Environment

Overview

This course is aimed at people who want to pursue a career in environmental science and management. It is normally taken as a full-time twelve-month Masters degree. We also offer a Diploma and a Postgraduate Certificate, as described in Content and Structure.

This course provides a firm grounding, through its core modules, in the fundamental principles of environmental science and their application to environmental management. It prepares students for jobs in environmental consultancy and business, in government and non-governmental organisations, and in environmental research, either in the UK or overseas. A wide choice of optional modules allows students to structure their degrees according to their own specific interests in environmental science, ecology and conservation, and environmental policy and economics. Through its emphasis on research, environmental assessment methods, and the application of critical thinking to specific case studies, the course equips students to analyse and tackle the complex, multi-faceted problems that characterise environmental science and management.

The approach to both teaching and research within the Environment Department emphasises the value of multi-disciplinary approaches to address policy-related problems. This is strengthened through close links with its two associated research institutions:  FERA and the Stockholm Environment Institute. The course benefits from input from staff from these institutions in the form of case-study based teaching and supervision of dissertation projects.

Content

All Environment degree programmes have a 'modular' structure, where each module comprises a 10 credit unit or multiple of this. A 10 credit module is equivalent to 100 hours of work, typically comprising 20-25 contact hours with staff, and 75-80 hours of private-study, for a lecture-based module. Modules involving field and laboratory classes may have greater proportions of contact time.

Students must accumulate 180 credits for the MSc in Environmental Science and Management; this comprises 120 credits from taught modules and 60 credits for a dissertation – an independent study module. Of the taught modules, 80 credits form the compulsory core of the degree programme; the remaining 40 credits are optional modules chosen by students. During the first two weeks of term, students can attend more optional modules than is required in order to help them decide which ones they want to select.

For the Diploma in Environmental Science and Management, students must accumulate 120 credits from taught modules only; there is no requirement to undertake an independent study module. For the Postgraduate Certificate in Environmental Science and Management, students must accumulate 60 credits from a compulsory set of core modules (see structure).

Structure

* indicates compulsory module for Postgraduate Certificate

Teaching staff

The course is co-ordinated by Professsor Mark Hodson. Mark is an Anniversary professor who was appointed in 2011. Prior to 2011, he was Director of the Soil Research Centre at the University of Reading. Mark is a soil scientist and his research is focused on the movement and impact of contaminants in the natural environment and their remediation. He also pursues research into the ecology of earthworms and their contribution to ecosystem services.

In addition to Mark, the Departmental staff listed below contribute to the course.

• Dr Bryce Beukers-Stewart
• Prof Alistair Boxall
• Prof Colin Brown
• Dr Nicola Carslaw
• Prof Malcolm Cresser
• Dr Lisa Emberson
• Dr Julie Hawkins
• Dr Colin McClean
• Prof Dave Raffaelli
• Prof Callum Roberts
• Dr Sylvia Toet
• Prof Piran White

Issues

Learn more about some of the issues covered in the course:

• Air quality
• GIS
• Indoor pollution
• Nitrate
• Outside air quality
• Ozone
• Pharmaceuticals
• Road salting
• Volcanic pollution
• Water management

Also see:

• The Food and Environment Research Agency