Have you been considering turning your passion for renewable and future energy into a career?
Are you looking to stay ahead of the curve in a changing energy industry by upskilling and upgrading your existing qualification with a master's degree?
Our Master of Renewable and Future Energy offers you the breadth and depth covered by interdisciplinary collaborations within the School of Engineering, which is one of the reasons why current student Peter Tippet, felt that the MRFE was the right move. Peter has been in the Oil and Gas Industry for over 30 years and currently works as a Reservoir Engineering Advisor and Reserves Coordinator for Chevron.
We asked Peter some questions about his journey to the master's and what the day in the life of a Master of Renewable and Future Energy student looks like.
Tell us about your journey, background and how you got started?
I have always been interested in the technology behind the constantly evolving energy industry and since this space has really started to take off I decided it was time to invest in the future of my career and industry with a master's degree,
You are clearly very experienced in the industry, having already had a long and successful career working for leading companies, what made you want to study the Master of Renewable and Future Energy?
I saw this degree as a great opportunity to solidify and extend my knowledge of the fast evolving energy transition that is affecting not only the traditional oil and gas industry but also creating a new industry of its own. My interest in the area led me to start looking for a master's by coursework degree that could educate me across this discipline.
So I looked around at what was on offer and decided that UWA was offering the right mix of units and topics and enrolled last year. What I felt the UWA degree offered, that the others didn't, is a solid technical foundation in this specialisation, while giving you the option to choose from a series of more general and broad-ranging units to make you a more marketable and employable future energy professional.
Now to ask you about the course itself - has there been anything that surprised you about it?
It has certainly been technically challenging! Given that I obtained my first undergraduate degree over 30 years ago, it took me a little 'getting used to' in terms of hitting the books, submitting tests and assignments, and refamiliarising myself with the maths, physics, and chemistry required for the baseline technical units.
So tell us what a 'day in the life' of a Master of Renewable and Future Energy student looks like? Do you have any tips to share for future students?
You certainly have to “stay ahead of the curve”, attending or listening to lectures, doing the reading and revision, completing tests, labs, and assignments, and generally making sure you are not falling behind in the learning as it can be difficult to catch up!
If you are thinking about studying the MRFE, make sure you have the passion and interest to enable you to devote the time and effort required to complete each unit in the degree. It takes significant time, effort, and organisation, so make sure you’re prepared for it!
What would you say the best part of the course is, and what is the most challenging?
I like that you can take most classes (and labs) online since a busy working life can often get in the way of attending every class! You can also turn up to classes and labs as its not too far from work, so it’s flexible. The topics are interesting and most certainly technically challenging! Juggling work and study is probably the biggest challenge.
If you want to learn more about the Master of Renewable and Future Energy, you can watch the video below, visit our dedicated course page or get in touch with one of our student advisors.
