Petroleum Refining Systems Engineering MSc - 2023/4

Other information

Digital Capabilities:
Throughout the programme, students learn to navigate and utilise the Virtual Learning Environment @ Surrey (SurreyLearn) and other digital resources and online databases to aid their learning and undertake research. Students are also introduced to, and gain proficiency in specific digital tools, such as general modelling software MATLAB, process and process systems modelling software Aspen+, optimisation modelling software GAMS, which are all assisting in building their skills to deal with engineering problems, generate, analyse, and present data mainly by means of a computer. Students are also encouraged to use current media such as WhatsApp, Teams, and Zoom, and utilising cloud/file sharing for communication and team working. Appropriate use of digital media and communication platforms is increasingly essential for engineering practitioners, and through the use and discussion of these, students gain an awareness of their roles, plus their limitations and misuse, which can have a wider impact (e.g., on digital well-being).

Employability:
The programme is designed to equip students with all the core competencies required for an engineering professional in general and professional in petrochemical industry in particular. Throughout the course, students will encounter real-life examples and problems to be prepared, solve and hence competitive in the job market. They will also be taught by and exposed to a variety of internal and external speakers exposing students to the variety of specific roles and real-life cases engineers have in the workplace. The tasks and assessments undertaken across the modules are specifically chosen to equip students with knowledge and skills that are key to the role of modern and forward-looking engineers. Key to this, and underpinning everything through this programme, students develop the ability to appraise evidence critically and the appropriate application of this knowledge to specific individuals, groups, or populations, all in the course of development of new products or advancing research in a commercial world.

Global and Cultural Capabilities:
The programme is taught in an interactive and collaborative way, in a cohort that commonly represents a wealth of nationalities and backgrounds. Students are encouraged to engage with and learn from diverse perspectives through interaction and teamwork. It is evident that main advances in engineering originate from cross-cultural studies, and differences between ethnic groups are explored and appreciated as key to understanding the interrelationship between various aspects of engineering: research, design, and operation. Students also develop an understanding of inequalities in the commercial world and the underlying causes of differences with the exploration of how the diversity of lived experience and culture can impact processes. Invited speakers contribute to diverse global perspectives on cutting-edge advancement in engineering as well as global effects.

Resourcefulness and Resilience
This programme requires practical problem-solving skills that teach a student how to reason about and solve new unseen problems starting with a problem scenario and designing and developing a complex and practical solution to the problem. As such, students will have experience in taking an idea from concept through to implementation and evaluation both as an individual and within a group.

Sustainability:
From the very beginning of the programme, students begin to consider the foundations of engineering and technology-related knowledge in the context of the UN Sustainable Goals. Sustainability is directly involved in most of the modules on the programme. Broader aspects relevant to sustainability, including manufacturing processes, general processing, distribution, retail and impact on global resources and the environment are topics that are addressed across the programme. Seminars and tutorials give students the opportunity to explore specific topical aspects of sustainability. In particular, students can choose optional modules dealing with current sustainability problems to further master and advance sustainability in the technology sector of their interest.