Doctor of Philosophy in Energy and Climate Systems
Doctoral research on the African energy and climate transition: grid intelligence, renewable integration, carbon measurement, mineral value addition, water systems and adaptation. Every thesis carries a translation statement and a publicati...
Employment thesis
What this programme is designed to produce
Forward publishes the destination of every programme before you enrol. If the thesis stops holding, the programme is reviewed and, where necessary, retired. Next review: 2031.
Roles
- University academic
- senior research scientist
- national policy and standards leader
- technical director in energy, water or climate institutions.
Employer types
- Universities and research institutes
- national agencies
- utilities and regulators
- climate funds and development finance institutions.
Target outcomes we hold ourselves to
- Designed to build regional research supervision capacity rather than to export it.
Compulsory · The Forward Core
How the Core works →Every Forward programme, including this one, carries the same five cross-cutting requirements. They are graded, not optional.
- AI Fluency
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Ethics and African Context
- Human-Advantage Skills
- Enterprise
Includes 12 months paid work-integrated learning
Am I eligible?
Check yourself against the published requirements
7 questions written specifically for Doctor of Philosophy in Energy and Climate Systems. Every answer is checked against a requirement Forward has published, and the result tells you which page that requirement comes from. Indicative only, the admissions office decides on your full file.
What is the highest qualification you hold?
Curriculum structure
The same degree, in both pathways
Every Forward programme is published in both pathways: Path One, the term plan of two six-month terms, and Path Two, the block sequence of twelve four-week blocks. Same competencies, same assessments, same award. Toggle to see this programme in each.
Path One term plan shown
Path One · The Term Model
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECE 110 | Doctoral Research Methods and Experimental Design Both | 8 | 6-2-2 |
| ECE 111 | Advanced Topics in Energy, Climate and Earth Systems Objective | 8 | 7-2-0 |
| ECE 112 | Research Ethics and Environmental and Social Responsibility Objective | 4 | 3-2-0 |
| ECE 113 | Academic Writing and Peer Review Objective | 4 | 3-2-0 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECE 130 | Specialist Reading and Literature Synthesis Objective | 8 | 7-2-0 |
| ECE 131 | Teaching Practice and Supervision Apprenticeship Performance | 6 | 1-0-10 |
| ECE 132 | Policy Translation, Standards and Commercialisation Objective | 6 | 5-2-0 |
| ECE 133 | Thesis Proposal and Public Defence Performance | 16 | 0-2-30 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECE 610 | Doctoral Thesis Research and Supervision (continuous registration) Performance | 0 | 0-0-0 |
| ECE 611 | Doctoral Colloquium and Publication Performanc | 0 | 0-0-0 |
Total credit units: 60
Curriculum source
Forward University Curriculum Compendium
Assessment
Coursework + project + integrated exam
Work-integrated learning
12 months paid co-operative education
Your week at Forward
A typical week on Doctor of Philosophy in Energy and Climate Systems
Path One, the Term Model: your own pace across a six-month term, one live session a week, short flexible lessons, and assessment on demand.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Curriculum explorer
Drill into the degree, step by step
Choose a study path, then a year, then a term or block, then a course. Credit totals add up as you go, and every course shows what comes before it and what it unlocks.
Step 1, choose a year
Step 2, choose a term
YEAR 1, SEMESTER 1: DOCTORAL COURSEWORK
Year 1 · this step is worth 24 CU
Cumulative
24
Programme total
60
24 CU of 60 CU completed by the end of this step (40%)
Step 3, choose a course
Pick a course to see the detail
Credits, assessment, prerequisites and what each course unlocks later.
The twelve Forward capabilities
What this programme develops in you
Every Forward degree develops the same twelve cross-cutting capabilities. The profile below is the level this programme is designed to develop and verify by graduation, on the four-level scale in Part B2 of the Curriculum Compendium. Every claim above Level 2 is verified by someone other than the teaching lecturer.
- C1Intelligent Systems FluencyLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C2Quantitative and Evidential Reasoning CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C3Ethical and Contextual JudgementLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C4Communication and PersuasionLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C5Disciplinary Mastery CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C6Technical Production and CraftLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C7Problem Framing and Systems ThinkingLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C8Collaboration and Multidisciplinary TeamingLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C9Enterprise, Value and Commercial LiteracyLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C10Professional Conduct and Workplace PerformanceLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C11Learning to Learn and Adaptive Capacity CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C12Stewardship and Public Contribution CriticalLevel 3 of 4, Independent
Critical capabilities for this programme: Quantitative and Evidential Reasoning · Disciplinary Mastery · Learning to Learn and Adaptive Capacity · Stewardship and Public Contribution. A graduate cannot pass out of this programme below the stated level on any capability marked critical.
Programme Learning Outcomes
What you will be able to do
Each outcome is assessed, and each is tagged with the Forward capabilities it is verified against.
- PLO 1Make an original contribution to knowledge in energy climate or earth systems.
- PLO 2Design and execute independent research with field or system validation.
- PLO 3Publish in peer reviewed venues and withstand expert scrutiny.
- PLO 4Translate results into policy, standards, deployment or venture.
- PLO 5Teach and supervise under mentorship.
- PLO 6Exercise research ethics and environmental and social responsibility.
Why this programme exists
Doctoral research on the African energy and climate transition: grid intelligence, renewable integration, carbon measurement, mineral value addition, water systems and adaptation. Every thesis carries a translation statement and a publicati...
Admission requirements
A Master's degree in a relevant discipline, a defensible proposal, and a supervisor with capacity. Alternative pathways: Foundation Year, diploma entry with advanced standing, mature age entry and recognition of prior learning, all governed by Part A5 and Part G. Online applicants additionally complete the compulsory Digital Readiness orientation under Part D6.
Energy, Climate & Earth Systems
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