MSc Pollution & Environmental Control

Year of entry: 2024

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Overview

Degree awarded

Master of Science

Duration

12 months [Full-Time]

Entry requirements

Applications are welcome from students with an Upper Second (2:1) Class Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a natural science, environmental science, environmental engineering, water science engineering or other related scientific or technological discipline from a recognised university.

When assessing your academic record we take into account the grades you have achieved, your academic references and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.

Full entry requirements

How to apply

Apply online

Applying to the distance-learning course: If you would like to study this course full-time in Manchester, you can apply to the on campus course by visiting MSc Pollution and Environmental Control (online) course page.

Sustainable Development Goals

Find out how this course aligns to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including learning which relates to:

Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy
Goal 13: Climate action
Goal 14: Life below water
Goal 15: Life on land

Course options

	Full-time	Part-time	Full-time distance learning	Part-time distance learning
MSc	Y	N	N	N

Course overview

Study at the longest running established environment and pollution related MSc in the UK.
Gain a strong grounding in the quantitative and qualitative skills required to address environmental questions, combined with invaluable experience in the field.
Alongside taught instruction, apply your skills and knowledge with an extended research project.
Our department was ranked sixth in the UK for the quality of our research and in the top 8 for research power. (REF 2021)

MSc Pollution and Environmental Control

Open days

Virtual Open Day - MSc Pollution and Environmental Control

For details of the next University postgraduate open day, see our information on open days and visits .

Fees

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

MSc (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £15,500
International, including EU, students (per annum): £33,500

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.

Policy on additional costs

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).

Scholarships/sponsorships

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 postgraduate study, and allocates £300,000 in funding each year. Our Manchester Masters Bursaries are aimed at widening access to masters 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.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the world's call to action on the most pressing challenges facing humanity. At The University of Manchester, we address the SDGs through our research and particularly in partnership with our students.

Led by our innovative research, our teaching ensures that all our graduates are empowered, inspired and equipped to address the key socio-political and environmental challenges facing the world.

To illustrate how our teaching will empower you as a change maker, we've highlighted the key SDGs that our courses address.

Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Goal 13: Climate action
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Goal 14: Life below water
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
Goal 15: Life on land
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Contact details

Department: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Contact name: Admissions Office
Telephone: +44 161 306 0888
Email: pgt.earth.sci@manchester.ac.uk
Website: https://www.ees.manchester.ac.uk
School/Faculty: Our internationally-renowned expertise across the School of Natural Sciences informs research led teaching with strong collaboration across disciplines, unlocking new and exciting fields and translating science into reality. Our multidisciplinary learning and research activities advance the boundaries of science for the wider benefit of society, inspiring students to promote positive change through educating future leaders in the true fundamentals of science. Find out more about Science and Engineering at Manchester .

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

When assessing your academic record we take into account the grades you have achieved, your academic references and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.

English language

All applicants will need to demonstrate competency in English language. Applicants who do not already possess an acceptable English Language qualification will need to take a recognised test and attain the required English Language score:

IELTS: at least 6.5 overall with no sub-test below 6.0.
TOFEL iBT: at least 90 overall with no sub-test below 20. We do not accept 'MyBestScore'.
Pearson Test of English: 70 overall with no less than 65 in each component.

Further information on language requirements can be found on our website .

Pre-sessional English

We will consider applicants who do not meet these scores but you may be required to complete a pre-sessional English language course at the University of Manchester prior to the start of the course.

To be considered for a pre-sessional English language course for this programme we require the following minimum IELTS (Academic) scores:

6 Week Pre-Sessional Course: Minimum 6.0 overall with no sub-test below 5.5.
10 Week Pre-sessional Course: Minimum 5.5 overall with no sub-test below 5.5.

If you have not yet completed your current academic study and are interested in studying a pre-sessional course, you must hold an IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test certificate.

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Applicants from Majority English-speaking countries

If you are a national of a majority English-speaking country (or have studied for a full bachelor degree or higher from one of these countries) you may be exempt from submitting further evidence of English language proficiency.

Application and selection

How to apply

Apply online

Advice to applicants

We require the following before we can consider your application:

Transcript of your studies to date, including official translations and original language copies if not undertaken in English. 2+2 and 3+1 applicants must provide official transcripts and certificates from both institutions.
Degree Certificate if you have already graduated.
We require a reference from one person who has knowledge of your academic ability in support of your application. In most cases, this should be an academic reference, from a lecturer or professor at your last university. In some cases (for example, if your academic studies occurred some time ago), it might be more appropriate to submit recommendation from somebody familiar with your professional experience. If you have difficulty in identifying a suitable referee you should ask for advice from the admissions team for your course.
CV if you graduated more than three years ago.

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country , we also require proof of your English language ability. If you have already taken an English language qualification, please include your certificate with your application. We may be willing to consider your application without this document, but if we choose to make you an offer, the conditions will include IELTS (or equivalent qualification).

How your application is considered

We consider your full academic history including which course units you have taken and the marks obtained. Even if you have met our minimum entry requirements, we will take into account your marks in relevant course units in our final decision making.

If you graduated more than three years ago, we will also consider the information contained on your CV and any relevant work experience you have to assess if you are still able to fulfil the entry criteria.

Interview requirements

No interview is required for this course.

Overseas (non-UK) applicants

CAS Information

Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1,000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.

Please upload a copy of your current valid passport with your application showing the photograph page with your application. For CAS purposes, this must show your full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number and the date the passport is valid until, which must be later than the date of your planned arrival in the UK, and the start date of your course.

If you have previously studied in the UK on a Student Route visa as an undergraduate or postgraduate student, please send a copy of your previous CAS statement to us as it will assist with the issue of your new CAS statement. This includes study in the UK on study abroad programmes and any study that you did not complete.

You cannot use your CAS to apply for a student visa more than three months before the start date of your course. The Admissions Team will contact you at the appropriate time.

Your CAS number is only valid for one student visa application .

Deferrals

Applications for deferred entry are not accepted for this course. If you receive an offer for 2024 entry and decide not to accept it, should you subsequently wish to be considered for 2025 entry you would be required to reapply.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry. In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

Course details

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.

Title	Code	Credit rating	Mandatory/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

Careers

Career opportunities

My MSc has helped my career by opening up more opportunities to me.

Both through the competitive edge it has given to my CV and through colleagues I have met.
Carissa Quintana (MESPOM) / ESG Research Associate in MSCI

I took a module in Earth and Environmental Consultancy which has been a huge help.

In my current role, some things really do just pop up and are required urgently, so I'm glad I had that skill before I started the job.
Amelia Tobin / Environmental Specialist - AWE

Why is a career in pollution and environmental control important?

Governments, industry and society, in all countries, are increasingly aware of the importance of securing sustainable development through cost-effective pollution controls and resource conservation.

As a result, there is a growing need, internationally, for suitably qualified personnel in the environmental authorities of central and local government, industry and commerce, consultancy and research. Moreover, the resulting legal requirements on the part of governments and industry to conform to national and international agreements and regulations means that such demand will remain even during periods of economic austerity and retrenchment.

Employers are increasingly requiring environmental science graduates to have a strong grounding in the quantitative and qualitative skills required to address environmental questions in additional to subject-specific knowledge and understanding. Our programmes address these requirements through a core of skills-based modules with the emphasis on synthesis.

Career destinations of graduates

Graduates from the MSc in Pollution and Environmental Control have been very successful in obtaining relevant environment-related employment in areas such as industry, local and central authorities, the regulatory sector, consultancies, education and research. Typically, between 20 and 30% of students completing the programme undertake postgraduate research immediately after graduation.

Our graduates go on to become:

Environmental Consultants;

Managing Directors and CEOs;
Environmental Scientists;
Professors, Researchers and Academics.

And our graduates have secured roles with prestigious employers including:

The Environment Agency;

United Utilities;
Jacobs;
AECOM;
ENVIRONS.

We expect that graduates from the MSc in Pollution and Environmental Control will be attractive to employers in the environmental authorities of central and local government, industry and commerce, consultancy and research.