Masters Degrees in Environmental Geography, Ireland

Programme Overview

Global issues of environment, security and development have never been so important. A long war on terror with no end in sight, ongoing structural economic inequalities on a global scale, and the threat of climate change have brought questions of Western interventionary practices, neoliberalism and environmental sustainability to the fore. The MA in Environment, Society and Development is designed to enable students to synthesize both theoretical and practical concerns in bringing critical thinking to these vital challenges. The programme involves engagement with a number of core areas in critical human geography, including issues of geopolitics, development and political ecology, and exposes students to global concerns that encompass a complex and dynamic mesh of environmental, social and economic processes.

Field-Based Learning

Running through the MA is an overarching aim to impart understanding of how different philosophical and ideological approaches to environment-society relations influence policy formulation and implementation. In this context, our hope is to empower students to become critically informed by, and ethically engaged with, the various geopolitical, social, economic and environmental processes that shape the world in which we live. The practical emphasis of the MA is reflected in a field-based learning module in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where students intersect with the development work of UN agencies, and range of CSOs and NGOs. In connecting with the work of UN agencies like the United Nations Development Programme, a key challenge for students involves thinking through the scalar nature of all forms of development, in which initiatives on the ground are framed by broader geopolitical, economic and institutional structures that both enable and hinder development in complex ways.

Career Opportunities

The programme will prepare students for a range of workplaces including government departments, non-governmental organizations, planning and environmental management agencies and specialist research and policy institutes. The transferable and problem-solving skills gained from the field-based learning practices embedded in all modules are a particular strength for graduates. Each year, students gain vital experience working on the ground in Bosnia and Herzegovina with a variety of international development practitioners and local community leaders. Since its inception, the programme has had ICOS and other international students from a range of countries, including Ethiopia, Germany, Italy, Malawi, Norway, Russia, Sri Lanka, UAE, UK, USA and Vietnam. Many have gone on to work in NGOs and UN agencies and, in addition, to pursue PhD research in leading Geography Departments across the world. In terms of a critical human geography Masters, the depth and breadth of the programme puts students in a very strong position in applying for PhDs, and post-MA we strongly encourage applications, internationally, nationally and here at NUI Galway, where Geography has strong research clusters in Geopolitics and Justice and Planning and Sustainability.

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PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

Galway’s identity is intertwined with the coast. The Discipline of Geography, with strong links with The Ryan Institute which identifies marine and coastal processes as a Priority Research Area, is delighted to offer a brand new structured postgraduate programme in NUIG. This programme is designed to train skilled personnel, who can advise on, organise and regulate an informed development of coastal and marine resources and activities in Ireland, the European Union and worldwide. Ireland’s coastal and marine environments are a vital natural resource. This value is reflected in a broad range of current EU directives and strategies aimed at taking full advantage of these resources while also enhancing our natural environments. The Irish Government has recently launched an integrated plan (Our Ocean Wealth), seeking to put into operation these EU policies for our coastal and marine resources. While rapid growth is expected as these new plans come into action, they are not without risks. A recent report by the Marine Institute outlined some challenges: a need to develop our environmental understanding; the challenge posed by climate change; protecting biodiversity; enhancing monitoring capability; greater integration of science, management and advice. The key to achieving the true sustainable development of our coastal and marine resources may be through new educational programmes. On the one hand, facilitating existing managers and planners through targeted learning in this expanding field, while on the other hand, training our current students to be the future decision-makers in these coastal and marine environments.

This is a highly opportune time for an MSc in Coastal and Marine Environments: physical processes, policy and practice. This MSc programme, theoretically informed and with a strong field-based and applied focus, is offered in direct response to newly emerging discourses on the long term health of coastal and marine environments. It seeks to challenge and facilitate students to engage with but go beyond established scientific conceptual and theoretical perspectives, engage new ways of understanding the complexities of our evolving physical coastal and marine environments, and develop critical insights that can support policy and practice in sustaining these increasingly vulnerable environments.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

The MSc in Coastal and Marine Environments is a full-time postgraduate course delivered over 3 semesters (12 months). The programme was devised by a team of academics from the Discipline of Geography who have been involved in priority EU-funded and US National Science Foundation (NSF) research on contemporary and future challenges facing coastal and marine areas, including the ANCORIM (Atlantic Network for Coastal Risk Management) (INTERREG) and MARNET (Marine Atlantic Regions Network) (FP7) projects, as well as local and national-level projects on the same. The team is engaged in a broad range of scientific investigation of the physical environment, with an excellent international publication record. Students will become active members of ongoing research programmes and will learn the research and publication process.

There is a strong focus on the formulation of coastal and marine policies and strategies; the identity and role of stakeholders; the nature and impact of local, national and European governance; and the historic and contemporary approaches used to understand the physical processes that control the characteristics of our coast. Development of skills is supported by a significant focus on practical and field-based learning, including short field courses in Ireland and work placements.

It is directed at graduates from Geography, Natural Sciences and other related disciplines in the social and natural sciences, and at professionals in the field who are interested in furthering their knowledge of coastal and marine environments. Students will be required to conduct socially relevant research that addresses the roles of agencies and policy structures in coastal and marine environments.

CAREER OPPORTUNTIES

With coastal and marine resources increasingly promoted as being central to revitalising the Irish economy, the coming years will require well-informed and educated leaders who understand the complexities of the interaction between the economy and health of these environments. This, added to the broader national and European focus on the coastal zone and the urgent need for more Higher Education courses which recognise the renewed importance of sustainability of coastal and marine activities and the multifunctional facets of these areas, should present graduates of this course with opportunities across various fields ( coastal and marine science, environmental consultancy, local/regional/state management agencies, government and policy institute research, politics and governance of the environment, sustainable energy, research laboratories and programmes, teaching, heritage, tourism, etc.). The work placement programme will aid in professional development and offer links with potential employers, giving our students realistic and desirable career opportunities, and built-in work experience upon graduation.

PhD Entry: the MSc Programme can be used as a platform for potential doctoral PhD candidates for research programmes in Geography and our partners in NUIG, especially the Ryan Institute, and abroad. This will encourage the growth and visibility, at home and abroad, of the coastal and marine priority theme research clusters in NUIG.

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Overview

The MSc in Climate Change at Maynooth University is offered by the Department of Geography to provide Graduates with the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to enable them to undertake analysis of both global and Irish related climate change science, impacts and policies. The MSc was first offered in 2008–09 due to the need for trained graduates in meeting the challenges posed by climate change, particularly in the areas of simulating future climates, impacts modelling, developing mitigation and adaptation strategies and decision making under uncertainty.

The MSc in Climate Change is a fulltime postgraduate programme running from the commencement of the first semester to the submission of a research thesis (end of July). The course provides a well-integrated and encompassing programme of taught modules that reflect the major themes of climate change, together with essential technical training in modelling and analysis and are designed to nurture independent and critical thinking on climate change issues.

Course Structure

The course provides a well-integrated and encompassing programme of taught modules that reflect the major themes of climate change, together with essential technical training in modelling and analysis and are designed to nurture independent and critical thinking on climate change issues. The course is delivered using a variety of techniques from traditional lectures, seminars, and workshops with the emphasis firmly placed on integrating cutting edge research into the delivery of the MSc.

Career Options

This course is designed to equip students for further research in aspects of climate change modelling and impact analysis or who wish to pursue careers in areas in environmental management for which climate change considerations are necessary. It is also suitable for those in mid career with an appropriate background who wish to upgrade their skills in these emerging areas.

How To Apply

Online application only http://www.pac.ie/maynoothuniversity

PAC Code
MHN56

The following information should be forwarded to PAC, 1 Courthouse Square, Galway or uploaded to your online application form:

Certified copies of all official transcripts of results for all non-Maynooth University qualifications listed MUST accompany the application. Failure to do so will delay your application being processed. Non-Maynooth University students are asked to provide two academic references and a copy of birth certificate or valid passport.

Find information on Scholarships here https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/study-maynooth/postgraduate-studies/fees-funding-scholarships

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The taught M.Sc. degree in Environmental Sciences, as the first of its kind in Ireland, has an established pedigree, attracting students with diverse academic backgrounds from Ireland and abroad. This full-time, intensive course is intended for administrative and scientific workers and new graduates with an appropriate biological/earth science background. It comprises a series of taught modules encompassing a variety of current environmental themes, followed by a five-month, research project. There is also the possibility to opt for a diploma course in Environmental Sciences, consisting of the taught modules only.

The course provides students with a wide range of knowledge and skills relating to the expanding subject of Environmental Science. It aims to provide a firm scientific understanding of current environmental issues that will be of relevance to those interested in environmental management and related areas. The course provides a foundation of understanding of current environmental policies and legislation, and builds upon this with practical and theoretical courses that include subjects such as ocean and coastal management, water resources and pollution, climate change and environmental impact assessment. Theory and practice are closely linked to develop field, analytical, and presentation skills, including dedicated modules relating to data analysis and Geographic Information Systems. The course provides the opportunity to develop interests in particular areas of Environmental Science through tutorials, seminars and an extended desk study.

Following successful completion of the taught part of the course, students embark on a closely supervised research project intended to expand the skills and knowledge base acquired in earlier modules. Previous research projects have covered a diverse range of subjects including: groundwater contamination; atmospheric heavy metal deposition; environmental education; sewage processing systems; bio-indicators of marine pollution; and the impacts of erosion in African lakes.

Previous graduates of this M.Sc. course have been employed by a range of agencies involved in environmental protection, as environmental consultants and in local government. Many graduates have gone on to do further research in a range of environmentally related disciplines. Graduates from the course have pursued their interests in environmental sciences throughout the world.

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