Postgraduate study

Teaching & assessment

Taught modules

All modules on the MSc/Diploma programme are assessed by exams, by course work or by a combination of the two. The majority of modules contain lectures (up to 18 for a 10 credit module) and many also including seminars that require collaborative group work. Seminars are assessed through oral presentations, and/or an independently written essay. Several modules include small group tutorials, which consolidate and further develop material from the lectures. Practical classes range from bench or laboratory practicals to sessions in computer classrooms and are usually assessed through a written report. Plans are currently being made for several field trips.

Teaching & assessment

MSc/Diploma dissertation

All MSc/Diploma students must undertake an independent research dissertation culminating in a report that involves the investigation of a problem identified in any area of the relevant literature. MSc dissertations are 10,000-15,000 words in length. Diploma students complete a shorter dissertation (about 5,000 words). Environment academic staff members provide titles and descriptions of dissertation topics although students can also suggest their own. All the skills necessary to undertake a dissertation are taught in the Research Methods module. Although a dissertation supervisor provides regular guidance, students are encouraged to work largely alone. We offer students the opportunity to undertake dissertation projects based in our associated research institutes at York, the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Defra Central Science Laboratory, or with relevant organisations outside the University (e.g. Environment Agency, UK).

Admissions

Admissions

All graduate programmes normally require students to have or expect to obtain at least an upper second-class undergraduate degree or equivalent. For entry to EEEM and EE it is ideal to have studied economics and some ecology. Applicants with degrees in other subjects that contain a significant quantitative component will also be considered, but acceptance is usually subject to them attending a 5 week Summer School in Microeconomics and Quantitative Methods in the Economics Department before the MSc/Diploma programme starts. Students wishing to enrol for MEM should ideally have studied some ecology and/or environmental management. ESM applicants will ideally have studied some aspects of environmental science, although we will consider applicants holding degrees in other science or engineering subjects. Applicants holding degrees in non-science subjects will also be considered, although they will need to undertake some independent preparatory study in environmental science and environmental chemistry.

To enter the EE and EEEM courses, students whose native language is not English must obtain at least 550 PBT-TOEFL, 213 CBT-TOEFL, 79 iBT-TOEFL, 6.0 IELTS or A/B/C Cambridge Proficiency or Cambridge Advanced A. For the MEM and ESM courses, the equivalent requirements are at least 575 PBT-TOEFL, 232 CBT-TOEFL, 92 iBT-TOEFL and 6.5 IELTS.

Applying

Leave of absence

The Department allows students to take leave of absence for up to a year in order to resolve medical or personal problems before completing graduate programmes.

Term dates 2010-2011

  • Autumn Term: 11 October 2010 - 17 December 2010
  • Spring Term: 10 January 2011 - 18 March 2011
  • Summer Term: 26 April 2011 - 1 July 2011
  • Graduation ceremonies: Winter - 22 January 2011, Summer - 13, 14, 15 July 2011

Fees & funding

Fees & funding

The standard annual tuition fees for 2010/11 will be:

  • Home/EU Students - £4,000
  • Overseas Students - £14,850

For more information about fees, please see:

For information about funding, please see: