Master of Engineering (Electrical Power)

This is a two-year master's degree for engineers who want to work on the generation, transmission and distribution side of the electricity industry. You will study power system analysis, protection, power electronics, electrical machines, renewable generation, and the control systems that keep a grid stable. The coursework is built for people who already hold an engineering degree and want to specialise, or for practising engineers moving into power roles. Adelaide University delivers it as a master's by coursework, so most of your time goes into units of study rather than a single research thesis.

Australian master's degrees sit at level 9 of the Australian Qualifications Framework. A two-year master's like this one usually runs over four semesters or trimesters, with each unit worth a set number of credit points and a full-time load adding up to the credit total needed to graduate. You will typically complete core power engineering units, a few electives, and a capstone or major project in your final year where you apply what you have learned to a real design or analysis problem. Some students take the research pathway instead and write a thesis. The exact unit list, credit points and any placement component are set by the university, so check the official course page before you apply.

Work-integrated learning is common in Australian engineering master's degrees. That might mean an industry project with a network business or consultancy, a placement in a utility or engineering firm, or a design task set by an employer. Adelaide has a concentration of electricity transmission, distribution and renewable energy organisations, and engineering schools here keep links with them for guest lectures, site visits and projects. The skills you build are the ones employers ask for: load flow and fault studies, protection coordination, grid connection studies for solar and wind, power quality, and the modelling software used in the industry. You also practise writing technical reports and working in teams, which is most of what the job actually is.

This degree suits you if you have a bachelor's in electrical engineering or a closely related field and want to move into power systems, or if you are already working in the sector and need formal qualifications to step up. It also works for international students who want an Australian qualification and post-study work rights. On a Student visa you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and after you graduate you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, which lets you stay and work in Australia for a period set by the Department of Home Affairs. English requirements are published by the university; international applicants usually need IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall for a coursework master's, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and Cambridge C1 Advanced accepted as equivalents. The Student visa has its own separate English threshold. Tuition is listed on the CRICOS register under course code 117897D. Confirm fees, intake dates and unit details on the official page.

• Power systems engineer — network planning, load flow studies and grid stability work with transmission and distribution businesses.
• Protection and control engineer — designing and testing relay settings and control schemes for substations.
• Renewable energy engineer — grid connection studies, inverter modelling and integration of solar and wind farms.
• Electrical design engineer — switchboards, cabling, earthing and power distribution for buildings, mines and industrial plants.
• Consulting engineer — power quality, energy audits and feasibility studies for engineering consultancies.
• Asset management engineer — maintaining and replacing transformers, switchgear and lines for utilities.
• Project engineer — delivering substation, transmission and generation projects for construction and infrastructure firms.
• Control and instrumentation engineer — automation and SCADA systems in energy, water and heavy industry.

Australian employers in these roles include electricity network businesses, generators, renewable energy developers, engineering consultancies, mining and resources companies, and government energy agencies. Professional accreditation for engineering programmes is handled by Engineers Australia; check the official course page for the current accreditation status of this degree.