MSci Meteorology and Oceanography with a Year Abroad

Key details

MSCI METEOROLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY WITH A YEAR ABROAD

Start Year

2021

Attendance

Full Time

Award

Degree of Master of Sciences

UCAS course code

FF9A

Entry Requirements

AAB

Duration (years)

The University of East Anglia is currently the only University in the UK where it is possible to study these two specialist subjects side-by-side in a combined degree format. The course is designed to provide you with a deeper insight into how the atmosphere and oceans work and interact. This approach gives you a detailed understanding of the Earth's climate system, alongside the impact of human society on the atmospheric and oceanic systems.

This degree course is accredited by the Royal Meteorological Society. Because the degree programme is taught jointly between the Schools of Environmental Sciences and Mathematics. You will have an opportunity to choose from a range of module options, enabling you to pursue either a wide portfolio of subjects or specialise in a particular area.

Field courses in Oceanography and Meteorology provide you with valuable hands-on experience designing experiments and working with scientific instrumentation. You will also benefit from our own in-house weather forecasting company, Weatherquest, which provides valuable teaching support and an opportunity to spend a week working in order to gain commercial awareness of the meteorological industry.

Some of our Meteorology and Oceanography students have also gained valuable experience on research cruises whilst conducting the fieldwork for their final year project.

What’s more, this degree gives you the opportunity to spend your third year studying and living abroad with one of our university exchange partners in Australasia, North America or Europe. Going to a university in another country is your opportunity to experience other cultures and lifestyles, as well as studying within departments where different aspects of Meteorology and Oceanography are taught.

About

How does our atmosphere work? How do scientists predict the weather? What is our impact on the Earth’s climate system? How do oceans work and how do they interact with our atmosphere?

Explore how it all links together with this unique four-year degree that brings together two disciplines. Together they’re essential for understanding the Earth’s climate system, our impact upon it, and how to make predictions about weather and climate. You’ll also have the chance to study abroad at one of our partner universities for a year – learning about a new culture and different areas of your subject.

You will be taught jointly by our Environmental Sciences and Mathematics departments. Both are highly ranked for research. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework we were ranked first in the UK for the impact of our world-leading research in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences (Times Higher REF2014 Analysis), so you’ll benefit from our academics’ diverse and world-class expertise.

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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

We will use various assessment methods across the different modules, ranging from 100% coursework to 100% examination. In most modules the assessment is weighted 67% examination and 33% coursework – although skills-based and field modules are assessed by 100% coursework.

Coursework assessment methods include essays, written discussions, class tests, problem sheets, laboratory reports, field exercises, field notebooks and seminar presentations.

Structure

You’ll learn the general scientific principles governing our environment in modules including Understanding the Dynamic Planet and Atmosphere & Oceans. You’ll also take multi-disciplinary modules from the wider Faculty of Science to help you develop essential analytical skills, including Maths for Scientists and Field Skills.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

You will be taught by leading meteorologists and oceanographers through a combination of lectures, practicals and field trips. Around 30-35% of your time will be spent in lectures, seminars, practicals and fieldwork, amounting to around 15-18 contact hours per week, with the remaining 65-70% on independent study.

In the lectures you’ll learn essential analytical skills, mathematical techniques, and discover how the atmosphere and oceans work and interact with each other to shape our climate.

Field courses and practical classes will be integral to your training and you’ll learn a variety of practical techniques using specialist equipment in the field. Some of our past field trips have been to Slapton, the Lake District and Oban.

Independent study

You’ll spend time carrying out independent study, researching in UEA’s state-of-the-art library, writing essays or carrying out practical work or projects.

This course will give you an excellent balance of independent thinking and study skills, helping you grow into a self-motivated learner, an expert researcher and analytical thinker. You will develop accuracy and precision in your written work through evidence-based analysis. And you’ll become well-versed in time management and organisation through self-directed study. Throughout your degree you will be given guidance on your work and constructive feedback to help you improve.

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Virtual Open Day

Assessment for Year 2

Coursework assessment methods include essays, written discussions, class tests, problem sheets, laboratory reports, field exercises, field notebooks and seminar presentations.

Structure

In your second year you’ll take a range of compulsory scientific modules, including Meteorology and Ocean Circulation. And you’ll continue to develop your expertise in mathematical theory through the Mathematics for Scientists module. The optional meteorological field course gives you the chance for hands-on study in the Lake District.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

In the lectures you’ll learn essential analytical skills, mathematical techniques, and discover how the atmosphere and oceans work and interact with each other to shape our climate.

Independent study

You’ll spend time carrying out independent study, researching in UEA’s state-of-the-art library, writing essays or carrying out practical work or projects.

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

Assessment for Year 3

Coursework assessment methods include essays, written discussions, class tests, problem sheets, laboratory reports, field exercises, field notebooks and seminar presentations.

Structure

You’ll spend your third year studying abroad at one of our university exchange partners. We’ll do our best to place you at the university of your choice, based on your field of interest and placement preferences.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

In the lectures you’ll learn essential analytical skills, mathematical techniques, and discover how the atmosphere and oceans work and interact with each other to shape our climate.

Independent study

You’ll spend time carrying out independent study, researching in UEA’s state-of-the-art library, writing essays or carrying out practical work or projects.

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

Assessment for Year 4

Coursework assessment methods include essays, written discussions, class tests, problem sheets, laboratory reports, field exercises, field notebooks and seminar presentations.

Structure

In your final year research project you’ll carry out a substantial piece of independent research investigating a specialist area in professional depth with one-to-one support from an academic supervisor. Alongside this you’ll choose from a range of optional advanced Master’s level modules.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

In the lectures you’ll learn essential analytical skills, mathematical techniques, and discover how the atmosphere and oceans work and interact with each other to shape our climate.

Independent study

You’ll spend time carrying out independent study, researching in UEA’s state-of-the-art library, writing essays or carrying out practical work or projects.

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

Assessment for Year 2

Coursework assessment methods include essays, written discussions, class tests, problem sheets, laboratory reports, field exercises, field notebooks and seminar presentations.

Compulsory Modules

WEATHER

Code ENV-5043A

Credits 20

The weather affects everyone and influences decisions that are made continuously around the world. From designing and siting a wind farm to assessing flood risk and public safety, weather plays a vital role. Have you ever wondered what actually causes the weather we experience, for example why large storms are so frequent across north western Europe, especially in Winter? In this module you will learn the fundamentals of the science of meteorology. We will concentrate on the physical processes that underpin the radiation balance, thermodynamics, wind-flow, atmospheric stability, weather systems and the water cycle. We will link these to renewable energy and the weather we experience throughout the Semester. Assessment will be based entirely on a set of practical reports that you will submit, helping you to spread your work evenly through the semester. You will learn how Weather is a rich fusion of descriptive and numerical elements and you will be able to draw effectively on your own skill strengths while practising and developing others, guided by Weatherquest’s Meteorologists.

Optional A Modules

(20 credits)

WEATHER APPLICATIONS

Code ENV-5009B

Credits 20

This module will build upon material covered in Meteorology I, by covering topics such as synoptic meteorology, weather hazards, micro-meteorology, further thermodynamics and weather forecasting. The module includes a major summative coursework assignment based on data collected on a UEA meteorology fieldcourse in a previous year.

WEATHER APPLICATIONS WITH FIELDCOURSE

Code ENV-5010K

Credits 20

Weather is one of the most popular topics of conversation. But how, specifically, does it present risks and opportunities, to people, organisations and to the wider environment? In this module you will develop a clear understanding of these linkages and an evidence base to draw on in future roles in which weather is a factor. You’ll learn how to confidently source a diverse range of real-time weather information and you’ll practice analysing such data, leading subsequently to successful interpretation and effective communication, both written and in front of the camera. You’ll see, first hand, how meteorology depends upon computer systems for the efficient sharing, processing and visualisation of weather information. Being taught by weather practitioners with long experience of providing weather services to users, you will get the inside track on what it’s like to work in weather. Weather Forecasting is one central theme and application which will provide a focus for learning. How are forecasts made and delivered, who uses forecasts and what are their distinctive needs? Success in forecasting depends in part on a good physical understanding of atmospheric processes - through practical work, we’ll study those processes and use real examples of weather systems and events to reinforce the learning. At the end of the module, through an embedded week-long Easter residential fieldcourse, you’ll apply your enhanced process understanding and forecasting knowledge in a hands-on way to design and implement meteorological field experiments, testing hypotheses through the collection and interpretation of field data collected using weather sensors. You’ll write up your choice of fieldcourse experiment for assessment, after first receiving informal feedback on a related poster presentation.

Optional B Modules

(20 credits)

CLIMATE CHANGE: SCIENCE AND POLICY

Code ENV-5003A

Credits 20

This module develops skills in the scientific and social scientific analysis of global climate change, using perspectives from natural sciences, science studies, and economics and politics. It first offers a historical perspective on how global climate change developed as a scientific and social object of inquiry. The course then gives grounding in climate and society relations, economic principles and the political science and governance of climate hazards, energy and greenhouse gas emissions. This module replaces ENV-2A69.

ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND GLOBAL CHANGE

Code ENV-5015A

Credits 20

Atmospheric chemistry and global change are in the news. Stratospheric ozone depletion, acid rain, greenhouse gases, and global scale air pollution are among the most significant environmental problems of our age. Chemical composition and transformations underlie these issues, and drive many important atmospheric processes. This module covers the fundamental chemical principles and processes in the atmosphere, from the Earth's surface to the stratosphere, and considers current issues of atmospheric chemical change through a series of lectures, problem-solving classes, seminars, experimental and computing labs, as well as a field trip to UEA’s own atmospheric observatory in Weybourne/North Norfolk.

AQUATIC ECOLOGY

Code ENV-5041A

Credits 20

Explore how chemical, physical and biological influences shape the biological communities of rivers, lakes and estuaries in temperate and tropical regions. Three field visits and laboratory work, usually using microscopes and sometimes analysing water quality, provide an important practical component to this module. A good complement to other ecology modules, final-year Catchment Water Resources and modules in development studies or geography, it can also be taken alongside Aquatic Biogeochemistry or other geochemical and hydrology modules. Students selecting this module must have a background in basic statistical analysis of data.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that 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. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.

Assessment for Year 3

Coursework assessment methods include essays, written discussions, class tests, problem sheets, laboratory reports, field exercises, field notebooks and seminar presentations.

Compulsory Modules

YEAR ABROAD

Code ENV-6032Y

Credits 120

This module corresponds to the equivalent UEA credits obtained by those on a full academic year of approved study at a specified university in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or in Europe. You are required to enrol on a full load of credits. What is considered a full load depends on the exchange partner university. The following list gives an overview: - USA: 6-8 modules at 3-4 credits each; 24 credits per year - Canada: 8 modules at 0.5/1.5/3 credits each; 4/12/24 credits per year - Australia: usually 8 modules per year; varying number of credits - New Zealand: usually 6 modules per year; varying number of credits - Europe: 2-8 modules at 7.5 to 30 ECTS credits; 60 ECTS credits per year The choice of modules abroad must be agreed by you and your module organiser prior to departure and must be of the appropriate nature and level (e.g. upper division at US universities) to the degree programme that you are enrolled in at UEA. Marks awarded at the host institution will be converted to UEA marks following an algorithm into a single overall average mark for the year abroad. Reassessment of this module is not possible.

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Virtual Open Day

Important Information

Assessment for Year 4

Coursework assessment methods include essays, written discussions, class tests, problem sheets, laboratory reports, field exercises, field notebooks and seminar presentations.

Compulsory Modules

RESEARCH TRAINING PROJECT

Code ENV-7026Y

Credits 60

This year long module involves you carrying out individual research in the environmental sciences, with the topic suggested by and closely directed by a supervisor. The work will develop your research skills through learning by doing. You will presented your results as a seminar and in the form of a research paper. The project differs from Year 3 project in requiring greater time and higher expected standards of research design and application of data. This module is restricted to UG students on the MSci programme only.

Optional A Modules

(40-60 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.

Optional B Modules

(0-20 credits)

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 £300-£400) to cover attendance.

SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION

Code ENV-7025A

Credits 20

If everyone on Earth lived like a typical UK citizen we’d need three planets-worth of resources. But we only have one. Why do we consume the way we do? What drives our behaviour and how might we persuade people to live more sustainably? What do we mean by a sustainable lifestyle, anyway? These are questions academics, businesspeople, campaigners and policymakers struggle with every day and there are no easy answers. In this module you’ll get to grips with competing visions about what sustainable consumption is. You’ll gain an understanding of a range of theoretical approaches to understanding consumption behaviour and you’ll learn how to apply these theories to develop strategies for achieving sustainable consumption. You’ll begin by examining the impacts of western-style consumerism on the Earth’s social, economic and environmental systems. Using concepts such as ecological footprinting, needs and wellbeing, you’ll take a closer look at how economic and environmental systems interact. You'll contrast a ‘green growth’ approach to sustainable consumption with a more radical ‘de-growth’ model. Drawing on interdisciplinary social science theories from economics, psychology, sociology and ethnography, you’ll go on to investigate a range of strategies for achieving change, by government, business, civil society, and individual consumers. You’ll get hands-on experience testing and applying these ideas yourselves, in participative workshops, alongside award-winning innovative teaching methods. In lectures, you’ll learn about topics such as Ethical Consumption, Limits to Growth, Collaborative Consumption, Community-based initiatives, Life Cycle Analysis and Behaviour-change campaigns. Understanding the theoretical debates behind everyday actions for sustainability will make you better able to design and implement sustainability strategies in the workplace – whether in the public or private sector, or civil society. You’ll be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses in sustainable consumption campaigns and policies, and offer theoretically-informed solutions.

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.

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.

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Important Information

Entry Requirements

A Levels

AAB including Mathematics or ABB including Mathematics with an A in the Extended Project. Science A-Levels must include a Pass in the practical element

BTEC

DDD in Applied Science, Applied Science (Medical Science), Environmental Sustainability or Countryside Management is acceptable alongside grade B A-Level

Scottish highers

AAAAA including Mathematics

Scottish highers advanced

BBC including Mathematics

Irish leaving certificate

4 subjects at H2, 2 subjects at H3 including Mathematics

Access course

Pass Access to HE Diploma with Distinction in 36 credits at Level 3 and Merit in 9 credits at Level 3, including 12 Level 3 credits in Mathematics

European Baccalaureate

80% overall including 70% in Mathematics

International Baccalaureate

33 points including HL 5 in Mathematics

GCSE offer

You are required to have Mathematics and English Language at a minimum of Grade C or Grade 4 or above at GCSE.

Additional entry requirements

A-Level General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted.

If you do not meet the academic requirements for direct entry, you may be interested in one of our Foundation Year programmes.

If you do not meet the academic and/or English language requirements for this course, our partner INTO UEA offers guaranteed progression on to this undergraduate degree upon successful completion of a foundation programme:

International Foundation in Physical Sciences and Engineering

International Foundation in Mathematics and Actuarial Sciences

Alternative Qualifications

UEA recognises that some students take a mixture of International Baccalaureate IB or International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme IBCP study rather than the full diploma, taking Higher levels in addition to A levels and/or BTEC qualifications. At UEA we do consider a combination of qualifications for entry, provided a minimum of three qualifications are taken at a higher Level. In addition, some degree programmes require specific subjects at a higher level.

Students for whom english is a foreign language

We welcome applications from students from all academic backgrounds. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including speaking, listening, reading and writing) at the following level:

IELTS: 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in any component)

We will also accept a number of other English language qualifications. Review our English Language Equivalences here.

INTO UEA also offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study:

Pre-sessional English at INTO UEA
English for University Study at INTO UEA

Interviews

Most applicants will not be called for an interview and a decision will be made via UCAS Track. However, for some applicants an interview will be requested. Where an interview is required the Admissions Service will contact you directly to arrange a time.

Gap year

We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year.  We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application.