MSc Environmental Consultancy

Content

The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.

The course is flexible and therefore suitable for part-time and full-time students. You'll select two optional modules, complete a three-month placement and undertake a dissertation. The key taught areas include business skills for environmental consultancy, environmental assessment and options in renewable energy, carbon management, air quality, water management and law, and GIS.

You'll study:

• Environmental Business Skills - covers the key topics and skills needed for successful environmental consultancy practice management, including the main areas of consultancy and clients. You'll develop an understanding of the consultancy value proposition and explore the financial dynamics of running a consultancy. You'll also practise and develop some of the core skills of presentation, marketing and report writing.
• Environmental Assessment - introduces the principles and practice of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). It'll help you to understand what EIA is, how it works, and what its strengths and weaknesses are. You'll also learn how it has developed, what is current best practice, and crucially how to engage with EIA in your career in the future.
• Professional Practice in Environmental Sciences - provides you with support when applying for a minimum 48-day placement as part of your degree, normally at an environmental consultancy setting. This will give you an insight into the responsibilities of the profession and offer a real-world context to your learning.
• Masters Project - you'll undertake an independent research project to investigate, tackle and report on a specific issue in current environmental consultancy practice, with supervision from specialist subject tutors.

Plus, two optional modules from the list below, the nature and content of which is in line with current trends in environmental consultancy:

• Renewable Energy and Carbon Futures - explores a range of renewable and sustainable technologies, and the energy policy debates that underpin the rationale for adopting them. You'll investigate the different opportunities and challenges impacting the low-carbon energy transition and considerations of carbon will form a central factor in these debates.
• Introduction to Applied Geographical Information Systems (GIS) - introduces fundamental concepts related to GIS and its application and develop the basic practical skills that can be extended across the rest of the course. This module covers the history of GIS, issues about GIS and society, an introduction to spatial data formats and a technical introduction to ArcGIS.
• Water Management and Law - will introduce you to a range of topics relating to water management in a challenging future, including governing legal frameworks. The module considers the major political, economic, regulatory and policy issues facing water managers in two broadly conceived world regions: the Western capitalist world and the so-called "developing world". The module will include a series of lectures addressing these topics as well as invitations to attend relevant external events and presentations by visitors to the university.
• Air Quality Management - covers an introduction to concepts of air quality management from UK and European policy perspectives. It focuses on pollutants of concern, their sources and health effects, ways of monitoring and modelling air pollution, the role of the planning system in managing the impacts of new development, and mitigation strategies and measures to reduce air pollution.

Throughout the course, we review future projections in the environmental consultancy sector, take advice from the course's Steering Committee, and reference the Environmental Data Service's annual survey.

You'll normally start your research project or dissertation alongside or after the professional practice element of the course. You may base the research project or dissertation on a problem identified while on placement.

This structure is for full-time students only. Part-time students study the same modules but the delivery pattern will be different.

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.

Learning and Teaching

The learning and teaching methods across the course are designed to ensure you develop a range of valuable professional skills as well as subject expertise.

The learning approach is one of collaborative learning, where you'll learn during traditional lectures as well as through practical sessions, small group tutorials and field trips.

See our full glossary of teaching and learning terms.

Study time

Full time

The course runs over one academic year starting in September. You should expect to attend lectures 2-3 days per week in the autumn term. In the Spring and Summer terms, you may also have taught modules depending which options you select, but you'll focus on your placement and dissertation (Master's Project).

Part time

The course runs over two academic years starting in September. You should expect to attend lectures 1-2 days per week in the Autumn terms (Years 1 and 2). In the Spring and Summer terms, you'll focus on your placement (Year 1), and your dissertation (Master's Project) (Year 2). The course is structured to allow a flexible approach to study to fit in with your personal and professional commitments.

Part-time students can select their optional modules in an order that best suits their own circumstances. As already mentioned, the research project can be based on a problem identified in your workplace or placement. This is particularly attractive to employers sponsoring your studies.

Assessment

We'll assess through coursework, project work and group work and you may also be assessed through viva voce.

See our full glossary of assessment terms.