | Credit points |
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How to Apply
Majors are part of a degree and can't be applied on their own. Apply for a related degree first, then choose your major once enrolled.