Overview
Many countries have a significant legacy of contaminants in the ground, caused by industrial and mining activity. These pollutants can pose a significant risk to human health and the environment, so a particular expertise is needed to deal with these contaminated sites.
If you're keen to tackle this important issue, take your studies to postgraduate level, and learn specialist skills, our MSc Environmental Geology and Contamination degree course is for you.
On this course, you'll get the knowledge and skills needed to manage contaminated sites, and learn the importance of maintaining safe, habitable, and sustainable communities. You’ll cover topics including groundwater hydrology; geochemistry; site investigation; geotechnics, and contaminated land assessment, and be taught by recognised experts with extensive expertise in these subjects.
You'll also get theoretical skills as well as practical experience, and we'll give you the support you need to develop your career too – so once you graduate, you can pursue varied roles in the specialist area of contaminated land consultancy, regulation and remediation, both in the UK and overseas.
What you'll experience
On this course, you'll:
- Learn from recognised experts in the field, with extensive knowledge of groundwater hydrology, environmental geology and contaminated land management
- Use our geotechnical and analytical labs, gaining practical experience in use of range of soil and environmental testing facilities.
- Be trained in fieldwork techniques such as walk-over surveys, sample collection and testing, use of GIS and interpretation of remote sensing
- Learn about risk assessments approaches for contaminated land and water.
- Complete a professional research project, in collaboration with industry partners
Work experience and career planning
We have an extensive Alumni network from our applied geoscience masters courses and very strong industrial links and we'll help you to identify internships, voluntary roles and opportunities that will complement your studies.
When you finish the course, our Careers and Employability service can help you find a job that puts your skills to work in the environmental, geological and geotechnical industries.
After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.
What you'll study on this MSc Environmental Geology and Contamination degree course
Core modules include:
- Contaminated Land Assessment & Remediation
- Principles and Analysis of Pollution with Metals
- Research Skills and Project
Optional modules include:
- Ecotoxicology and pollution
- Environmental Assessment
- Geological and Environmental Hazards
- Geotechnics and Groundwater
- Ground Models and Ground Investigation
- Principles of GIScience
Teaching
Teaching on this course includes:
- lectures
- workshops
- laboratory work
How you're assessed
You'll be assessed through:
- poster and oral presentations
- project reports
- essays
- laboratory reports
- examinations
You'll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
Careers and opportunities
Environmental geology and contaminated land are key areas in which the UK has a skills shortage; students on this course receive extensive training so that when they graduate they are able to fill this skills gap.
Combined with the vocational nature of this course, our graduates are quickly employed in the industry, where there is a huge demand for environmental and contaminated land specialists.
What can you do with an Environmental Geology and Contamination degree?
Career opportunities include:
- Environmental organisations
- Geotechnical consultants
- Local authorities and government agencies
- Geo-environmental consultants
This course will provide you with a variety of transferable skills such as project planning, literature and data reviewing and report writing, along with general communication and presentation skills. This course also has strong research skills training, advanced analytical components and an extensive research project, ideal if you wish to pursue further research at PhD level.
We'll give you as much support as possible in finding employment through use of our Alumni network, close industrial contacts, careers events, recruitment fairs and individual advice.
