MSc Environmental Science

A 2.1 Honours undergraduate degree in a biological, environmental or physical science, geography, or other subject-related area.

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This degree prepares students for employment in a range of public and private sectors, such as environmental monitoring and consulting, analytical sciences, the mining industry, or resource management, as well as academic research in environmental and climate science. Graduates will gain a range of specialised and transferrable skills that are sought after in industry and academia alike through the delivery of guest lectures and workshops by industry professionals.

Compulsory

• Analytical Methods in Geochemistry: trains students in the advanced techniques and methodologies used to address fundamental and applied questions related to the Earth system.
• Geochemistry Field Excursion: covers best practice field skills in documenting the human, factors that lead to major environmental disasters such as the Rio Tinto contamination site, Spain. Students learn how to collect samples, perform geochemical analyses in the field and present data in a written report.
• Global Resource Challenges: tackles the economic, environmental, societal, geopolitical and ethical issues regarding mining, and future challenges shaping mineral exploration into the mid-21st century. It includes field trips to see the environmental impact of mining. 
• Pollution and Aqueous Chemistry: provides a combination of the underpinning hydrological theory and the analytical tools required to better understand and ameliorate problems of water in the environment.
• Statistics and Analytical Sciences: provides students with a strong background in statistics and methods of data analysis used in Earth Sciences.

Optional

Students choose one module from the following list:

• Geographic Information Systems for Environmental Management: provides training in GIS systems and their use in environmental problem solving.
• Isotope Geochemistry: Theory, Techniques, and Applications: explores the theory behind, and geochemical applications of, the natural variability measurable in both radiogenic and stable isotope systems.
• Managing Natural Resources: examines the challenges encountered by organizations in managing biodiversity, climate change, and water resources.

Students choose two modules from the following list (if not previously taken):

• Coding and Modelling in Earth Sciences: focuses on building understanding of fundamental concepts in scientific coding, gaining practical coding experience using the popular Python language, and then the application of computer models to gain insight into topics across the Earth Sciences.
• Geochemistry: covers the origin and distribution of the elements, thermodynamics, redox reactions, and aqueous geochemistry.
  Geographic Information Systems for Environmental Management: provides training in GIS systems and their use in environmental problem solving.
• Isotope Geochemistry: Theory, Techniques, and Applications: explores the theory behind, and geochemical applications of, the natural variability measurable in both radiogenic and stable isotope systems.
• Managing Natural Resources: examines the challenges encountered by organizations in managing biodiversity, climate change, and water resources.
• Oceans and Atmosphere: discusses theoretical concepts in marine biogeochemical cycles, ocean and atmospheric circulation, climate, and weather.
• Special Topics in Climate Science: tackles a variety of advanced topical research subjects in climate science, such as climate sensitivity, past warm climates, external forcing, and geo-engineering.
• Subsurface Modelling and Geophysics for Earth Scientists: concepts, techniques, and practices of subsurface exploration and storage, including C storage.

Dissertation/Project

During Semester 1 and 2, students are introduced to field and analytical skills in environmental monitoring. This includes coaching in defining an efficient project workflow, fieldwork preparation desktop studies, note-taking, sampling, field- and lab-based analyses, and data management. In the third semester, each student selects a field area and carries out an independent environmental impact assessment, guided by an academic supervisor and/or an external industry partner. The project will involve:

• project planning and workflow training
• desktop study strategy including background literature review
• project formulation
• analytical design
• data management, integration, and interpretation
• development of oral presentation skills
• production of a technical report.

The assessment is based on digital notes, a poster presentation, and a written dissertation in the form of an environmental impact assessment technical report. The completed dissertation of not more than 10,000 words must be submitted by a date towards the end of August.

If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for the MSc, there is an exit award available that allows suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, students finish their degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of an MSc.