Program Overview

Pollution and Environmental Control (online)

Overview

The MSc in Pollution and Environmental Control is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to manage pollution effectively and develop sustainable solutions for the future. The course combines fundamental training in pollution measurement, prediction, and environmental modeling with a focus on air and water movement and pollution.

Key Features

• Study at an environmentally-conscious university
• Analyze real-life content
• Make it work for you

Course Units

• 1. Measuring and Predicting 1 (15 credits)
  • Build a foundation of general measuring and predicting skills
  • Learn about the meaningfulness of measurement
  • Develop an understanding of the processes and vocabulary surrounding environmental and mathematical models
• 2. Measuring and Predicting 2 (15 credits)
  • Focus on the use of models to make predictions
  • Gain an introduction to the use of models in environmental sciences
  • Get hands-on experience with different models
• 3. Human Impacts on the Biosphere (15 credits)
  • Examine how humans cause damage and change to the biosphere
  • Examine the environmental consequences of anthropogenic activities
  • Examine mitigation and management strategies, including monitoring and remediation, including bioremediation
• 4. Pollution Management in Practice 1 (15 credits)
  • Using urban environment case studies and industry-standard software, develop advanced skills in environmental modeling and project management to support a simulated real-life science or consultancy project
  • Build detailed knowledge and advanced modeling skills relating to key water and flood topics
  • Take part in workshop sessions focused on project planning, monitoring, and reporting
• 5. Pollutant Mobility and Transformation (15 credits)
  • Understand the scope of pollution and its wider context
  • Learn about important concentration gradients that drive pollution
  • Understand physical mobility as a result of diffusion and dispersion
• 6. Pollution Management in Practice 2 (15 credits)
  • Develop mathematical models to understand a simple environmental system
  • Use different techniques to analyze the natural processes of surface water runoff and groundwater
  • Apply models using industry-standard software, learning how to interpret output and evaluate performance and parameters to solve real-world problems
• 7. Environmental Monitoring and Modeling (15 credits)
  • Learn how to select appropriate techniques for measuring environmental data
  • Examine various measuring and modeling approaches
  • Use models to examine flood hydrology and the mechanism of flooding
• 8. Environmental MSc Tutorial (15 credits)
  • Understand the key requirements of an excellent research proposal, particularly with reference to pollution and environmental control
  • Select and plan a suitable research project and to develop an excellent research project proposal
• Project (60 credits)
  • Independently undertake a research project, supervised by a member of our internationally-acclaimed research team

Course Structure

• Full-time: Study all course units across three semesters, and get your MSc in just 12 months
• Part-time by semester: Take a selection of course unit(s) for one complete semester. After that, take a break for one or more semesters before continuing with more units
• To be awarded the MSc, you must complete all units and the dissertation project (180 credits) within 60 months

Admissions Information

• Academic entry qualification overview: We require an Upper Second (2:1) Class Honours degree in a science subject (or the overseas equivalent)
• English language: If you are not from, or did not graduate from a majority English speaking country, we will also require proof of your English language ability
• Application and selection: Apply online, and submit the following documents with your online application form: Copies of official degree certificates and transcripts of your previous study, English language score report (if applicable), A copy of your CV detailing your full work experience, Personal statement of up to 500 words

Fees and Funding

• Total course tuition fees for entry in September 2025 are:
  • UK - £13,000
  • International - £16,500 (reduced from £21,500)
• Tuition fee discounts:
  • Alumni discount for online students (15%): If you have successfully graduated from a credit-bearing qualification at The University of Manchester or UMIST, you can receive a 15% discount on the tuition fees that you are personally funding
  • International fees discount (£5,000): Apply to the September 2025 entry on or before the application deadline (8 September 2025) and receive a £5,000 discount. Available to international fees paying students only
• Payment by instalments: During registration, you will have the opportunity to pay your fees in three equal instalments
• Postgraduate loans (UK/EU): If you're an English or EU student living in the UK, you may be eligible for a loan
• Funding for students with disabilities: If you have a disability, we can help you apply for relevant funding

Additional Cost Information

• Policy on additional costs: All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme
• Additional costs: Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application