Geology - Applied Environmental Geoscience (msc) in University College Cork, Ireland

Geology - Applied Environmental Geoscience (msc) in University College Cork

The vocational programme was established in 2017 in consultation with industry and government agencies in order to address a skills shortage identified in the environmental geoscience sector in Ireland. The MSc in Applied Environmental Geoscience combines a core focus of hydrogeology/contaminated land and engineering geology (30 credits) with advanced modules in applied geophysics, geoinformatics, environmental monitoring and assessment, environmental law and offshore environmental geology. This course is delivered through a combination of lectures, workshops, seminars which are supported by field courses and laboratory practical sessions. A strong emphasis is placed on obtaining ‘hands-on’ practical experience following international standards in best practice using real-world industry examples. 30 of the 90 credits involve an independent research project completed with an industry collaborator or as part of ongoing research projects within the School of BEES. The course offers a unique opportunity for international students to gain EU based work experience whilst studying for their Masters. There is currently a global high demand for graduates with applied environmental geoscience skills and this demand is projected to grow in the coming years. The course content is regularly reviewed by a panel of industry advisors from a range of local and international geoscience practice areas in order to meet the ongoing needs of the geoscience sector.   

Students in Part I take taught modules to the value of 60 credits involving field study, lectures, practical classes, seminars and workshops.

Students in Part II will undertake a substantial Research Project to the value of 30 credits in an area of environmental geoscience. Part II consists of a research dissertation based on independent research to the value of 30 credits (GL6019) which is completed between April and September. Students will complete a research project during a five-month placement in industry or a research group within the School of BEES.

Career Prospects

MSc-qualified environmental geoscience graduates are in high demand for technical roles in both the public and private sector at home in Ireland and across the world. In the first year of the programme, over 90% of our participants were in full-time employment or research related to their MSc studies within three months of completing Part II. In many cases, students were offered employment by their industry placement company. For more information please see our recent graduate profiles below.

Environmental geoscientists presenting a range of specialist and transferable skills are readily employed by civil engineering and environmental consultancies as well as geoscience service providers, natural resource exploration and management companies, local authorities, regulatory and government bodies. Day-to-day project work might include but is not limited to some of the following:

• Assessing the suitability of foundation design in hazardous geological environments
• Supervision of geotechnical site investigations for major infrastructure projects
• Aggregate mapping and wind resource development on the continental shelf
• Assessing and managing environmental risks posed by contaminated land
• Water quality monitoring and remediation at licensed industrial facilities
• Environmental impact assessment and reporting

Some students may wish to use the MSc programme to acquire additional practical skills prior to embarking on a research career leading to a Ph.D. For students interested in research, the programme offers comprehensive training in a broad set of transferable skills required for independent geoscience field research.