Course syllabus for Applied industrial ecology

The course syllabus contains changes
See changes

Course syllabus adopted 2021-02-11 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameTillämpad industriell ekologi
  • CodeENM021
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPTSE
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyEnergy and Environmental Systems and Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • DepartmentSPACE, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 28123
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0107 Project 4.5 c
Grading: UG		 4.5 c
0207 Examination 3 c
Grading: TH		 3 c
  • 30 Maj 2022 pm J
  • 08 Okt 2021 am J
  • 16 Aug 2022 pm J

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

The courses FFR160 Sustainable development and FFR166 Science of environmental change or equivalent. It is recommended but not necessary to have taken the course VMI010 Environmental systems analysis.

Aim

The aim of the course is that students should gain knowledge and skills about some analytical tools and methods applied in Industrial Ecology to support them to assess critical aspects of sustainability, focus on environmental impacts and resource constraints, and to suggest measures towards sustainable development. The focus is on technical systems and life cycles of resources and products.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

  • describe the field of Industrial Ecology and different parts within the field;
  • apply the tools and methods included in the course;
  • describe and explain the steps in the procedures or methodologies of the tools and methods included in the course;
  • describe and explain the main characteristics of the tools and methods included in the course (such as: purpose, intended users, system boundaries, dimensions);
  • choose relevant tools and methods for different purposes;
  • describe and explain strengths and weaknesses (possibilities and limitations) of the tools and methods included in the course;
  • describe which and explain how methodological choices and assumptions can have important influence on the results produced by the tools and methods included in the course;
  • explain, identify and assess critical aspects of sustainability for technical systems and life cycles of resources and products,
  • focus on environmental impacts and resource constraints;
  • make an evaluation of potential ethical consequences for technical systems and life cycles of resources and products, based on knowledge about ethics theory; make simple models of technical systems and life cycles of resources and products;
  • critically and independently be able to identify and formulate complex problems in relation to sustainable development;
  • simulate, predict and evaluate behaviour and events, also with limited or incomplete information;
  • describe the industrial metabolism for a set of materials from a sustainability perspective;
  • describe the results of technology assessments for a set of technologies (products) from a sustainability perspective;
  • clearly and unambiguously present (orally) conclusions, and the knowledge and rationale underpinning these.

Content

The course includes:

  • the field of Industrial Ecology;
  • a set of analytical tools and methods applied in Industrial Ecology that apply a systems perspective to analyse and suggest measures for societal and industrial activities and their impact on nature: material flow analysis, indicators, technology assessment, and scenarios;
  • ethics analysis;
  • the results from the project about the industrial metabolism of a set of materials from a sustainability perspective;
  • the results of the project about the technology assessments of a set of technologies (products) from a sustainability perspective.

Organisation

The course includes: lectures, workshops, projects, and a written examination. The projects are performed in groups and presented orally.

Literature

Literature will be available at the web page of the course during the course.

Examination including compulsory elements

The requirements for passed course are:

  • passed workshops and projects (4.5 hec);
  • passed written examination (3 hec).

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.

The course syllabus contains changes

  • Changes to examination:
    • 2021-09-21: Grade raising Changed to grade raising by GRULG