The course is ideal for graduates wishing to develop the expertise needed to solve environmental water management problems. It is designed to complement and expand your existing knowledge of science, policy and practice, making it suitable for students from a range of backgrounds. Recent students have joined us from undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in engineering (civil, hydraulic, agricultural), physical geography, chemistry and environmental sciences, as well as from professional careers.
Our strong industry links make the course particularly suited for those looking to work in the water industry, government or environmental and engineering consultancy, and in a wide range of roles including water quality, water resources, aquatic habitat and wildlife, flood defence, and policy.
The option to undertake the course on a part-time basis allows you to extend your professional development within your current employment.
Around the world, the quality and quantity of water in streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands and underground is significantly affected by human activity. At Cranfield University, we capitalise on our industry connections to provide students with the up-to-date skills and knowledge needed to tackle these challenges in a career in today’s environmental water management sector.
At the UK’s only exclusively postgraduate university, students get the unique experience to work with researchers whose primary purpose is to understand the needs of their sector. Therefore all components of the Environmental Water Management course are designed with the same end goal in mind: to produce the best graduates for jobs in water resources, hydrology, water quality, habitat conservation and creation, and flood risk management.
To do this, you will first reinforce your knowledge of topics and methods in eight core areas (hydrology, ecology, water quality, modelling, drought, flood risk, urban water, and catchment management). You then integrate this learning and apply it to a real-world problem in the group project. Over a 10-week period, you will work in a team of 6-8 students from a range of MSc courses on a consultancy project, handling all stages of project design and delivery from initial meetings to scope out the work to the final report and presentation. Topics vary yearly as they respond to the needs of our industrial partners, put typically relate to water resources, aquatic ecology and flood risk management. Finally, you will delve into a single topic for your individual thesis project, strengthening your skills in project design and management; data collection, analysis and interpretation; and report writing, all of which are essential for your future career.
The course comprises eight assessed modules, a group project and an individual project.
Students will gain an integrated understanding of the natural, economic and governance challenges in water management, and the complex relationships between humans and the water environment. Graduates of this course are able to solve problems across the whole spectrum of environmental water management. Our graduates work internationally in public and private sector organisations, helping to resolve environmental water issues including protecting vulnerable aquatic habitats, understanding the impacts of urbanisation on water resources, and helping to implement new water policies and regulation.
