School of Environmental Sciences

Postgraduate

> Research degrees

Please see the Research Institute web-site for PhD and MRes details.

> Taught courses

We offer a series of postgraduate diploma (PgDip) and Masters (MSc) courses as distance-learning and on-campus options. Click on this link to see what some of our past students say about our courses.

PgDip/MSc in Coastal Zone Management

Course Director Prof Andrew Cooper

The objectives of the course are to investigate the physical, biological and cultural aspects of coasts as the foundation on which rational environmental management should be based. On this basis, it assesses current practice in coastal zone management in Europe and beyond and seeks, through case studies, to impart an understanding of current problems and potential solutions.

PgDip/MSc in Marine Spatial Planning

Course Director Ms Claire Guyer

This online part-time course is designed to provide an advanced education in the principles and practice of marine spatial planning. Graduates of the course are expected to have a broad overview of the management of the marine and coastal resources and allied fields of integrated coastal zone management. The award is intended to provide students with an appreciation of the scientific basis underpinning the management of coastal land and water resources and to enable those successfully completing the course to operate at a professional level in the emerging field of marine governance, planning and management.

PgDip/MSc in Coastal and Marine Tourism

Course Director Ms Claire Guyer

This online part-time course is designed to provide an advanced education in the planning, development and management of coastal and marine tourism (CMT). Graduates of the course are expected to have a broad overview of the environmental base for coastal and marine tourism, to have extensive knowledge of policy development that applies to these tourism types, and be able to operate at a professional level in planning, development and the management of tourism in this specific context.

PgDip/MSc in Environmental Management

Course Director Dr Alan Cooper

Environmental management techniques are integral to conservation, agriculture, forestry, industry and countryside planning. This course is designed for new graduates who lack professional experience in environment management and people already in environment-related employment, who wish to develop their careers by updating their knowledge and skills. It aims to satisfy an industrial and public sector demand for science-qualified environmental management personnel.

PgDip/MSc in Environmental Management with/and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Course Director Dr Paul McKenzie

This online course in Environmental Management programme with/and GIS aims to provide an advanced education in environmental management, specialising in environmental impact assessment, biodiversity management, pollution monitoring and GIS techniques. The course aims to teach students the principles and practice of environmental management and the contribution of empirical and case study scientific research. The aim of this programme is to teach how a range of environmental management tools, such as impact assessment, site conservation planning, environmental management systems and ecological monitoring and GIS are applied in making knowledge-based decisions on managing the environment. This is considered in context of environmental legislative/policy frameworks within which industry, government and voluntary bodies work.

PgDip/MSc in Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Monitoring

Course Director Dr Richard Douglas

This programme provides advanced training in environmental toxicology, monitoring techniques and evaluates both US and EU environmental legislation. It fulfils the demand for trained personnel in the environmental regulatory agencies, in companies subject to such regulation and those involved in providing support services such as monitoring and consultancy. The course is offered in part-time online mode and suits people already working in the environmental field or those wishing to pursue a career in this area.

PgDip/MSc in Geographic Information Systems

Course Director Dr Sally Cook

The postgraduate course in Geographic Information Systems may be undertaken on the Coleraine campus in either full-time or part-time mode, and is also available by online distance learning (both full-time and part-time).

This course is designed to provide an advanced education in the principles and practice of GIS, leading to the award of Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert), Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) or Master of Science (MSc). All students follow a programme of taught modules including material on data models and data structures, acquisition and management of data, spatial analysis and modelling, remote sensing, GIS design and implementation issues, GIS programming and customization and GIS databases. Concepts and techniques are illustrated using case study material drawn from a variety of application areas, although students can choose one optional module in which they focus on applications of GIS to either environmental management or health and health care issues, or further GIS programming. Practical work is undertaken using a variety of software including ArcGIS and ERDAS Imagine. Students also gain experience using a range of other software, normally including Excel, Powerpoint, Access, SPSS, CadCorp and a number of GIS extensions and plug-ins.

Environmental Masters Level Short Courses

Contact Mrs Linda Allen

The School of Environmental Sciences offer a wide range of fully online postgraduate modules which are available to students to study on an individual basis. If a module is successfully completed this can be ‘cashed in’ towards an academic award within five years. All short courses are validated at an appropriate academic level and number of credit points.The following modules are available to study as short courses:

1. Environmental Impact Assessment

2. Water Management

3. Environmental Data Analysis

4. Biodiversity Management

5. Environmental Toxicology

6. Management of Coastal Water Resources

7. Pollution Monitoring

8. Geography and Management of Coastal Land Resources

9. Principles of GIS

10. Remote Sensing

11. GIS in Business and Society

12. Programming for GIS

13. GIS Databases

Short Courses commencing in January 2012

EGM801 – Biodiversity Management
EGM820 – Environmental Toxicology
EGM809 – Management of Coastal Water Resources
EGM714 – GIS in Business and Society
EGM715 – Programming for GIS

Short Courses commencing in September 2012

EGM821 – Pollution Monitoring
EGM808 – Geography and Management of Coastal Land Resources
EGM711 – Principles of GIS
EGM713 – Remote Sensing
EGM717 – GIS Databases

For further information, please download the brochure.