MSc Pollution and Environmental Control

Year of entry: 2025

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Course unit details:
Environmental MSc Tutorial

Course unit fact file
Unit code	EART62062
Credit rating	15
Unit level	FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s)	Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit?	No

Overview

This course outlines the issues required to be considered when preparing a research project with reference to pollution and environmental control, and then provides the opportunity to apply these to the project that will form the basis of the student’s dissertation. The principles will outlined and the students guided through the development through a series of small group tutorials. Formative assessments for a draft research proposal presentation and a draft research proposal report will provide the foundations for summative assessment of a feasibility report.

Pre/co-requisites

Registration on MPEC – Masters in Pollution and Environmental Control

All students will be expected to have basic IT and communication skills, notably the ability to: utilise word processing and spreadsheet software, access and search the internet, including appropriate library databases of scientific and other published and unpublished literature; set out solutions to quantitative and other coursework problems in a clear and logical manner.

Aims

The aim of this course unit is to

[i] outline the key requirements of an excellent research proposal, particularly with reference to pollution and environmental control

[ii] provide the opportunity for students to design and plan a suitable research project

Learning outcomes

On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:		Developed	Assessed
ILO 1	describe and structure the key requirements of a strong research proposal/plan	Yes	Yes
ILO 2	synthesise literature and data to identify potentially viable research projects and the critical data required to be obtained to achieve the research project aims and objectives	Yes	Yes
ILO 3	subdivide the requirements of a research project to critically assess the key methods and approaches/ sampling strategies to achieve them and hence develop a plausible and viable research project plan	Yes	Yes
ILO 4	defend a research plan or research proposition against reasonable criticism through feasibility assessment	Yes	Yes
ILO 5	apply relevant literature review, computer modelling, field and/or laboratory protocols relevant to obtaining preliminary data for the purposes of preparing a research plan	Yes	Yes
ILO 6	apply key skills and attributes of those seeking employment in environment sector by planning and presenting a professional research plan	Yes	Yes

Syllabus

The tutorials will be delivered in 11 weekly tutorials lasting up to 2 hours. These will be delivered by tutors under the guidance of the project leads. The following subjects will be covered, although the specific week-by-week timings given here are a guide and are subject to the practicalities of the project nature and to be determined by the project leads. At the discretion of the project leads, this can include practical work where necessary.

Weeks 1-3

- Unit introduction and plagiarism training

- Discussion on what makes good research and what makes a good proposal

- Discussion on background reading in support of a proposal, including identification of a research gap

- Subject-specific background motivation and technologies to be used

Weeks 4-5

- Setting aims and objectives

- Developing aims of the research

- Discussion on setting objectives, including the concept of SMART objectives

Weeks 6-7

- Setting of individual aims and objectives according to identified research need

- Identifying data and methods to be used for meeting project aims and objectives

- Forming a project proposal

Weeks 8-9

- Presentation of the proposal for summative assessment

- Electronic submission of proposal for formative feedback

Weeks 10-11:

- Project planning, including Gantt charts

- Feasibility assessment

- Risk management, including project contingency planning and health and safety risk assessment

Feasibility report submission after end of tutorials. 1000 words (not including references), designed to demonstrate the feasibility of proposed methods to meet the project objectives. Marked according to the following:

- Appropriate application of research tools to aims and objectives

- Project planning

- Time/resource needs and quantification

- Risk management (project and physical)

Teaching and learning methods

Learning in this course unit will be based upon (i) small group tutorials and (ii) independent study, supported by reading lists, lectures and further e-learning materials made available on Blackboard.

General principles will be outlined, with (paper/computer based) exercises and discussions.

Application to individual research project preparation will be done through independent work with guidance and feedback, including from peers, through small group tutorials – these small group tutorials are a much more effective way to progress this at an individual level than whole group teaching methods and is a key element of the learning and teaching processes in this course unit. Students will be expected to carry out directed and independent reading, including of the University of Manchester MyLearningEssentials resources; as well as directed and independent exercises.

Students will be assigned to tutorial groups according to the subject areas of their research projects in EART60372. This will allow them to share subject-specific experiences with the

background reading, the formulation of research proposals and development of feasibility reports.

Formative assessments for a draft research proposal will provide the foundations for summative assessment of a research proposal presentation (including question & answer session). A feasibility report will then be prepared based on the project plan for summative assessment.

The feedback strategy is designed to help develop a student’s ability to self-assess their own progress. Feedback will be delivered throughout the duration of each tutorial via both group and one-to-one staff-student interactions in which students will be guided through the various exercises and offered comments on their technique.

A key element of this course unit will be how to go about selecting a research problem and then applying that to actually selecting an individual research problem. With the students assigned to projects within the subsequent EART60372 module, tutors will guide the students through the process in groups within each project. Research problem selection will be done in a strongly interactive manner between the tutor and student and having this process expounded in small group tutorials provides the opportunity for all students to better see and understand the nature and importance of that process. Every allocated tutor will normally be expected to reinforce the key elements of the material taught in other modules. The tutor will work closely with the EART60372 project supervisors to utilise material appropriate to the project areas.

Assessment methods

Assessment type	% Weighting within unit	Hand out and hand in dates	Length	How, when and what feedback is provided	ILO tested
Presentation (individual)	30	Week 9	10 minutes	Oral and written feedback	1,2,5,6
Report (individual)	0	Week 9		Written and verbal formative feedback
Report (individual)	70	Week 13 (during exam period)	1000 words	Written feedback before semester 3	3,4,5,6

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Tutorials	22

Independent study hours
Independent study	128

Teaching staff

Staff member	Role
James Allan	Unit coordinator

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