MSc Environmental Monitoring, Modelling and Reconstruction

Fees for entry in 2027 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2026 were as follows:

• MSc (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £15,200
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £33,600

The fees quoted above are fully inclusive of tuition, administration and computational costs.

Fees for entry are subject to yearly review. The University reserves the right to increase your tuition fee by up to 7% each year for courses lasting more than one year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our educational and wider student experience. Postgraduate fees information .

Always contact the admissions team if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

International student CAS deposit

Self-funded international applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2500 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. Some applicants will be required to pay a higher deposit. More information on tuition fee deposits .

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.

• Learn more about - student finance options for UK students .
• Learn more about - fees and finance for international students .
• Graduates of The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University can receive a 10% discount on their master's degree tuition fees as part of our Manchester Alumni Loyalty Discount scheme.

Green infrastructure (GI) can be used to tackle a range of urban challenges such as flooding, heatwaves, poor health and wellbeing, and low levels of biodiversity. Evidence for the effectiveness of GI in tackling these challenges is crucial for informing policy, planning and delivery of GI schemes. This modules takes students through the various approaches to assess the effectiveness of GI. The module will showcase techniques and methods used in a range of environmental, social and economic challenge areas. A key part of this module is local fieldwork where students will get first hand experience of monitoring and evaluation approaches. The module also incorporates two practical classes – one a laboratory-based practical exercise, and the second a computer-based workshop. This module has been designed to complement the more theoretical programme material and to provide students with skills for fieldwork and dissertation work.

The unit aims to:

1. Describe the methodological approaches to evaluate and monitor the performance of green infrastructure in terms of environmental, social and economic challenge areas;
2. Engage with a selection of real world examples of evidence gathering for the effectiveness of green infrastructure;
3. Gain practical experience in monitoring and evaluating green infrastructure.

This module develops and enhances academic, practical and transferable skills. Students will implement practical methods for assessing green infrastructure performance, analyse evidential datasets from green infrastructure interventions, and contribute to debate and discussions on green infrastructure. The knowledge and skills gained are directly applicable to jobs in green infrastructure planning, design, implementation and evaluation. The module also links to a wider range professions in planning, hydrology, urban forestry, community engagement, development and infrastructure provision, and local/national government.

Student digital skills development 
A computer practical exercise using real-world datasets.

Syllabus (indicative curriculum content):

• Introduction and context
• Environmental Challenges – Flooding
• Environmental Challenges – Heatwaves
• Environmental Challenges – Water Quality
• Environmental Challenges – Biodiversity
• Social Challenges – Health and Wellbeing
• Social Challenges – Social Justice and Cohesion
• Economic Challenges
• Data storage, sharing and dissemination

The module uses a variety of teaching methods including lectures, lab and computer classes, and a fieldtrip. The module will also make use of practitioners/stakeholders in the arena of green infrastructure. The module will make use of a blended learning environment.

1. Face-to-face lectures = 20 hours

Face-to-face lectures will be held to showcase the key approaches for assessing green infrastructure performance. These lectures will be separated into three challenge areas; environmental, social and economic

2. Practical classes = 6 hours

There are two practical classes associated with this module – a computer class and a lab class. The computer class will involved working with an environmental dataset from a green infrastructure scheme. The lab class will showcase the equipment available in Geography for the processing and analysis of samples collected from green infrastructure schemes.

3. Field class = 4 hours

Central to this module is a local field class. This field class will support the lecture material and feed into the module assignments.

• Explain the key methodological approaches to assess the performance of green infrastructure.
• Recognise the benefits and limitations of evidence gathering for green infrastructure.

• Integrate and synthesise evidence/information of different types and/or from different sources.
• Design a detailed green infrastructure monitoring and evaluation plan.

• Plan and execute a significant piece of individual research.

• Understand, assimilate and retrieve information from a range of sources.
• Produce practice-/professional-orientated reports/briefs.

Individual written feedback via the VLE.
 

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Armson, D., Stringer, P., Ennos, A.R. (2013). The effect of street trees and amenity grass on urban surface water runoff in Manchester, UK. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening. 12, 282–286

Benton, J., Cotterill, S., Anderson, J., Macintyre, V., Gittins, M., Dennis, M., Lindley, S., French, D., (2021). Impact of a low-cost urban green space intervention on wellbeing behaviours in older adults: a natural experimental study. Wellbeing, Space, Society. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wss.2021.100029

Bowler, D. E., Buyung-Ali, L., Knight, T. M., & Pullin, A. S. (2010). Urban greening to cool towns and cities: A systematic review of the empirical evidence. Landscape and Urban Planning, 97(3), 147–155..

Chen, D., Wang, X., Thatcher, M., Barnett, G., Kachenko, A., Prince, R. (2014). Urban vegetation for reducing heat related mortality. Environmental Pollution, 192, 275–284

Dennis, M., Cook, P., Wheater, C. P., James, P., Lindley, S., (2020). Relationships between health outcomes in older populations and urban green infrastructure size, quality and proximity. BMC Public Health. 20, 1, 626.

Ellis, J.B. (2013). Sustainable surface water management and green infrastructure in UK urban catchment planning. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 56(1), 24-41.

Gascon, M., Triguero-Mas, M., Martínez, D., Dadvand, P., Rojas-Rueda, D., Plasència, A. (2016). Residential green spaces and mortality: A systematic review. Environment International, 86, 60–67

Labib, SM., Lindley, S. & Huck, J. (2019). Spatial Dimensions of the Influence of Urban Green-Blue Spaces on Human Health: A Systematic Review. Environmental Research, 180, 22, 108869.

Lashford, C., Rubinato, M., Cai, Y., Hou, J., Jingmong, A., Coupe, S., Charlesworth, S., Tait, S. (2019) SuDS & sponge cities : a comparative analysis of the implementation of pluvial flood management in the UK and China. Sustainability, 11 (1), 213.

Niemelä, J. (2014). Ecology of urban green spaces: The way forward in answering major research questions. Landscape and Urban Planning, 125, 298–303.

Saraev, V. (2012). Economic benefits of greenspace: a critical assessment of evidence of net economic benefits. Forestry Commission Research Report. Forestry Commission, Edinburgh.

Skelhorn, C., Lindley, S., Levermore, G. (2014). The impact of vegetation types on air and surface temperatures in a temperate city: A fine scale assessment in Manchester, UK. Landscape and Urban Planning. 121, 129-140.

Speak, A.F., Rothwell, J.J., Lindley, S.J., Smith, C.L. (2013). Rainwater runoff retention on an aged intensive green roof. Science of the Total Environment, 461/462, 28-38. 

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