MSc Pollution & Environmental Control / Course details

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 select and plan a suitable research project and to develop an excellent research project proposal

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

General principles will be outlined in lectures, with practicals/workshops used to reinforce those principles through practical (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.

Formative assessments for a draft research proposal presentation and a draft research proposal report will provide the foundations for summative assessment of a research proposal presentation (including question & answer session) and (in EART60372) a research dissertation.

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. To the latter end, all students will be allocated to a tutor, who has research interests broadly in line with this indicated to be of interest to particular students. 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 core lectures in relation to research proposal preparation. The tutor will work closely with the EART60372 project supervisors to utilise material appropriate to the project areas.

Tutors will have research experience in a range of areas related to pollution and environmental control – for example in relation to water, air, soil, ecosystems and more broadly environmental hazards and research areas related to global climate change. Environmental research and the impact of environmental research carried out by the School has been part of a collectively highly rated REF2014 research quality submission and this represents an important opportunity for students to be guided by researchers with international and/or national reputations.