MSc in Applied Environmental Geoscience
Cork, Ireland
DURATION
1 up to 2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2024
TUITION FEES
EUR 7,130 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* EU students: full-time; EUR 7,130 + EUR 1,000 bench fee; part-time: EUR 4,130 per year + EUR 500 bench fee | non-EU students: EUR 22,600 + EUR 1,000 bench fee
Scholarships
Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies
Introduction
Our MSc Applied Environmental Geoscience programme will provide you with comprehensive training in the theory and practice of environmental geoscience. Established in 2017, in consultation with industry and government agencies, our Geology programme was established by the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES) in order to address a skills shortage identified in the environmental geoscience sector in Ireland and abroad.
There is global demand for graduates with applied environmental geoscience skills and this demand is projected to grow in the coming years. This multidisciplinary vocational programme equips graduates for careers in scientific, engineering, and environmental consultancies, natural resources and mining industries, regulatory agencies, and research in Ireland and further afield. Our course content is regularly reviewed by a panel of industry advisors from a range of local and international geoscience practice areas in order to meet the ongoing needs of the geoscience sector.
Our course also offers a unique opportunity for international students to gain EU-based work experience whilst studying for their Masters.
Why Choose This Course
Our connected learning approach reflects our commitment to the Connected Curriculum where we emphasise the connection between students, learning, research and leadership through our vision for a Connected University. Our staff are at the forefront of this integrative approach to learning and will support you in making meaningful connections within and between disciplines such as geology, marine science, engineering, and the environment.
Available Scholarships
We support our postgraduate community by offering scholarships and bursaries to prospective and current students. Please see the SEFS Scholarships and Funding PG page for more information.
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Admissions
Curriculum
The course is delivered in two parts.
Part I comprises modules to the value of 60 credits involving field study, lectures, practical classes, seminars, and workshops.
Part II consists of a research dissertation based on independent research to the value of 30 credits (GL6019) which is completed between April and September.
| Aim of Module | ||
| Principles of Environmental Assessment and Monitoring (10 credits) | To introduce the principles and step-by-step procedures for designing a water quality monitoring programme for freshwater bodies. |
| Hydrogeology, Contaminated Land and Assessment (10 credits) | To teach the principles and applications of hydrogeology, contaminant hydrogeology, and contaminated land risk assessment and remediation. |
| Engineering Geology (10 credits) | The development of an understanding of the basic principles of soil and rock mechanics with specific reference to civil engineering design. |
| Environmental Planning and Regulation (5 credits) | To equip the students with the core principles, concepts and rules of Irish and EU environmental and planning regulation and how this applies to their career as an environmental geoscientist. |
| Offshore Environmental Geology (5 credits) | To give students experience in seabed mapping techniques and practice; seabed sampling techniques and practice; sub-seabed imaging techniques and practice; seabed monitoring techniques and practice; offshore survey planning; offshore geological data collection, evaluation, and assessment. |
| Applied Geophysics (5 credits) | To teach the principles, applications and provide hands-on experience in a variety of commonly used geophysical techniques to study the shallow subsurface for environmental geology. |
| Geoinformatics for Environmental Geology (5 credits) | To give students a solid grounding on the key concepts, principles, and theory of GIS, Remote Sensing, global satellite positioning systems, and related geoinformatics technologies, their use in the Environmental Sciences, and practical techniques of spatial data analysis. |
| Applied Hydrogeology Skills (5 credits) | To develop key field and numeracy skills required to undertake hydrogeological investigations. |
| Applied Geotechnical Skills (5 credits) | Develop field, laboratory, and data analysis skills to meet entry-level industry requirements in engineering geology. |
| Part II | ||
| Applied Environmental Geology research project (30 credits) | Aim: To carry out an independent research project on a topic within the field of Environmental Geology. This project will be carried out either in an industry setting or as part of a research group within the School of BEES. |
You can find more information in our University Calendar (MSc Applied Environmental Geoscience)
Course Practicalities
The course is made up of lectures, practical work, seminars, and 20 days in the field. In addition, the students spend five months investigating their industry-based research topic. The course employs continuous assessment, practical reports, essays, seminars, field reports and in-class tests as the main assessment methods along with the production of the final dissertation. The programme is delivered by a multidisciplinary team of academic staff at UCC with extensive expertise which covers all aspects of applied environmental geoscience including:
| Professor Andrew Wheeler | Marine Geology/Sedimentology |
| Dr Patrick Meere | Field/Structural Geology |
| Dr John Weatherill | Hydrogeology/Contaminated Land |
| Dr Ed Jarvis | Sedimentology/Environmental Geology |
| Dr Timothy Sullivan | Environmental Science |
| Dr Zili Li | Geotechnical Engineering |
| Ms Eileen McCarthy | Hydrogeology/Geotechnical Studies |
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Our MSc-qualified environmental geoscience graduates are in high demand for technical roles in both the public and private sectors at home and abroad.
In the first year of the programme, over 90% of our participants were in full-time employment or research related to their MSc studies within three months of completing Part II. In many cases, students were offered employment by their industry placement company.
Environmental geoscientists presenting a range of specialist and transferable skills are readily employed by civil engineering and environmental consultancies as well as geoscience service providers, natural resource exploration and management companies, local authorities, regulatory and government bodies. Day-to-day project work might include but is not limited to some of the following:
- Aggregate mapping and wind resource development on the continental shelf
- Assessing and managing environmental risks posed by contaminated land
- Assessing the suitability of foundation design in hazardous geological environments
- Environmental impact assessment and reporting
- Supervision of geotechnical site investigations for major infrastructure projects
- Water quality monitoring and remediation at licensed industrial facilities
Some students may wish to use the MSc programme to acquire additional practical skills prior to embarking on a research career leading to a PhD. For students interested in research, the programme offers comprehensive training in a broad set of transferable skills required for independent geoscience field research.