Program Overview

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MSc in Coastal and Marine Environments: Physical Processes, Policy & Practice

The MSc in Coastal and Marine Environments 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 the field.

Course Overview

Coastal and marine environments are critical to local and national economies, support diverse habitats and communities, and provide a suite of ecosystem services. This field-intensive postgraduate programme examines emerging discourses surrounding the long-term health, use, and management of coastal and marine systems.

Course Details

• Title of Award: Master of Science
• Course Code: MSC-CME
• Average Intake: 15
• Delivery: On Campus
• NFQ: Level 9
• Award Type: Major
• Next Intake: September 2026
• Duration: 1 year, full-time | 2 years, part-time
• ECTS Weighting: 90

Modules

The programme consists of the following modules:

• TI6142: Geospatial Techniques (10 credits)
• TI6134: Dynamics of Climate Change (10 credits)
• TI6148: Coastal Geomorphology (10 credits)
• TI6109: Dissertation (Research Paper) (30 credits)
• TI6151: Coastal and Marine Resilience (10 credits)
• TI6105: Biodiversity and Coastal Change (10 credits)
• TI6147: Sustainability Planning and Policy for Marine Environments (10 credits)

Module Details

TI6142: Geospatial Techniques

• Semester: 1 and 2
• Credits: 10
• Language of instruction: English
• Learning Outcomes:
  1. Demonstrate the practical skills of Geographic Information Systems through project design and completion.
  2. Perform analyses and interpolation of spatial data sets.
  3. Produce maps and other visual products of analyses and interpolation.
• Assessments:
  • Continuous Assessment (60%)
  • Oral, Audio Visual or Practical Assessment (40%)
• Reading List:
  1. "An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems" by Ian Heywood, Sarah Cornelius, and Steve Carver
  2. "Image Processing and GIS for Remote Sensing: Techniques and Applications" by Jian Guo Liu and Philippa J. Mason
  3. "Hands-On Geospatial Analysis with R and QGIS" by Shammunul Islam
  4. "Discover QGIS 3.x: A Workbook for Classroom or Independent Study" by Kurt Menke

TI6134: Dynamics of Climate Change

• Semester: 1
• Credits: 10
• Language of instruction: English
• Learning Outcomes:
  1. Conceptualise the fundamental components of the climate system within regional and global contexts
  2. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of marine and terrestrial climate data and their interpretations
  3. Project plausible future impacts of anthropogenic climate change on regional and global scales
  4. Identify key concerns and knowledge gaps for 21st Century society in the face of global warming
  5. Identify and outline critical areas for future research in this discipline
• Assessments:
  • Continuous Assessment (70%)
  • Research (30%)

TI6148: Coastal Geomorphology

• Semester: 1
• Credits: 10
• Language of instruction: English
• Learning Outcomes:
  1. Critically engage with diverse stakeholder valuations of coastal environments.
  2. Differentiate between various key natural and anthropogenic drivers shaping coastal systems
  3. Demonstrate effective understanding of the key inter-related components in coastal morphodynamics, using a systems approach
  4. Critically evaluate the different field methods used in analysing and interpreting the behaviour of coastal environments
  5. Conduct a study on a particular aspect of coastal morphodynamics; write a report of this research; and present the findings to a professional standard.
• Assessments:
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
• Reading List:
  1. "Introduction to Coastal Processes and Geomorphology" by Gerhard Masselink, Michael G. Hughes, Jasper Knight
  2. "Introduction to Coastal Processes and Geomorphology" by Robin Davidson-Arnott, Bernard Bauer, Chris Houser

TI6109: Dissertation (Research Paper)

• Duration: 15 months
• Credits: 30
• Language of instruction: English
• Learning Outcomes:
  1. Conceptualise a research problem
  2. Design and execute a research project (project management skills)
  3. Communicate research questions, methods and results
  4. Critically evaluate scientific methodologies
  5. Critically evaluate the quality and sensitivity of scientific results
  6. Apply critical analyses in areas relating to contemporary coastal and marine systems
• Assessments:
  • Research (100%)
• Reading List: Will be made available to students

TI6151: Coastal and Marine Resilience

• Semester: 2
• Credits: 10
• Language of instruction: English
• Learning Outcomes:
  1. Explain the multi-faceted nature of coastal and marine risk and 'resilience' concepts
  2. Apply the concept of risk and resilience to analyse the contributions made by natural and human components
  3. Appraise the extent to which EU policy and the national legislative framework considers coastal risks and resilience
  4. Determine the extent to which these policies are incorporated into regional and local decision-making
  5. Identify how coastal communities, NGO's and other stakeholders are engaged in policy, science and management.
  6. Integrate existing 'tools' in their coastal risk decision-making

TI6105: Biodiversity and Coastal Change

• Semester: 2
• Credits: 10
• Language of instruction: English
• Learning Outcomes:
  1. Identify and describe the primary factors affecting the distribution, diversity and function of coastal species and ecosystems.
  2. Understand and implement standard methods to measure and quantify biodiversity across temporal and spatial scales.
  3. Evaluate and apply the current legislative structure of coastal conservation.
  4. Demonstrate application of conservation priorities in a changing environment.
• Assessments:
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
• Reading List:
  1. "Biological diversity: frontiers in measurement and assessment." by Magurran, A. (ed.) & McGill, B. J. (ed.)

TI6147: Sustainability Planning and Policy for Marine Environments

• Semester: 2
• Credits: 10
• Language of instruction: English
• Learning Outcomes:
  1. Critique and apply a range of geographical concepts and discourse to marine spatial planning debates
  2. Develop and employ a practical understanding of relevant EU Directives related to the planning and use of marine and coastal systems, as well as related Irish legislation, policies, plans, and strategies
  3. Apply and critique the use of various regulatory and participatory tools that promote concepts of sustainability in relation to established policy goals
  4. Develop and interpret spatial data through GIS to critically analyse emerging discourses on sustainability in marine and coastal systems
  5. Write in a way that explores, synthesises, and critiques academic material while relating it to advancements in the field of marine spatial planning
  6. Demonstrate independent thinking and strategic planning through group activities and discussion
  7. Demonstrate the ability to apply the knowledge gained throughout the course through various critical lenses to critique efforts that define and pursue sustainability within contemporary planning and policies of marine and coastal systems
• Assessments:
  • Continuous Assessment (55%)
  • Oral, Audio Visual or Practical Assessment (45%)
• Reading List:
  1. "Ocean Zoning: Making Marine Management More Effective" by Agardy, T.

Careers

This MSc presents graduates with opportunities across various fields. Recent graduates have gone on to:

• PhD Research: University of Galway; Cornell University, USA; Norwegian University of Science and Technology, University College Dublin; Dundalk Institute for Technology; Technological University Dublin.
• Government Agencies (Planning & Environment): Marine Institute; Maine Department of Marine Resources, USA; State of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, USA; Inland Fisheries Ireland; An Coimisiún Pleanála (Irish Planning Board).
• Environmental Consultancy & Research: MKO Planning and Environmental Consultancy; The Nature Conservancy; JBA Consultants; Verde Environmental Consultants; J.F. Brennan Company; MWP Engineering and Environmental Consulting; Xodus Group Global Energy Consultancy; Marine Energy (Wales); Prescription Landscape, USA; Royal Haskoning DHV; ConeTec Investigations - Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental; Dewberry Consulting; Persis Ltd; The All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA).

Who Teaches this Course?

The course is taught by:

• Dr Kevin Lynch
• Dr Eugene Farrell
• Dr Gordon Bromley
• Dr Liam Carr
• Dr Audrey Morley
• Dr Terry Morley
• Dr Chaosheng Zhang (Prof)
• Dr Aaron Potito
• Prof Frances Fahy

Learning and Assessment

The MSc combines innovative teaching methods with practical, field-based learning to ensure a comprehensive educational experience. You will learn through a mix of interactive seminars and workshops led by expert faculty. Group projects and collaborative activities will enhance your teamwork and communication skills, while individual assignments and the final dissertation will help you develop independence and critical thinking. Assessment is by means of a mixture of classroom participation, presentations, and written assignments, including a thesis based on independent coastal research.

Field and Laboratory Experiences

Some field and laboratory experiences from recent years include:

• Field-intensive, combining lectures, workshops, ship time, field work, and independent research
• Residential fieldwork locations have included: Seafield, Co. Clare; Westport, Co. Mayo; Derrynane, Co. Kerry; Sliabh Liag, Co. Donegal; Maharees Co., Kerry
• Students get exposure to practical methods: data collection, instrumentation, GIS/remote sensing, programming (R, Python), and field-based sampling
• Practical field-skills: e.g., surveying; biodiversity; coring; deploying instrumentation, GIS mapping.
• Advanced modelling and analyses using Decision Support Tools (DSTs) based on QGIS and Marxan.
• Analytical/data skills: processing spatial datasets, statistical/programming tools.
• Critical thinking: evaluating policy, legislation, coastal and marine resilience, data integrity.
• Communication and professional skills: presenting results, writing reports/dissertations, linking science with societal use.

Entry Requirements

• Level 8 degree: Second Class Honours or equivalent, with Second Class Honours Grade 1 or equivalent in a relevant field of study.
• English Language Requirement: IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent.

Fees, Costs and Funding

• EU Tuition: 8,150
• Student Contribution: 140
• Non-EU Tuition: 19,300
• Total Fee: 8,290 (EU), 19,440 (Non-EU)

Scholarships

• Postgraduate Excellence Scholarships: Valued at 1,500 for EU students applying for full-time taught master's postgraduate courses.
• Global Scholarships: University of Galway offers a range of merit-based scholarships to students from a number of countries outside of the EU.