Master's Programme in Wind Power Project Management

The Master's Programme in Wind Power Project Management is a multidisciplinary programme organised into themes around the planning, project development, and management of wind farms. Different aspects of these subjects are addressed at the beginning of the programme. As the programme is thematic, you often study several aspects of wind power project development and management together.

The first autumn semester starts with a course in Wind Power Development and Management that provides the basic knowledge and skills in the field. It is followed by the courses Wind Resource Assessment, Planning for Wind Energy, and Wind Turbine Technology. These courses provide in-depth knowledge on meteorology, planning and permitting, wind resource assessment, environmental impact assessment, turbine technology, and stakeholder management.

In the spring semester, you will learn about the integration of wind power into the electrical grid. The knowledge gained in the previous courses will be applied to a project when you conduct a feasibility study. The semester concludes with the courses Scientific Methods in Wind Power Project Management, and Trends in the Wind Industry, which give you the tools for scientific research and knowledge about the current challenges and state-of-the-art solutions in the wind industry.

You will start the third semester with in-depth courses such as Wind Project Management and Financing, Construction, Operation and Maintenance of Wind Farms.

In the second half of the semester, you can choose one of five elective courses with specialisations in Wind Power Project Management, Planning for Wind Energy, Wind Resource Assessment (which requires previous knowledge of physics, mechanics or meteorology, or a related field), Wind Energy Technology (requires a Bachelor's degree in engineering), and Decision Analysis of Wind Power Development.

It is also possible to have an exchange semester at another university or to start an extended thesis project of 45 credits.

In the final semester, you will conduct an individual research project for your degree thesis (30 credits) or continue with the extended thesis project of 45 credits. If you wish to do an internship, you can conduct an industrial thesis at a company.

Courses within the programme

See the programme outline for courses within the programme.

The teaching of the Master's Programme in Wind Power Project Management is a combination of students' active participation and supervision of experienced lecturers. The teaching methods include lectures, seminars, group and project assignments, case studies, role-plays, study visits, computational labs and individual work. Since most of the learning activities are based on group work and projects, and the intense study pace, it is essential that you take an active role throughout the programme.

The exercises are designed to emulate the real-world work in the wind power industry, including negotiation exercises, organising and holding stakeholder meetings, wind power project development simulation and steering committee meetings, etc. In project work, you can explore topics relevant to your background.

On-field trips, you will visit operating wind farms. You will learn on-site about the wind farm's construction from the project manager in charge of its development. You will be given the chance to perform a roughness analysis around turbines and climb a wind turbine to see first-hand the components that comprise an operational wind turbine.

We will have many guest lecturers from the industry, some of which are our former students. The guest lecturers will also provide you with insights into the role of a project manager and discuss the knowledge they find particularly important in their professional lives.

Students in the class are from various countries and have different backgrounds, which creates a welcoming and international study environment. It also contributes to the diversity of the class making it a truly vibrant forum for discussions. You are also always welcome to approach your teachers with questions and enquiries outside the lecture time.

You will learn industry-specific software such as windPRO and the modelling software WASP. You will apply the knowledge you gain in a wind power project development case. You can also learn other relevant software, depending on your interest.

The programme is taught full-time, in English, at Campus Gotland. You are expected to be based in the city of Visby on the island of Gotland throughout your studies, except for your thesis project if you choose to do it somewhere else.

There is rapid development in the field of wind power, because of the cost reductions in technology and the increased motivation to move towards greater sustainability since the Paris Agreement in 2015. Therefore, the labour market in the field is promising. We see increasing demand worldwide for well-trained professionals in the wind energy industry; project planners, service technicians, operations analysts, etc.

This Master's programme prepares you for global management positions or further PhD studies across the wide spectrum of the wind energy industry. You could be working for wind power development companies, companies operating wind farms, consulting firms, local and national governments, component manufacturing and supply chain companies, research institutions or other organisations working with renewable energy and/or environmental issues. Your professional career may also be in scientific or technical research and development, as a scientific or technical advisor, consultant, or project leader.

Some of the positions held by our alumni are:

• Project Manager
• Senior Project Manager
• Renewable Energy Consultant
• Wind Resource Analyst
• PhD Student
• Environmental Administrator
• Technical Planner Wind Energy
• Site Manager
• Concept & Layout Engineer
• Lead Turbine Suitability and Site Optimisation Engineer
• Operation & Maintenance and Construction Engineer
• Market Lead
• Fields Operations & Improvement Leader
• Senior Technical Project Lead
• Director of Wind Operations Technology
• Business Development Manager
• Research & Development Engineer
• Lecturer
• Graduate Researcher

The combination of in-depth knowledge gained in the programme and practical skills gained in your thesis project will make you an attractive candidate in the labour market, both in academia and in the industry. Our graduates often find themselves highly sought after in the global labour market.

You will graduate from the programme with demonstrable knowledge relevant to wind farm project development and management, and a wide network of contacts. This is a powerful combination and the demand for this type of expertise in the labour market is expected to increase.

Career support

During your time as a student, UU Careers offers support and guidance. You have the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities and events that will prepare you for your future career.