MSc Pollution & Environmental Control / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course description

Whether you’re working in the environment sector, or want to move in that direction, if you’re passionate about creating a greener future and have a background in science, this course is for you.

With a major focus on the measuring and modeling of the environmental impact of pollution on aquatic and terrestrial ecosytems, on this course you will be able to analyse and understand the effect of human activity on our planet.

In addition, our course provides you with a strong grounding in the quantitative and qualitative skills required to address the questions raised by these environmental impacts, providing you with multi-disciplinary approaches to the subject.

Following the taught element you have the opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge in a research project supervised by a member of our internationally-acclaimed research team.

Our research expertise spans a range of pollution and environmental control topics in relation to water, air, soil and ecosystems, as well as more general environmental hazards and global climate change. Our department was placed in the UK top six by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, and our standing creates a thriving research environment for our MSc students.

Aims

The aim of this programme is to

  • Provide interdisciplinary foundation training for students from a natural science or engineering background intending to pursue a career, with or without further postgraduate training, in managing pollution.
  • To attract and nurture high calibre students and prepare them for work by providing them with general field and/or laboratory experience, quantitative data analysis and communication skills that will be vital for their future professional development.
  • To instil in students the need for a multi-disciplinary approach to solving environmental problems, and to enable them to recognise when and which additional disciplines should be engaged.
  • To train students in the importance of science in the commercial and regulatory sectors plus the wider community, including the importance of presenting and communicating their science and the importance of addressing ethical issues raised by their science.
  • To enable students to make an informed decision about their personal suitability and motivation for a research career.
  • Enable the student systematically to research an aspect of environmental pollution via the literature and create an ordered structured report on a subject of relevance to the course and their own interests.

Course unit details

The programme is divided into three parts :

  • 60 credits of Core taught course units running from October to May.
  • 60 credit taught courses comprised of four optional 15 credit modules running from January to May.
  • 60 credit research project carried out from April to the middle of September. 

Course unit list

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Measuring and Predicting 1 EART60061 15 Mandatory
Measuring and Predicting 2 EART60071 15 Mandatory
Research Project EART60372 60 Mandatory
Environmental Monitoring and Modelling EART62012 15 Mandatory
Pollutant Mobility and Transformation EART62022 15 Mandatory
Human Impacts on the Biosphere EART62051 15 Mandatory
Environmental MSc Tutorial EART62062 15 Mandatory
Pollution Management in Practice 2 EART63012 15 Mandatory
Pollution Management in Practice 1 EART66001 15 Mandatory

Scholarships and bursaries

Across our institution, we offer a number of postgraduate taught scholarships and awards to outstanding UK and international students each year

The University of Manchester is committed to widening participation in master's study, and allocates £300,000 in funding each year. Our Manchester Masters Bursaries are aimed at widening access to master's courses by removing barriers to postgraduate education for students from underrepresented groups.

For more information, see the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences  Fees and funding  page or visit the University of Manchester funding for masters courses website for more information.

Course collaborators

Teaching and research in environmental sciences are facilitated by strong collaborative links with the Greater Manchester Geological Unit, an independent body of consultants engaged in practical urban geoscience in the Manchester area.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk