Suitable for science, geography and engineering graduates, or professionals from either a science or technical background. The part-time option allows practitioners to enhance their professional development within their current employment.
Takes you on to career opportunities in consultancy, research, education, public and private sector industry.
You will be taught by our internationally-renowned academic staff and leading industry specialists, who will provide science, technical and management expertise in the remediation of degraded land, through reclamation to ecosystem restoration.
Course Outline
Land reclamation and restoration is designed to meet the increasing demands to manage and restore greenfield and brownfield sites to the amenity, natural habitat or agricultural use engendered by UK Government and EU directives.
Industry acknowledges the need for highly trained engineers and science-based professionals able to implement management strategies in response to these demands.
Accredited by the Institute of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE) and the Landscape Institute, this course aims to provide the knowledge and skills required to bridge the gap between damaged land and fully restored ecosystems. It provides the skills to assess, plan and implement strategies needed to restore, reclaim and remediate damaged land in the public and corporate sectors. Visits to relevant land reclamation and ecological restoration sites form a major part of the programme.
Students benefit from dedicated laboratories for the study of soil engineering, soil, plant and water interactions, and ecosystem behaviour. Our new laboratories have specialist capabilities in soil chemistry and biology and we own land which is used for field trials and research investigations.
The MSc course comprises eight assessed modules, an integrated group project and an individual project. Students undertaking the Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) complete the eight modules and the group project. Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) students complete five modules, a project and a personal development portfolio.
Integrated group project
This project provides students with the opportunity to take responsibility for a commercially-orientated, consultancy-type project while working in teams under academic supervision. It involves survey design, data collection and analysis, and synthesis and presentation of results to the client.
Individual thesis project
This project provides an opportunity to concentrate on a particular aspect of land reclamation and restoration. It also allows students to demonstrate their ability to research independently, to think and work in an original way, to contribute to knowledge, and to overcome genuine problems in this specialist area of land management. Many of the projects are supported by external organisations.
Modules:
The modules include lectures and tutorials, and are assessed through written examinations and assignments. These provide the tools required for the group and individual projects.
- Principles of Sustainability
- GIS Fundamentals
- Soil Plant Environment Science
- Agricultural and Environmental Soil Engineering
- Land Engineering and Water Management
- Landscape Ecology
- Soil Erosion Control for Catchment Management
- Ecological Restoration
Group project
- Improving Land-based Ecosystem Service Delivery
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