Masters Degrees in Agricultural Geography

This course gives you an understanding of how agriculture interacts with the environment. There is an emphasis on sustainability and the ecological consequences of unsound management. It gives you the skills for a career related to sustainability in farming systems, environmental management or rural development.

The course is comprised of compulsory and optional modules, giving you the opportunity to tailor your studies to your personal interests.

Through the compulsory modules you will develop knowledge and skills in core concepts such as:
-Sustainable development and environmental change
-Quantitative techniques, experimental design and data analysis
-Assessment of land use capability, habitat potential, risks of water pollution, and soil quality and ecosystem services
-Analysis, interpretation and presentation of field data with regard to environment and habitat assessment
-Science, policy and action underlying climate change and land use

As part of your studies you undertake a major project, similar to one you might experience in the workplace. You will be supported in designing and delivering a project based on a laboratory or field-based investigation. After choosing your topic you will collect, analyse and interpret data to produce a thesis. This research project and thesis may be based overseas.

Delivery

This course is taught in a block format with one six week block and then smaller two week teaching blocks.

You are taught through lectures, seminars, practical and field classes, tutorials, case studies and small group discussions. You are expected to undertake independent study outside of these structured sessions. You are assessed through written examinations, coursework, presentations and your final major project.

You can also study through the Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme which is a framework that enables us to award postgraduate level qualifications using credit-bearing stand-alone modules as 'building blocks' towards a qualification. This means that the credits from modules undertaken within a five-year period can be 'banked' towards the award of a qualification.

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This Masters Programme is extremely timely as it comes when there is increasing attention being placed upon the role and function of rural economies and societies. The development agenda for rural areas within a rapidly-changing context for agriculture and the broader countryside sees pressures to achieve economic competitiveness and efficiency balanced with concerns relating to food security, environmental protection and climate change, and where questions of equality, social inclusion, quality of life and the public good are central. Reflecting particularly the globalizing nature of agriculture and rural development processes, the MA in Rural Sustainability addresses the nature of rural and agricultural change not only across a range of dimensions (economic, social, political, cultural), but also scales (local, national, global), locations (Europe and beyond), and interfaces (e.g. human and non-human). As such, it situates itself within the context of leading contemporary and emerging thinking and research on the rural, drawing on concepts and theories, as well as methodologies and practices that critically engage with these varied dimensions of the rural.

€3000 Award for Best Student Performance in MA in Rural Sustainability

The Dr. Patrick Commins Rural Research Award, valued at €3,000 per annum, for the best overall MA student performance was announced at the official launch of the MA in Rural Sustainability in December 2012. Dr. Maura Farrell, Director of the MA, spoke of her delight at the announcement of this prestigious award, and praised Teagasc for their generous sponsorship and their support of the programme. Dr Farrell described the award ’as a considerable incentive for current and future students interested in rural studies and a real vote of confidence in the quality and importance of the Masters programme’. In particular Dr Farrell felt that in these economically stringent times, the award was a statement about the importance of rural issues in broader global economic recovery and the need to develop well-informed and educated leaders who understand the complexities of rural economy and society. The award is a tribute to Dr. Commins who was a leading academic and researcher in rural issues and had a long and distinguished career with their organisation. His reputation as an expert on rural affairs extended well beyond Ireland, and his knowledge and experience was regarded as key to informing EU and wider international academic and policy debates.

Launch of the Master of Arts in Rural Sustainability

NUI Galway has officially launched a new Masters Programme in Rural Sustainability. The full-time, one year postgraduate programme is being co-ordinated by the Discipline of Geography within the School of Geography and Archaeology, and it already has a full complement of students in place for the first year of its operation. The Programme has been devised in response to increasing attention nationally and internationally on the role and function of rural economies and societies. NUI Galway holds a distinguished tradition of rural research and teaching. As a European University that is itself situated in a rural and peripheral location, it seeks to continue its leadership role in rural affairs through providing a postgraduate career path in rural studies. The Programme was officially launched by Professor Gerry Boyle, Director of Teagasc. This association with Teagasc, particularly with its own strong leadership in rural research, is an important component of the programme as it unites expertise in rural theory, research and practice, ultimately benefiting the student experience and future employability.

Why Choose this Programme?

If you are interested in rural sustainability, rural innovation, multifunctionality and agriculture, and you wish to contribute in a meaningful way to rural affairs and potentially influence the contribution rural areas can make in revitalizing the economy at national and European level, this MA Programme can support such an ambition. This MA will enable students to develop theoretical competencies and independent research capacities, with the ability to transfer and apply these to real world contexts and settings.

The programme is delivered by a team of dedicated and highly respected academics and researchers from the School of Geography & Archaeology and by motivated contributors from other associated Schools, from other Universities and from Research Institutions; by individuals drawn from policy and practice-based domains.

This MA situates itself within contemporary and forward-looking perspectives on the rural; however, it also builds on a long-established track record of rural studies and rural research conducted at NUIG, with strong networks of collaboration at national, European and wider international levels across academic and research institutions, as well as the Institutions of the European Union.

In particular, this MA expands on a highly successful EU-funded Framework 7 research project (DERREG), exploring contemporary and future challenges facing rural areas in an era of globalization. It thus represents an important transfer of knowledge from research that has been built on relevant international case-study examples from 6 EU member states and which has informed critical theoretical discussions and policy debates on the rural at EU level. This development to a taught programme offers students an opportunity to benefit from such knowledge and expertise drawn from widely differing rural contexts.

Career Opportunities?

As a graduate of this programme, you will possess a depth of rural-specific knowledge combined with a host of transferrable skills. This combination will equip you to work in a selection of contexts that require the ability to think at conceptual levels about rural-related issues and transfer this knowledge into practical applications and solutions in policy, management and consultancy domains. Among the potential employment settings are national and international organizations and agencies with a rural development remit, groups and consultancies related to a range of government programmes, government departments and other public sector organizations concerned with the rural sector.

The MA is Rural Sustainability is also designed to enhance students’ prospects for undertaking further research at PhD level, with our students being well placed to pursue PhD studies in universities nationally and internationally.

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In this one-year MSc programme, you have the opportunity to learn about how trees, people and agriculture can be combined in sustainably managed farms, forests and landscapes. There is a long tradition of agroforestry practice in many parts of the world, but recently it has become a major focus in international development and is now at the forefront of innovation in natural resource management. Bangor is a world leader in agroforestry with a fantastic reputation for its research activities and our graduates are either already employed when they start the course and/or have a strong track record in finding employment within the sector. Students and academic staff are active collaborators with international organisations such as the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center, Costa Rica (CATIE) and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). You can expect to develop the skills required for a research and professional career from the comprehensive programme we offer.

The overall aim of the programme is to provide an integrated education in natural resource management, combining ecological and social dimensions of agricultural and forest sciences, focussed on application to real world systems where trees interact with agriculture. The programme is designed to develop both subject-specific knowledge and cognitive and key skills. The course has a world focus and the University has strong links with agroforestry organisations which means that many of our students have undertaken fieldwork in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, as well as in Wales/UK. Besides fantastic overseas opportunities, we also have a university farm (Henfaes Research Centre) located a short distance outside of Bangor where many students carry out experiments for their final projects.

This course is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Foresters and gives partial fulfilment of Professional Membership Entry.

We work in partnership with the World Agroforestry Centre.


Course Structure
The programme has two parts. Part Part 1: runs from September to May and consists of five taught modules and a study tour. The taught part of the course is based on lectures, seminars, practical sessions and directed study, allowing an opportunity to examine a broad range of topics in detail and develop personal skills and expertise. A range of different assessment methods are used including reports, presentations, practical write-ups and online and written exams. Part 1 must be completed successfully before proceeding to Part 2, the dissertation phase.

Part 2: June to September is set aside for production of a dissertation on a topic selected by the student in consultation with their academic supervisor. Dissertations can be in almost any aspect of agroforestry that interests you; they can have a temperate or tropical focus, and can include field work either locally in Wales, elsewhere in the UK, or overseas.

Part 1 Subjects:

Agroforestry Systems and Practice: This module explores agroforestry systems and practices worldwide and introduces the concepts behind them. Through a series of case studies, the module explores ecological and biophysical interactions in agroforestry systems, and considers the range of social, economic and ecosystem benefits they deliver, including ways in which we are trying to reduce the environmental impact of food production and overcome constraints to food security.

Silviculture: The purpose of the module is to develop students’ understanding of the silviculture of single trees and trees in complex systems. This module develops an understanding of the principles and practice of silviculture, the place of silviculture in the sustainable cultivation of trees, and the role it plays in delivering ecosystem services from trees, woodlands and forests. We explore the unique characteristics of forest soils and of soil physical, chemical and biological properties, how these influence site productivity and how these are influenced by land management.

Natural Resource Management: The purpose of this module is to give students a theoretical understanding of the systems approach to managing natural resources to provide various ecosystem services, as well as a practical grounding in the ways in which natural resource managers can draw on a variety of knowledge sources to inform themselves and others of the impacts of land management interventions.

Research Planning and Communication: This module seeks to develop students’ understanding of the role of science and the scientific process in formulating and addressing context relevant questions, and communicating scientific output to different audiences. During the course of the module, students will devise, conduct and write up a policy-relevant scientific study.

Natural Resource Development: The purpose of this module is to introduce the international development context to students and to give a practical grounding in project planning. During the module, students will develop a full project proposal in line with funding guidelines for an agroforestry based natural resource development intervention.

Study Tour: We round off the taught part of the course with a study tour which gives students the opportunity to see the practical application of natural resource management principles that are discussed in earlier parts of the programme. During visits to areas which are managed for a range of objectives, you will meet and discuss with different stakeholders and collect information relevant to a specific research topic.

Part 2:

Dissertation: Execution and written presentation of a suitable scientific project which is devised by the student and an individual academic supervisor and validated by the Programme Director. A suitable project entails a worthwhile scientific question, of direct relevance to the degree programme being undertaken, established within the context of current knowledge and concepts that allows the formulation and testing of one or more hypotheses. This normally involves up to 5 months full-time work, typically including: 2-3 months for data collection from the field, laboratory or computer; 1-2 months for data analysis; and 1-2 months for writing-up.

Previous MSc dissertation projects and training courses held in collaboration with the World Agroforestry Centre can be viewed here.

Professional Accreditation

This degree is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) and qualifies students for associate membership.

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Your programme of study

If you are interested in earth science, and environmental science but you want to specialise in the study of soil specifically the Aberdeen programme gives you in depth knowledge and a range of experts and alumni who consult at government level. Aberdeen is further supported by having the James Hutton Institute within the city limits, a notable institute specialising in soil science over the years known formerly the Macaulay Institute.

Soil Science is becoming increasingly important to our ability to sustain life on earth as we look at how to keep the soil clean from pollutants in water, air and polluting industries, pesticides and all sorts of changes to soil. There are also growing concerns that as the population increases and climate change also increases how do we farm in the future? The degree gives you all the skills and knowledge you need to work as a soil scientist either as a researcher, within government or regulation or as a consultant working with industry and other organisations devoted to soil science.

You learn about soil science, sustainability, land use planning, food security, GIS, and land use with intensive laboratory analysis from one of the top centres in the world for soil science. We also take you into the field to study specific situations and you are guided by our world renowned researchers in the environmental sciences. This is one of only a handful of Soil Science programmes with cutting edge technologies to help you analyse and study soil in depth. Soil science falls within agricultural sciences which were ranked No. 1 in the UK for research excellence (REF 2014) and the highly acclaimed Environmental Science disciplines which Aberdeen has made a name for itself in over the years.

Courses listed for the programme

Semester 1

• Core Skills in Environmental Science
• Global Soil Geography
• Soils for Food Security
• Applications for GIS

Semester 2

• Environmental Analysis
• Land Use and the Changing Environment on Deesside

Optional

• Environmental Impact Assessment
• Remediation Technology
• Catchment Management
• Ecological and Environmental Modelling

Semester 3

• Project in Soil Science

Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page

Why study at Aberdeen?

• Research at Aberdeen within agricultural and earth sciences is ranked No.1 (REF)
• You study all methods of analysis and field work to understand the full range of issues within soil and land use which affect the ability to grow crops
• One of our team developed the award winning 'Cool Farm Tool.' Dr John Hillier developed this to calculate greenhouse gas. The tool is used by known brands such as Marks and Spencer, Costco and Heinz

Where you study

• University of Aberdeen
• 12 Months or 24 Months
• Full Time or Part Time
• September start

International Student Fees 2017/2018

Find out about international fees:

• International
• EU and Scotland
• Other UK

Find out more about fees on the programme page

*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.

Scholarships

View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities

Living in Aberdeen

Find out more about:

Your Accommodation

• Catered Accommodation
• Self-Catering     

Campus Facilities

• University of Aberdeen: A Global Community
• University of Aberdeen: We are international
• Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
• Student Support
• Clubs and Societies
• Sport
• Societies
• Review

Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs

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• Gain a solid grounding in the scientific principles behind environmental management issues
• Accredited by Climate-KIC (knowledge and innovation community)
• Develop skills for a career in areas such as environmental management and consultancy or for future doctoral research
• Take advantage of outstanding teaching collections and facilities housed in modern premises
• Participate in world-leading fieldwork and research

What will you study?

Core modules include:

• Environmental Management : Principles and Practice
• Resource and Environmental Economics
• Waste and Environmental Management
• Ecosystem Services
• Contemporary Issues in Environmental Law
• Research Skills and Career Learning
• Research Project

Optional modules include:

Recommended

• Field Class 
• Research and Enterprise Micro-Placement 
• Quantitative Analysis of Environmental Data , or
• Qualitative Research Methods 

Stream 1: Contaminated and Urban Environments

• Pollutant Behaviour in the Environment 
• Environmental Pollution 
• Laboratory analysis of soils and pollutants 
• Environmental Consultancy 
• Air Pollution: Effects and Control 
• Environmental and Pollution Microbiology 
• Urban Ecology 
• Plants, greenspace and urban sustainability

Stream 2: The Changing Environment

• Climate Change 
• Carbon and Global Change 
• Climate Policy, Justice and Society 
• The Science of Climate Change 
• Preparing for Floods 
• Energy, Climate Change and Development 
• Global Environmental Change and Development 
• Climate Change and Food Systems 

Stream 3: Agriculture and Rural Environments

• Issues in Agricultural Systems 
• Wildlife and Farming 
• Water agriculture and irrigation 
• Agriculture in the Tropics 
• Principles of Integrated Pest Management 
• Rethinking agricultural development 
• Conservation Biology 
• Climate Change and Food Systems

Please see our modules outline for further information.

Please note that all modules are subject to change. Please see our modules disclaimer for more information.

What career can you have?

Our students go on to work in a wide variety of academic and research posts, as well as in public and private sector organisations within the UK and internationally.

Graduates are highly employable in the growing market for environmental managers and consultants. Our programmes also provide in-service training for those already working within the profession.

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Designed to meet the increasing demands to manage and restore degraded land as close as possible to its original status, this course aims to provide the knowledge and skills required to bridge the gap between damaged land and fully restored ecosystems.

Who is it for?

Land reclamation and restoration MSc is suitable for ecology, science, geography and engineering graduates, or professionals from either a science or technical background.

The course comprises eight taught modules, an integrated group project, and an individual thesis project. It provides the skills to assess, plan and implement strategies needed to restore, reclaim and remediate degraded land in order to support ecosystems functions and services.

The course is designed to respond to the industry demands of highly-trained engineers and science professionals able to implement appropriate, innovative and sustainable soil and land management strategies. There is an emphasis on analysis of real problems with practical field work to reinforce learning. This provides the tools required for the group and individual projects.

Why this course?

The postgraduate level Land Reclamation and Restoration course integrates new scientific understanding of environmental processes with relevant engineering and management skills. These skills are then used to develop new, integrated land management solutions at relevant scales including field, city, catchment, national and global.

• Hands-on practices and visits to relevant land reclamation and ecological restoration sites form a major part of the programme.
• Close relations to industry, providing practical experience through group and individual projects in collaboration with relevant organisations.
• Outstanding learning environment with an access to market leading geospatial technologies and state of the art soil and plant research laboratories associated with Agri-Tech Innovation Centres.
• In depth understanding of principles that influence soil reclamation and restoration in an ecosystem context.

Graduates from this programme are highly sought after by government agencies, businesses, consultancies, and non-government organisations (NGOs).

Accreditation

Land Reclamation and Restoration MSc/MTech/PgCert/PgDip is accredited by Institute of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE) and Landscape Institute.

Course details

The modules include lectures and tutorials, and are assessed through written examinations and assignments. These provide the tools required for the group and individual projects.

Group project

This project provides students with the opportunity to take responsibility for a commercially-orientated, consultancy-type project with a UK-based industrial partner, while working in teams under academic supervision. It involves survey design, data collection and analysis, and synthesis and presentation of results to the client. This provides experience equivalent to a real life working environment aiming to provide a solution to a problem faced by industry in an integrated approach drawing upon mixed expertise across various disciplines. 

Individual project

This project provides an opportunity to concentrate on a particular aspect of land reclamation and restoration. It also allows students to demonstrate their ability to research independently, to think and work in an original way, to contribute to knowledge, and to overcome genuine problems in this specialist area of land management. Many of the projects are supported by external organisations.

Assessment

MSc taught modules (six core and two electives) and 40%, group project 20%, individual thesis 40%.

Your career

Takes you on to career opportunities in consultancy, research, education, public and private sector industry. Successful students go on to a wide range of careers such as consulting engineers, conservationists, environmental and design planners/consultants, land and sustainability managers and advisors, researchers, and educationalists. 

Employers include statutory agencies and ministries, conservation trusts, environmental companies, international development organisations, land and natural resource management businesses, large agri-food companies, local authorities, non-government organisations (NGOs), and research organisations.

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Our course provides specialist skills and knowledge about the most important issues related to the sustainability of agricultural production and food security. Our MSc is suitable if you have an interest in sustainable agriculture and food security and want to develop a broad knowledge of the subject.

Sustainable agriculture and food security focuses on the availability of food now and in the future: a major concern of scientific and commercial communities world-wide.

The prominence of this subject is driven by an increasing global population, pressure on non-renewable or scarce resources and a need to increase food production whilst minimising the impact on the environment.

The course covers all aspects of food security as outlined by Global Food Security, a multi-agency programme involving the main UK public sector funders of research and training related to food.

Delivery

On the MSc approximately half of your credits will be gained through taught modules, which offer an opportunity to learn about a wide range of problems in food security. This is ideal if you have an interest in the subject and do not want to specialise in one topic, or if you want to gain a wide range of knowledge in this area for your career. If you know which area you want to specialise in and are confident that you want to pursue a career in research, then you may find our Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security MRes more suitable.

The course is comprised of compulsory and optional modules. The compulsory modules provide a detailed overview of the most important issues related to the sustainability of agricultural production and food security. Optional modules allow specialisation in one or more of the following five topic areas:
-Socio-economics, marketing and policy development
-Environmental and water management
-Soil and crop management
-Animal production, health and welfare management
-Food quality, safety and nutrition

This course is taught in a block format:
-A five-week teaching block
-Then two-week teaching blocks

You will be taught through lectures, seminars, practical and field classes, tutorials, case studies and small group discussions. We expect you to undertake independent study outside of these structured sessions. Your knowledge and understanding will be assessed through written examinations, coursework, presentations and your final major project.

You will be supported through training in designing and delivering a project based on a laboratory or field-based investigation. After choosing your topic you will collect, analyse and interpret data to produce a thesis reporting your investigation and results in a critical manner.

We offer flexible learning for those already working in industry, or you can study through the Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme which is a framework that enables us to award postgraduate level qualifications using credit-bearing stand-alone modules as 'building blocks' towards a qualification. This means that the credits from modules undertaken within a five-year period can be 'banked' towards the award of a qualification.

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Our course provides specialist skills and knowledge about the most important issues related to the sustainability of agricultural production and food security. Our MRes is suitable if you have a strong interest in a specific related topic and are confident that you want to pursue a career in research.

Sustainable agriculture and food security focuses on the availability of food now and in the future: a major concern of scientific and commercial communities world-wide.

The prominence of this subject is driven by an increasing global population, pressure on non-renewable or scarce resources and a need to increase food production whilst minimising the impact on the environment.

The course covers all aspects of food security as outlined by Global Food Security, a multi-agency programme involving the main UK public sector funders of research and training related to food.

Delivery

On the MRes the majority of your credits will be gained from the dissertation module, which is self-directed research. Your studies are supported by a smaller number of taught modules compared to the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security MSc. This course is most suitable if you have a strong interest in a particular topic and are confident that you want to pursue a career in research. If you want to gain a broad knowledge of sustainable agriculture and food security or are not sure if you want to specialise in a specific topic, then you may find our Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security MSc more suitable.

The course is comprised of compulsory and optional modules. The compulsory modules provide a detailed overview of the most important issues related to the sustainability of agricultural production and food security. Optional modules allow specialisation in one or more of the following five topic areas:
-Socio-economics, marketing and policy development
-Environmental and water management
-Soil and crop management
-Animal production, health and welfare management
-Food quality, safety and nutrition

This course is taught in a block format:
-One five-week block
-Then two-week teaching blocks

You will be taught through lectures, seminars, practical and field classes, tutorials, case studies and small group discussions. We expect you to undertake independent study outside of these structured sessions. Your knowledge and understanding will be assessed through written examinations, coursework, presentations and your final major project.

You will be supported through training in designing and delivering a project based on a laboratory or field-based investigation. After choosing your topic you will collect, analyse and interpret data to produce a thesis reporting your investigation and results in a critical manner.

We offer flexible learning for those already working in industry, or you can also study through the Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme which is a framework that enables us to award postgraduate level qualifications using credit-bearing stand-alone modules as 'building blocks' towards a qualification. This means that the credits from modules undertaken within a five-year period can be 'banked' towards the award of a qualification.

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Part 1 (120 credits): runs from September to May and consists of four taught modules, a Field Visit, and a Research Methods module component. They must be completed successfully before proceeding to Part 2.

Part 2 (60 credits): is the dissertation phase and runs from end of May to September. This is a supervised project phase which gives students further opportunity for specialisation in their chosen field. Dissertation topics are related to the interests and needs of the individual and must show evidence of wide reading and understanding as well as critical analysis or appropriate use of advanced techniques. The quality of the dissertation is taken into account in the award of the Masters degree. Bangor University regulations prescribe a maximum word limit of 20,000 words for Masters Dissertations. A length of 12,000 to 15,000 words is suggested for Masters programmes in our School.

Summary of modules taken in Part 1:

All students undertake 6 modules of 20 credits each which are described below.

Conservation Science considers questions such as ‘in a post-wild world what should be the focus of conservation attention?’ ‘What are the relative roles of ecology, economics and social science in conservation?’ ‘What are the advantage and disadvantages of the introduction of market-like mechanisms into conservation policy?’ We look closely at the current and emerging drivers of biodiversity loss world-wide, while carefully analysing the range of responses.

Insect Pollinators and Plants is at the interface between agriculture and conservation, this module introduces students to plant ecology and insect pollinators. Students will gain unique understanding of the ecological interactions between plants and insect pollinators including honey-bees to implement more sensitive conservation management. The module explores the current conservation status of insect pollinators and their corresponding plant groups; how populations are monitored, and how interventions in the broader landscape can contribute to improving their conservation status. Module components relate specifically to ecosystem pollination services, apiculture and habitat restoration and/or maintenance. The module has a strong practical skills focus, which includes beekeeping and contemporary challenges to apiculture; plant and insect sampling and habitat surveying. Consequently, there is a strong emphasis on “learning by doing.

Agriculture and the Environment reviews the impact of agricultural systems and practices on the environment and the scientific principles involved. It includes examples from a range of geographical areas. It is now recognised that many of the farming practices adopted in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, aimed at maximising production and profit, have had adverse effects on the environment. These include water and air pollution, soil degradation, loss of certain habitats and decreased biodiversity. In the UK and Europe this has led to the introduction of regulatory instruments and codes of practice aimed at minimising these problems and the promotion of new approaches to managing farmland. However, as world population continues to rise, there are increased concerns about food security, particularly in stressful environments such as arid zones where farmers have to cope with natural problems of low rainfall and poor soils. Although new technologies including the use of GM crops have potential to resolve some of these issues, concerns have been expressed about the impact of the release of these new genetically-engineered crops into the environment.

Management Planning for Conservation provides students with an understanding of the Conservation Management System approach to management planning. This involves describing a major habitat feature at a high level of definition; the preparation of a conservation objective (with performance indicators) for the habitat; identification and consideration of the implications of all factors and thus the main management activities; preparation of a conceptual model of the planning process for a case study site and creating maps using spatial data within a desktop GIS.

Research Methods Module: this prepares students for the dissertation stage of their MSc course. The module provides students with an introduction to principles of hypothesis generation, sampling, study design, spatial methods, social research methods, quantitative & qualitative analysis and presentation of research findings. Practicals and field visits illustrate examples of these principles. Course assessment is aligned to the research process from the proposal stage, through study write up to presentation of results. The module is in two phases. The taught content phase is until the period following Christmas. This is followed by a project planning phase for dissertation title choice and plan preparation.

Field Visit Module: this is an annual programme of scientific visits related to Conservation and Land Management. The main purpose of the trip will be to appreciate the range of activities different conservation organisations are undertaking, to understand their different management objectives and constraints. Previous field trips have visited farms, forests and reserves run by Scottish Wildlife Trust, National Trust, RSPB, local authorities, community groups and private individuals.

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The new African Studies degrees at UCL draw on world-leading research and expertise from across the university relating to the study of Africa, and offer a unique opportunity to choose one of four distinct pathways. The African Studies with Environment MSc focuses on contemporary environmental issues including water supply, agricultural systems, climate change and settlement growth.

About this degree

The degree pathways share a common core, comprising modules on the continent’s political and economic past and present, together with training in research methods. In addition, the Environment pathway explores aspects of human-environment interaction, through a range of advanced optional modules drawn from the Departments of Geography, Anthropology, Archaeology, and the UCL Development Planning Unit.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of three core modules (45 credits), three optional modules (45 credits), and a dissertation (90 credits).

Core modules

• Africa: Dialogues of Past and Present
• Debating Africa's Future
• Research Methods in African Studies

Optional modules

Students choose three from a range of options including the following:

• Adapting Cities to Climate Change in the Global South
• Climate Change and Human Response to Holocene Africa
• Climate Modelling
• Ecology of Human Groups
• Environmental GIS
• Holocene Climate Variability
• Impacts of Climate Change on Hydro-Ecological Systems
• Land, Food and Agriculture
• Population and Development
• Post-Disaster Recovery Policies, Practices and Alternatives
• Historical Ecologies of African Landscapes c. AD 1800 to present

Dissertation/report

All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 15,000 words. This dissertation must focus on a research question related to African environmental issues.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures and seminars and guided independent research. Assessment is through essays, portfolio, research proposal and examination.

Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: African Studies with Environment MSc

Careers

Graduates will be well placed to take up positions with national and international policy-making bodies, non-governmental development organisations, environmental agencies and within national ministries.

Employability

Students will develop skills in research and research ethics, thematic debate, environmental data analysis and GIS, archival work, ethnographic field techniques and presentation.

Why study this degree at UCL?

UCL offers a unique teaching and learning environment in which to study the continent of Africa. More than 35 permanent members of UCL academic staff focus their research primarily on Africa and their field activities span the continent.

African Studies marks the first time existing expertise on Africa at UCL has been combined to offer an interdisciplinary degree.

The core degree programme interweaves the study of the pre-colonial past, the colonial era, and the post-colonial present, with an eye to the future. Modules are arranged thematically around ‘debates’, with lectures presenting a long-term view of issues to frame subsequent seminar discussions. A core reasearch module introduces students to key research skills incuding qualitative and quantitative data analysis, GIS and spatial analysis, enthrography and interviewing, archival research and project design. 

Research Excellence Framework (REF)

The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.

Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.

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A collaboration between the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and Faculty of Forestry, the inter-faculty Soil Science Graduate Program offers opportunities for advanced study and research leading to MSc and PhD degrees. Students are registered in the Faculty of Graduate Studies through either the Faculty of Land and Food Systems or Faculty of Forestry, depending upon their research interests.

Areas of study include biometeorology, forest nutrition and nutrient cycling, mycorrhizal ecology, soil biology, soil quality and fertility, soil-plant interactions, ecosystem services, land an water systems.

Program Overview

Soil Science offers opportunities for advanced study and research leading to Ph.D. and M.Sc. degrees in the areas of soil microbial ecology, organic matter, soil physics, irrigation and drainage, biometeorology, soil pollution, soil and water conservation, soil management, and land use, with application to forest, agricultural, urban, and range soils, as well as a professional Master of Land and Water Systems (M.L.W.S.) degree. The Ph.D. and M.Sc. degrees include a combination of courses in both basic and applied sciences, with research leading to the completion of a thesis/dissertation. The M.L.W.S. degree is intended for students seeking a post-baccalaureate degree for professional practice in the land and water resources management realm. The program is designed to be completed in one calendar year.

Soil Sciences programs are enriched through collaboration with: colleagues in other graduate programs, such as Forestry, Geography, Plant Science, Institute for Resources and Environment, Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems, and Landscape Architecture; and agencies such as Environment Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, BC Ministry of Forests and Range, and other provincial, municipal, and regional government agencies.

Research facilities are housed both within the MacMillan and Forest Sciences Buildings and, on a shared basis, in other buildings on campus. Research facilities within the MacMillan Building include modern analytical laboratories and other equipment for conducting chemical and biometeorological research, while excellent facilities for soil biological research are located in the Forest Sciences Centre.

Quick Facts

- Degree: Master of Science
- Specialization: Soil Science
- Subject: Agriculture and Forestry
- Mode of delivery: On campus
- Program components: Coursework + Thesis required
- Faculty: Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Career Prospects

Graduates of the soil science degree program often obtain positions with government or the private sector. Some graduates decide to continue in the area of research and academia with various universities and colleges. Examples of where some graduates are employed:
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- BC Ministry of Forests
- Canadian Forest Service
- Consultant
- Associate Professor, University of Guelph
- Associate Professor, Yale University
- Associate Professor, University of Northern BC
- Environment Canada
- Assistant Professor, University of Bengukulu, Indonesia
- Assistant Professor, University of Venda for Science and Technology, South Africa

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The course will provide students with a detailed understanding of the principles and processes of sustainable food production, including its social and environmental contexts. It will equip students who already have work experience in the food supply chain to implement the latest research into sustainable systems thinking, and will facilitate cutting edge careers for those who want to enter the food production and supply chain.

The Food Security in the Changing Environment MSc has been created with funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as part of the Advanced Training Partnership (ATP). Please visit the ATP website. Please also visit the Aberystwyth MSc website offering the MSc in Sustainable and Efficient Food Production. Modules from the Bangor MSc and the Aberystwyth MSc can be interchangeable between the two programmes. Bursaries are available for those employed in the UK agri-food industry.

Students studying the course will:

Examine the environmental, economic and social responsibility of farming in the context of food security and the changing environments.
Study how selected management practices can improve the resource-efficiency and overall sustainability of food production.
Gain a global perspective to question whether and how growing demand for food from limited land resources can be met through sustainable intensification.
Students will have the opportunity to study from 3 to 6 modules per year, depending on their status as part time or full time students. For the Masters degree, students will complete a total of 6 modules of study, detailed below, and a dissertation project.

Students may begin their study at the beginning of any module, either at the end of September, the end of January or the middle of May.

In the event of compulsory modules changing from year to year, existing students may choose from either the compulsory modules extant at the time of registration, or the new ones, and are advised to discuss their options with the Course Director.

Professionals in the agri-food industry, conservation and environment, farmers, and agricultural policy decision makers may be interested in the modules of this degree, as will full-time students wishing to pursue a post graduate degree that culminates in employability in these sectors.

Teaching and learning is supported by study guides with journal articles, online lectures, podcasts, and discussion forums. The wide range of backgrounds and expertise of staff and students make a hugely enriching learning experience.

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MSc in Soil Mechanics

MSc in Soil Mechanics & Business Management

MSc in Soil Mechanics & Sustainable Development

MSc in Soil Mechanics & Engineering Seismology

MSc in Soil Mechanics & Environmental Geotechnics

These five MSc courses explore the properties of soils and soft rocks in relation to civil engineering, the theory of geomechanics and practical geotechnical engineering.

All our MSc courses are career-oriented and cover both theoretical background and practical design considerations.

Lectures are given mainly by full-time staff but important contributions are made by visiting professors and guest lecturers who are eminent industrialists.

Many of our students continue their studies to undertake research towards a PhD.

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Spatial data play an increasingly important role in many areas of our lives: environmental protection, forecasting, agriculture, and local and regional planning. Understanding Geographical Information Systems and GI science is essential for effective management and analysis of spatial data.

Core
• Introduction to GIS
• Spatial Information Science
• Earth Observation and Remote Sensing
• GIS Research Methods Field Trip
• Dissertation tutorial
• Geographical Visualization
• Programming for Spatial Scientists
• Plus a 60 credit master’s dissertation

We recognise the need for challenging and diverse methods of assessment. Our methods vary from traditional examinations, individual oral presentations, reports, web pages, research proposals, literature reviews and posters. We also include an amount of field-based teaching and computer practical sessions in our courses. As well as being taught subject knowledge, you will also receive training on how to plan, develop and execute a programme of individual research. We feel that the development of group skills is very important and a number of pieces of coursework involve a team of people. Coursework feedback is given
promptly and in considerable detail, enabling you to improve continuously.

• The MSc in Geographical Information Science at the University of Leicester is the longest running MSc in GIS in England and offers comprehensive training in GI Science and Systems.
• The MSc in GIS has been recently been accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
• The course is overseen by an employer panel of representatives from industry, government, research and environmental agencies in order to maintain the relevancy of the course content and direction.

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NEW PROGRAMME

The Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR) is excited to announce the launch of a new programme entitled MSc Agroecology, Water and Food Sovereignty (title subject to validation), which will commence in September 2018. The programme will encompass enhanced knowledge from our now larger team of experts and will be informed by recent research. This will replace the MSc in Agroecology and Food Security which will run for the last time in the September 2017-18 academic year. Please check our website for details which will be published very soon.

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Food security is of critical concern globally, and the development of food systems that provide food of high quality and quantity in a sustainable way, is now a research and policy priority.

The MSc in Agroecology and Food Security is designed to equip professionals and graduates with the knowledge to critically analyse and assess the relationships between agroecological food production and management, farming systems, climate change economics and the environment.

WHY CHOOSE THIS COURSE?

Run by Coventry University's Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR) whose mission is to create resilient food systems worldwide, the course:

-Draws on the outstanding range of academic and practical expertise of CAWR staff plus world-renowned guest lecturers

-Is designed for students from a variety of different academic and professional backgrounds and from the natural and social sciences (e.g. previous experience of agriculture not necessary)

-Provides unique content in terms of its cutting edge focus on transforming the food system through alternative paradigms, concepts, and methodologies to enable real and equitable change

-Is based at the UK’s national centre for organic horticulture in 10 acres of organic gardens.

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

The course will provide you with the knowledge of the major agricultural production systems found in different parts of the world and the main theoretical approaches to understanding contemporary food systems.

The course covers a range of subject areas including:

• Food security; 
• agroecological production systems; 
• clean energy, climate and carbon; 
• agroecological techniques and practices; 
• stabilisation agriculture;
• gender, food systems and natural resources; 
• environmental impact assessment; 
• ecological management and assessment;
• international environmental law;
• remote sensing and digital image analysis; 
• project management.

For each module, teaching normally takes the form of weekly 'face-to-face' contact at the University (including lectures, workshops, seminars and exercises) throughout each semester, with associated directed and self directed study, which may be undertaken off-campus.

HOW WILL THIS COURSE ENHANCE MY CAREER PROSPECTS?

All students undertake an individual research project, which may be associated with an appropriate organisation or company in the UK or overseas. Equipped with a detailed understanding of food systems and a range of appropriate practical skills your potential for employment will be strong.

Opportunities present themselves in national and international government agencies, non governmental policy, research and development organisations, the private sector including food companies and the farming sector.

GLOBAL LEADERS PROGRAMME

To prepare students for the challenges of the global employment market and to strengthen and develop their broader personal and professional skills Coventry University has developed a unique Global Leaders Programme.

The objectives of the programme, in which postgraduate and eligible undergraduate students can participate, is to provide practical career workshops and enable participants to experience different business cultures.

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