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Weather and climate are integral parts of the Earth system. The monitoring of meteorological variables, together with the knowledge and modelling of underlying processes, are key to understanding our interaction with the natural environment.
This programme provides comprehensive training in understanding, modelling and prediction of atmospheric processes; as well as the collection, management, supply and application of atmospheric data for the needs of a variety of public and private sectors. The course also demonstrates how these create opportunities or pose problems for the successful operation of natural and human systems. Our aim is that upon graduation you will be able to compete for careers in Meteorology and Climatology.
This well-established programme was developed in response to industry and research institution requirements for applied meteorologists and climatologists. This demand continues, partially due to the growing attention of the society to climate change, its mitigation and adaptation to it.
Skills gained
The programme aims to:
Taught modules involve lectures, practical classes and supporting tutorials. Modules are provided by staff, supported by seminars from invited experts. Vocational awareness is developed through a 'work experience' week in which course participants gain hands-on experience for instance in a commercial weather forecasting environment.
The programme has been accredited by the Royal Meteorological Society to provide training for Chartered Meteorologists (CMet). The RMS 'Chartered Meteorologist' accreditation scheme provides the highest level of professional qualification in meteorology and will satisfy clients and employers that individuals have reached a specified level of knowledge and experience in the subject equivalent to that of Chartered status in any other profession.
The MSc course in Applied Meteorology and Climatology was initiated in 1963/64. It was developed in response to industry and research institution requirements for applied meteorologists and climatologists. This demand still continues. For example, over the period of the last decade, about 45 percent of graduates from the course have entered employment directly related to applied meteorology and climatology, while 37 percent have taken up research posts in this area.
This qualification is available for industry professionals who have a postgraduate award already but wish to upgrade this to a full Masters. This can be achieved simply by the completion of:
A short period of distance learning study in Applied Research Methods
A workplace focussed research project in an appropriate area
By studying your distance e-learning degree with us, when you graduate you will receive a full Advanced Meteorology for Professionals Master’s award from Plymouth University a world leader in Marine and Maritime related subjects. This is exactly the same as if you had attended a full time on-campus degree course.
We have a number of different start dates throughout the year to suit individual circumstances.
For more information visit http://www.mla-uk.com, or apply here.
Sample modules:
For an idea of what topics you may be able to study, view our 2017/18 modules list (2018/19 modules may differ).
Please note that all modules are subject to change. Please see our modules disclaimer for more information.
As one of our graduates, you will be well placed to pursue a scientific career in weather forecasting and meteorological research.
In recent years, our students have been recruited by the Met Office, MeteoGroup, FUGRO Geos, Arup, AIR and RMS. Others pursue careers associated with diverse aspects of environmental measurement, risk management and policy development.
Sample modules:
For an idea of what topics you may be able to study, view our 2017/18 modules list (2018/19 modules may differ).
Please note that all modules are subject to change. Please see our modules disclaimer for more information.
As one of our graduates, you will be well placed to pursue a scientific career in weather forecasting and meteorological research.
In recent years, our students have been recruited by the Met Office, MeteoGroup, FUGRO Geos, Arup, AIR and RMS. Others pursue careers associated with diverse aspects of environmental measurement, risk management and policy development.
Sample modules:
For an idea of what topics you may be able to study, view our 2017/18 modules list (2018/19 modules may differ).
Please note that all modules are subject to change. Please see our modules disclaimer for more information.
As one of our graduates, you will be well placed to pursue a scientific career in weather forecasting and meteorological research.
In recent years, our students have been recruited by the Met Office, MeteoGroup, FUGRO Geos, Arup, AIR and RMS. Others pursue careers associated with diverse aspects of environmental measurement, risk management and policy development.
This masters by research programme is an opportunity to carry out a substantial piece of research in any of the following major branches of geosciences:
The programme allows you to work on research throughout the year, and your work will be judged solely on your final dissertation. You can follow taught courses by arrangement with your supervisor, but none are required.
The programme aims to provide a structured approach to basic research training, allowing you to explore an area of research that may be subsequently developed into a PhD. You may also have the opportunity to develop links with research projects at national and international levels.
The School has the largest geoscience research group in the UK, with about 370 academics and researchers. The ambition and quality of our research was reflected in the latest Research Assessment Exercise, where 66% of our research was rated within the top two categories: world-leading and internationally excellent.
All research students are affiliated to one a research institute, which provides a forum for the development of ideas, collaboration, and dissemination of results, and an environment for training, development and mentoring of research students and early-career researchers. Our research institutes each have a very active seminar series drawing distinguished external guests as well as internal speakers, and you will be encouraged to attend and participate.
You can follow taught courses by arrangement with your supervisor, but none are required.
Air pollution damages human health, ecosystems and vegetation, and is expected to worsen in many regions. Every year, air pollution costs EU economies US$ 1.6 trillion and is linked to 7 million premature deaths globally. Developing effective strategies for the management and control of air pollution is a key environmental challenge facing society today.
This course is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the causes and effects of air pollution, and the management measures and engineering technologies available for its control. This is a recognised and sought after qualification within the professional environmental field in the UK and abroad. Students successfully completing the course find employment as air quality experts within environmental consultancies, industry or local government departments.
Accreditation
This programme is accredited by the Committee of Heads of Environmental Sciences (CHES), the education committee of the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES). CHES is the collective voice of the environmental sciences academic community and serves to enhance the quality of environmental education worldwide. A programme accredited by CHES is assured to meet high standards, contain a strong component of practical, field and theoretical activities, and has excellent opportunities for training, work experience and links to the professional environmental sector. Students enrolled on CHES accredited programmes can apply for free Student Membership of the IES and for a fast-track route to membership once they graduate, starting you on a route towards becoming a Chartered Environmentalist or Chartered Scientist.
The programme is also accredited by the Institute of Air Quality Management.
The course combines taught modules with an independent major research project. The taught modules introduce the nature of our atmosphere, its composition and meteorology, air pollutant emissions, air pollution chemistry and climate change / carbon management, together with the practical measures used to limit emissions from sources ranging from power stations to vehicles and the legislative and policy framework used by national and local authorities to enforce air quality objectives. The research project allows students to undertake an in-depth investigation of a particular aspect of air pollution of interest to them, and further their level of understanding.
This programme is run by the Division of Environmental Health and Risk Management.
About the Division of Environmental Health and Risk Management
The Division is based in the well-equipped, purpose-built facilities of the University's Public Health Building. Research attracts extensive funding from many sources, including the Department of Transport; the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA); the Environment Agency; the Department of Health; the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and European Union. The collaborative nature of much of this work, together with the mix of pure, strategic and applied research, often involving interdisciplinary teams spanning physical, biological, chemical, medical and social sciences, provides a dynamic and internationally recognised research environment.
The Division is led by Professor Roy Harrison who is a member of the U.K. government’s Air Quality Expert Group, Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants, and Committee on Toxicity. He often gives media interviews on subjects including the Volkswagen emissions scandal.
Computing
You will have access to common software tools used to model air pollution (for example, ADMS and the DMRB as used by many local authorities). These are used in teaching sessions/workshops, and also available for research projects. We also have experience with more specialised packages such as CMAQ for research project use.
Laboratories and Atmospheric Measurement Instrumentation
We are well equipped for atmospheric measurements. Instrumentation available for the measurement of atmospheric particulates (aerosols) ranges from hand-held particle monitors which may be taken into homes and buildings, through various manual and automated filter sampling systems, to TEOM instruments as used for air quality monitoring. On the research side, we operate a number of Aerosol particle Spectrometers and an Aerosol Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer. For gaseous pollutants, monitors are available to monitor ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, in addition to gas chromatographs which can detect a wide range of organic compounds. The School operates its own weather station, and various meteorological instrumentation is available.
Other laboratory analytical instrumentation includes GC-MS and LC-MS instruments, ion chromatography and atomic absorption spectrometers which can measure a wide range of environmental constituents and pollutants. Training and guidance on the use of instrumentation is available if you are interested in using these facilities for your research projects.
Teaching
The MSc in Air Pollution Management and Control is taught by staff from the School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences.
Teaching is delivered through lectures, workshops and problem sessions, and off-campus visits to sites with specific air pollution problems (e.g. an incinerator, landfill site, local air quality monitoring station). We also visit a £15m facility built to study the impact of climate change on terrestrial carbon cycle at the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR). In order to give our students experience of the Management and Control aspects of the course, we make visits to Birmingham City Council Air Quality Group and to the Tyseley Energy Recovery Facility. Teaching sessions are supplemented by online resources which may be accessed remotely and students own (guided) personal reading.
A feature of the course is the use of external speakers to deliver an expert view through lectures and workshops on specific aspects. These range from experts such as Professor Robert Maynard (formerly Head of Air Pollution for the Department of Health) and Professor Dick Derwent (atmospheric ozone modelling and policy advice) to recent course graduates, now working in consultancy and local government, who run workshop sessions on pollutant dispersion modelling.
This MSc provides a broad introduction to geohazards, together with advanced courses in seismology, volcanology, hydrogeological hazards and meteorology. A key goal is to provide an essential grounding in quantitative modelling that can be widely applied to several fields, from pure research to the commercial sector.
The programme provides an introduction to the spectrum and impact of geophysical hazards, and a focus on quantitative models for hazard forecasting and assessment. Selected case studies illustrate how these models are essential for improving decision-making during emergencies, for raising the awareness of vulnerable populations, and for evaluating and implementing mitigation strategies.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of six core modules (120 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits).
Core modules
Optional modules
There are no optional modules for this programme.
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project in geophysical hazards, which culminates in a dissertation of 15,000 words.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, directed reading and practical exercises. There are excellent opportunities for field investigations in the UK and abroad. Assessment is through unseen written examinations, practical problem-solving exercises and essays. The independent research report is assessed through the dissertation and an oral presentation.
Fieldwork
Field sites for field trips are normally in Italy. The department pays for accommodation and transport in the field. Students pay to get to the field and subsistence.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Geophysical Hazards MSc
On graduation from this programme about one-third of students have followed careers in global insurance and re-insurance and another third have pursued research with a PhD in hazard-related studies. The remaining third have developed careers in a wide range of sectors, from non-governmental organisations, through teaching, to the fields of emergency planning and environmental management.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
The MSc in Geophysical Hazards will provide essential training for careers in hazard assessment and risk evaluation, including: industry, from engineering to insurance; academic research; civil protection agencies and government organisations; and NGOs related to aid and development.
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
UCL Earth Sciences is engaged in world-class research into the processes at work on and within the Earth and planets.
Graduate students benefit from our lively and welcoming environment and world-class facilities. The department hosts UCL Hazard Centre, Europe's leading multidisciplinary hazard research centre, and engages in extensive collaborative work with the Royal Institution and the Natural History Museum.
This MSc aims to include a short field trip to locations that illustrate the impact of natural hazards. Previous trips have included the Neapolitan volcanic district, the Italian Alps and the Po Delta, and the Cádiz region in south-western Spain.
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.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: Earth Sciences
92% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
If you are interested in studying for advanced level skills in measuring and analysing different issues in the environment and assessing their risks to that environment the programme at Aberdeen allows you to cover core disciplines and allows you to specialise in specific areas of interest. You can convert from a range of science and engineering degrees which are especially relevant though you can apply with demonstrable competency to study at postgraduate level from any degree discipline.
There are many employment options with an environmental science degree which can include regulating the environment across industry areas at government and local level. At Aberdeen you can choose to specialise in Hydrocarbon Risk Assessments which are very relevant to the city's oil and gas industry and air pollution generally worldwide, you can study ecology and management plans in relation to development, catchment management in relation to waterways and you can look at how we protect soils and other essential resources related to the food chain and species protection.
You can work in policy, regulation, consultancy or private companies with social responsibility and regulatory concerns internationally. There is also opportunity to explore further research and new enterprise development, further specialisms within environmental sciences and regulatory areas over the course of your career.
The systematic approach of this MSc programme enables you to deal with all scales of the environment. Throughout your studies you will have various opportunities to participate in work outdoors and apply your classroom and field work knowledge to real life situations. You will also gain experience using a range of tools for biological, chemical and physical measurement as well as models and data handling methods. Most importantly, at Aberdeen you will be part of a community that will help improve your knowledge and awareness of environmental science.
Semester 1
Optional
Semester 2
Optional
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about international fees:
Find out more about fees on the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
This programme is ideal if you want to study flexibly around work or other commitments or you want to study from anywhere in the world if you have a very busy lifestyle. It is entirely delivered online to help you study at University of Aberdeen from any remote location with internet access. There is also an on campus delivery of this programme.
Geographic information systems have become really interesting to all of us with the increased innovation in smart phones and IOT, whether we are searching for a venue to eat and drink or looking for something specific in a difficult to reach location. At one time GIS was heavily used in planning and map creation, now we all have access to those maps on our mobiles and tablets and we now expect sensors in our phones to connect automatically to satellite systems to tell us our every move, whether we are walking or in the car. This has made the discipline incredibly interesting and opened up a lot more opportunities in terms of work. On top of the more obvious GIS enabled systems many businesses rely on this technology to inform them about weather, shipping, coastal locations, risks and hazards, agriculture and energy and minerals exploration.
Geospatial technologies are increasingly important across all industries and this programme gives you skills in developing remote sensing, working with wide ranging expertise from coastal, marine, ecology, energy, geology, spatial planning, and archaeology. You learn some very useful skills in programming, simulation and modelling, spatial databases and global positioning systems, plus cartography, remote sensing, digital image processing, geographic information systems, field data capture for a variety of devices.
It is worth visiting the Scottish Innovation Centres to find out more about innovations using GIS and the technologies it uses
Year 1
Compulsory
Year 2
Year 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about international fees:
Find out more about fees on the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
You may also be interested in the on campus delivery of the programme
