MSc Environmental Assessment and Management

Key details

MSC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT

Start Year

2023

Attendance

Full Time

Award

Degree of Master of Science

Duration (years)

Prepare for a career in environmental management with this vocational course that focuses on the key skills involved.

You’ll learn from international experts how to properly evaluate the potential impacts of proposed policies, plans or projects, drawing on best practice from around the world. Learn through doing, based on an approach of applying theory in practice on a weekly basis, and through a field course.

This course is ideal for anyone who values the socio-ecological environment and wishes to contribute to sustainable development.

You will develop your research, communication, teamwork, and analytical skills – giving you the necessary skills for a career with environmental consultancies, decision-makers, regulators, statutory consultees, and NGOs, amongst others.

About

On this MSc course, you’ll explore why and how we use environmental assessment, the consequences of good and bad practice, and what different stakeholders expect from it.

You’ll investigate case studies to clearly illustrate how environmental assessment works to deliver more sustainable outcomes. These include (amongst others):

Planning a strategy for a new deep coal mine
Planning a stakeholder engagement strategy
Working out the likely impacts of a biomass power station
Conducting a phase 1 habitat survey
Carrying out a sustainability appraisal of a land use plan

You’ll learn to connect the environmental process with the operational stages of development by examining environmental management plans to ensure the findings are implemented. And you’ll experience the challenges associated with developing and applying practical skills by conducting fieldwork in all weathers, interviewing members of the public, presenting findings in front of your peers, and writing environmental management plans including allocating responsibilities and timings.

This course is relevant whether your background is earth sciences or social sciences. There are no specific prerequisites, as the focus is on understanding and improving environmental assessment through the core modules, and a wide range of optional modules that offer additional employability skills associated with specific impact-prediction practice.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Assessment for Year 1

Assessment

Each module has its own assessment structure to ensure that you meet the module learning outcomes. These include essays, presentations, reports and exams.

Most modules (including all compulsory modules) are assessed by coursework only, rather than exams, but it depends on your choice of optional module. For the dissertation module, you’ll be assessed through a 15,000-word dissertation (worth 90% of the mark), and a presentation (worth 10% of the mark).

Through formative (practice) assessments in each area, we’ll help you develop your skills and abilities before completing the summative assessment that counts towards your degree grade.

Feedback

You’ll discuss the feedback on your formative assessment with your tutors to help you improve your work before you submit your summative assessment.

For both formative and summative coursework assessments we always aim to give you feedback within 10 working days of hand-in (except for the dissertation which takes longer).

Structure

The course is made up of 180 credits taught between September and the end of August. This comprises six 20-credit taught modules and one 60-credit dissertation module. You’ll take three compulsory taught modules: Theory of Environmental Assessment, Environmental Assessment Effectiveness, and Research Skills. The first two are specific to the subject focus of this MSc, whilst Research Skills will give you the skills you need to successfully complete your dissertation as well as many other assessments on the course.

In the first 12-week semester, you’ll study Theory of Environmental Assessment and in the second, you’ll study Environmental Assessment Effectiveness. This includes an eight-day field course during the Easter break. The timing ensures that the theory taught in the classroom through lectures and seminars can be put into practice on the field course. Your Research Skills module is taught across both semesters.

You’ll also choose another three 20-credit modules in semesters 1 and 2 from an extensive range of options, both within the School of Environmental Sciences, and other Schools (subject to the agreement of the course director).

Your dissertation planning will start as part of the Research Skills module, where you’ll develop and evaluate a proposal. Then once the taught component of the MSc course is complete, you’ll work full time on your dissertation until the hand in date in August. You can choose any area of focus for your dissertation under the expert guidance of a member of Faculty, as long as it falls within the scope of Environmental Assessment and Management.

Teaching and Learning

You’ll be taught by internationally leading researchers in all modules through a combination of approaches. Class sizes can vary – between 10 and 60 students depending on the module and the particular activity. For each taught module, your week will usually include two 1-hour lectures and one 2–3 hour practical or seminar class. With three taught modules each semester, you will have around 15 hours’ contact time a week.

Generally, you’ll practice the theory you learned in lectures in the seminars and practicals, drawing heavily on problem-based learning as a pedagogic technique. This also helps to develop practical skills valued by employers, including IT, communication, problem solving, teamwork, commercial awareness and project management.

Independent study

Working at the MSc level means that you’ll need to apply the highest levels of learning – synthesis and evaluation. You’ll gain an excellent balance of independent thinking and study skills, helping you grow into a self-motivated learner, an expert researcher, an analytical thinker, a good team worker, and a good time manager.

You’ll develop accuracy and precision in your written work through evidence-based analysis. You’ll become highly organised and confident in self-directed study and, throughout your course, you will be given guidance on your work and constructive feedback to help you improve.

For each module, you’ll need to do around 140 hours of independent study on top of the face-to-face teaching, writing essays in the state-of-the-art library, carrying out practical work, preparing group work, or conducting projects.

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Open Days

Assessment for Year 1

Assessment

Each module has its own assessment structure to ensure that you meet the module learning outcomes. These include essays, presentations, reports and exams.

Through formative (practice) assessments in each area, we’ll help you develop your skills and abilities before completing the summative assessment that counts towards your degree grade.

Feedback

You’ll discuss the feedback on your formative assessment with your tutors to help you improve your work before you submit your summative assessment.

For both formative and summative coursework assessments we always aim to give you feedback within 10 working days of hand-in (except for the dissertation which takes longer).

Compulsory Modules

RESEARCH SKILLS

Code ENV-7119Y

Credits 20

This module provides support and training for the dissertation to ensure that the necessary research is well planned in advance. Advice is given on how to make the best use of UEA library resources, how to undertake a literature review, ethics procedures and how to write a dissertation proposal. A substantial part of semester one is devoted to how to use statistics for the analysis of different types of projects. Supporting lectures and practicals in social science research skills are provided in semester two. These include: social science research design; questionnaire survey design; interviewing techniques; focus groups methods; and techniques analysing qualitative data. This module must be taken before the Dissertation Module.

DISSERTATION

Code ENV-7120X

Credits 60

The dissertation is an individual research project which you will complete independently under the guidance of an academic supervisor within one of the research groups in the School. In addition, you may also choose to undertake a project placement with an outside organisation, with the possible guidance from an outside collaborator. Research undertaken normally involves the analysis and interpretation of data collected in the field, from measurements of a sample in the laboratory or from data gathered from other sources including the media, questionnaire surveys, interviews, etc. This module is reserved for MSc students and requires you to have completed the Research Skills Module (ENV-7119Y) as a prerequisite.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT EFFECTIVENESS

Code ENV-7021K

Credits 20

Environmental Assessment is considered to be more effective when conducted at strategic levels of decision making, and is usually perceived to have a goal of achieving sustainable development. This module provides experience of conducting a particular form of strategic assessment, Sustainability Appraisal (SA), which incorporates environmental, social and economic considerations into plan making. Through practice of SA, a field course involving hands-on application of environmental assessment techniques, and consideration of effectiveness theory, this module will examine what makes assessment effective. Please note that there will be a charge for attending this field course (in the range of £250-300) to cover attendance.

THEORY OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

Code ENV-7020A

Credits 20

Environmental assessment is a term used to describe procedures for evaluating the potential environmental consequences of policies, programmes, plans and projects. It is a well established tool for environmental policy integration, being routinely employed in more than 100 nations and by many international aid and funding agencies. This multidisciplinary module focuses on the theory and methods of environmental assessment and the decision-making contexts in which they are employed. It explains the procedural stages of, and selected methodologies for, environmental assessment and provides practical experience in applying them.

Optional A Modules

(60 credits)

MODELLING ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES

Code ENV-7003A

Credits 20

Our aim is to show how environmental problems may be solved from the initial problem, to mathematical formulation and numerical solution. Problems will be described conceptually, then defined mathematically, then solved numerically via computer programming. The module consists of lectures on numerical methods and computing practical's; the practical's being designed to illustrate the solution of problems using the methods covered in lectures. We will guide students through the solution of a model of an environmental process of their own choosing. The skills developed in this module are highly valued by prospective employers.

CLIMATE CHANGE: PHYSICAL SCIENCE BASIS

Code ENV-7014A

Credits 20

Climate change and variability have played major roles in shaping human history, and the prospect of human-caused global warming is a pressing challenge for society. But how and why has climate changed, how do we predict future climate and how do our choices affect future climate? Throughout this module, you will learn how climate science can answer these questions. Discover the approaches, methods and techniques for understanding the history of climate change and for developing climate projections for the next 100 years. You'll also explore the scientific evidence about climate change and where the uncertainties lie. Starting with an introduction to the changing climate and the main themes in current climate research, your study will be structured around three topics. (1) Fundamentals of the changing climate including the Earth’s energy balance, causes of climate change and the greenhouse effect. (2) Research methods, consisting of empirical approaches to climate reconstruction (such as tree-ring research), analysis of observational data (focusing on the global temperature record and causes of recent climate change), and an introduction to energy balance models and general circulation models. (3) Climate change and causal mechanisms, concentrating on the period from 1000 CE to the present and climate projections out to 2100 CE. Studying the physical science basis of climate change will enable you to understand what controls our climate, to explain the causes of the changes we have observed, and to interpret projections of future climate change.

RESEARCH TOPICS IN EARTH SCIENCE

Code ENV-7018A

Credits 20

In this module you will engage in Earth Science topics at an advanced level and develop advanced study skills. The module will be strongly research led and based around your own learning. It will involve engagement with appropriate research seminars in the School of Environmental Sciences and directed research on key topics with follow up in-class discussions and presentations. The topics included vary from year to year, but likely include research in sedimentology, palaeoclimatology, geological hazards, Earth history, catchment science, and the Earth system.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Code ENV-7029B

Credits 20

The majority of greenhouse gas emissions are the result of how we supply and use energy. In this module you will explore climate change from an energy perspective. You will learn about key relationships between energy, the economy, and society. The module draws on historical analyses to understand how energy systems have evolved in the past, as well as examining the role that scenarios play in understanding energy futures. You will gain an in-depth understanding of the complexities of changing energy systems, enabling you to engage critically with debates around future “energy transitions”, the role that innovation and emergent technologies might play, and the various challenges of shifting towards renewable based energy systems

GEOENGINEERING THE CLIMATE: SCIENCE AND POLICY

Code ENV-7031A

Credits 20

This module studies a set of different proposed techniques, called geoengineering, that seek to modify the Earth’s climate by reducing the degree of anthropogenic radiative forcing, either by reflecting more sunlight back to space or by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This is a complex, controversial and highly uncertain area of science that requires a strongly interdisciplinary approach. The potential role of geoengineering techniques as a complement to mitigation and adaptation in tackling future climate change raises a number of important questions, not least for international policy making.

STATISTICS AND MODELLING FOR SCIENTISTS USING R

Code ENV-7033B

Credits 20

How do you test a hypothesis? How do you compare biological traits between wild populations? And how do you best test and visualise differences between samples? Scientists use a wide array of methods for statistical analysis and plotting data, and increasingly, these tasks are carried out using R. R is a free programming language for statistical computing and graphics, including general and generalised linear models, time-series analysis, and community analysis, and also specialised analyses in many scientific subfields. Learning R will equip you with a flexible statistical, modelling, and graphics tool. Learning the basics of running R in the RStudio programming environment, you’ll spend most of your time on general and generalised linear models, which unify the range of statistical tests that are classically taught separately: t-test, ANOVA, regression, logistic regression, and chi-square, plus residuals analysis. Additionally, you’ll learn how to use R to write simple programs and carry out community analyses such as principal components analysis. Finally, throughout the class, you’ll learn R methods for data formatting, graphics, and documentation. On successful completion of this module you’ll be able to use R to carry out and present results from the most widely used statistical tests in current scientific practice, giving you sufficient knowledge to continue learning statistical analysis on your own. A pre-requisite of first and/or second year statistical modules is required.

GIS AND ITS APPLICATIONS FOR MODELLING ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

Code ENV-7034A

Credits 20

This module will provide essential GIS tools and principles that will be applied to modelling ecological and environmental change. This module includes two parts, the first part delivers core GIS skills. The second part examines recent ecological and environmental changes with particular emphasis to climate change. Students will learn to identify, extract and analyse data from national and global databases. GIS analyses will include the manipulation of such files. Particular attention will be paid to using the data to understand and model the consequences of environmental change. These skills are important in many areas of ecological and environmental research. This module is suitable for students with no or little previous knowledge of GIS and will be relevant to students from across the sciences.

SCIENCE, SOCIETY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Code ENV-7038B

Credits 20

How can science and society work better together to solve sustainability challenges? How can society be properly engaged and accounted for in addressing pressing issues like climate change, energy transitions and natural hazards? These questions, that lie at the core of this module, have become major concerns for scientists, governments, businesses, NGOs and citizens the world over. Throughout the module you will gain a rich appreciation of key theories, approaches and practical methods for understanding and improving relations between science, technology and society in sustainability settings. You’ll explore the nature of science and how it relates to society. You’ll discover a wealth of approaches for public engagement with science, and consider how sustainability can be more effectively governed. You’ll also learn how to critically evaluate and communicate these ideas through written, oral and self-reflective means. You’ll begin the module by considering how relations between science and society have evolved over time and are viewed differently by different disciplines. The fascinating interdisciplinary field called science and technology studies (STS) will provide a key resource that you will become an expert in as you progress. The module’s three main parts will take you on a journey to develop your own critical insights. In part 1 you will consider the nature of science and its relation to society, through examining science controversies like ‘climategate’ and GM crops. In part 2 you will explore new forms of public engagement with science and technology, such as science communication, deliberative democracy, citizen science, and smart technologies in the home. In part 3 you will study pioneering new ways of governing science and sustainability in fairer and more socially responsible ways, through responsible innovation of climate geoengineering for example. You’ll learn through a mixture of lectures, practical classes, in-class debates, and self-directed study. Your new knowledge and skills will be put into practice by creating a blog to communicate your ideas, as well as through written work and presentations. You’ll also benefit from the module being taught by staff in the Science, Society and Sustainability (3S) Research Group, which houses some of the world’s leading experts on societal engagement with sustainability.

EVIDENCE-BASED GLOBAL CONSERVATION

Code ENV-7041A

Credits 20

This interdisciplinary module focuses on the critical evaluation of scientific evidence as a basis for effective biodiversity conservation policy, strategy and interventions, in a world challenged by climate change, population growth and the need for socio-economic development and environmental justice. You will attend an initial block of lectures examining socio-economic drivers of biodiversity loss and motivations for conservation, challenging common assumptions and outlining conceptual frameworks for conservation interventions. A series of seminars by global conservation practitioners provide insights to implementation and employability. Coursework assessments designed to develop skills of evaluating, synthesising and communicating scientific evidence, are supported by feed-forward formative exercises.

CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT

Code ENV-7043B

Credits 20

Based around the theme of Integrated Catchment Management (ICM), in this module you will address the fundamental requirement for an interdisciplinary catchment-based approach to protecting water and soil resources that includes an understanding of land use policy and management. Exploring land and water processes, you will cover aspects of hydrology, water pollution, aquatic ecology, soil science, flood modelling, agronomy and agri-environmental policy. This module is ideally suited for those seeking a career in catchment management working for organisations including water companies, Rivers Trusts, Natural England and the Environment Agency. Competence in numerical problem solving, data analysis and R coding would be advantageous for the coursework and practical classes.

NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS

Code ENV-7116B

Credits 20

Environmental economics provides a set of tools and principles which can be useful in understanding natural resource management issues. This module introduces you to key principles and tools of environmental economics for students who have not studied the subject previously. It then explores how these principles can be applied to address a number of complex economy-environment problems including climate change, over-fishing and water resources management. In this module you will have the opportunity to practically apply cost-benefit analysis as a framework for decision-making and will gain knowledge on the key non-market valuation techniques that are used to monetarily value environmental goods and services. At the end of the module you will have gained insights into how environmental economics is used in developing natural resource management policy as well as some of the challenges in using environmental economics in policy-making.

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Open Days

Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring and review of modules. Where this activity leads to significant change to a programme and modules, the University will endeavour to consult with affected students. The University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. Availability of optional modules may be restricted owing to timetabling, lack of demand, or limited places. Where this is the case, you will be asked to make alternative module choices and you will be supported during this process.

MSc ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT