Measuring Environmental Impact - Micro-credential

Overview

This course qualifies for a 80% subsidy under the HCI Fees Subsidy. Please refer to the fees section for details and eligibility criteria.

Who is this Micro-credential for?  
This micro-credential is suited to individuals with backgrounds in engineering, applied sciences, and related disciplines with roles in supporting sustainable initiatives to address the existing knowledge gap relating to undertaking life cycle assessments. Furthermore, a broader awareness of complementary ecometrics evaluation methods will support more advanced decision-making in relation to the economic, environmental, and social trade-offs when addressing sustainability.

Why should I take this Micro-credential?  
The micro-credential allows you to upskill and develop core knowledge to design and manage assets through a life cycle lens. Specifically, you will:

•    Gain practical knowledge of the LCA process according to the ISO 14000 family of standards, and a capacity to undertake a LCA for any existing product, system, or process in line with these best-practice standards.
•    Apply critical evaluation skills to review other life cycle studies to ensure quality assurance of the conclusions and recommendations.
•    Develop the capacity to produce practical guidance from ecometric study findings to inform more sustainable engineering products, systems, and processes.
•    Develop the ability to undertake an advanced circular measurement and assessment in line with the new ISO 59000 family of standards to further enhance the sustainability of new products, systems, or processes.
Our Micro-credentials are all CPD approved by Engineers Ireland.

When can I start this Micro-credential?  
There is one intake per year in January.
What do I need to be accepted onto this Micro-credential? – Entry requirements & Prerequisite documents  
Level 8 (undergraduate) programme. 2.1 grade in a STEM, Architecture, Urban Planning, or relevant discipline. CV and transcript of qualification.

What will I learn? (include ECTS Weighting)
Through taking this micro-credential, you will learn:

•    How to explain key concepts related to evaluating the sustainable performance of engineering products, systems, or processes such as carbon footprinting, life cycle assessment, and the circular economy.
•    How to describe and evaluate the breakdown of contributions within a carbon footprint of a given engineering product, system, or process.
•    Demonstrate understanding the life cycle analysis process by outlining the principles, procedures, and tools to support LCA and complementary assessment methods.
•    Produce a complete LCA to appraise the environmental impacts of an engineering product, system, or process.
•    Identify opportunities for design improvements in engineering products, systems, or processes to achieve trade-offs or win-wins in terms of environmental (LCA), economic (LCC), social (S-LCA) and holistic sustainability (LCSA) priorities.
•    Differentiate between methodological approaches and decision-making in the LCA process and its impacts on the perceived performance of engineering products, systems, or processes.
•    Compare and evaluate the similarities and differences between life cycle assessment and more nuanced ecometrics such as circularity measurement and assessment.
This micro-credential is worth 5 ECTS.

What will I do? 
•    Explore the role of different methodologies and concepts relating to LCA, life cycle thinking and the circular economy through a critical review of existing research in the field.
•    Describe the principles and procedures of LCAs, circularity measurement, and assessment methodology.
•    Undertake a detailed LCA of an engineering product/system and define measures to reduce the environmental impacts of a product/system using life cycle assessment findings.

How will this Micro-credential be delivered? 
Entirely online via the Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment.
How is this Micro-credential assessed? 
100% Coursework, made up of three components.