Environmental Management (Resources and Waste Management) MSc

Pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss are three of the key environmental challenges now recognised as environmental emergencies by the United Nations (UN). These global emergencies exacerbate inequalities across society and will continue to have significant health and socioeconomic consequences.

Effectively, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will not be achieved without addressing the root causes and understanding the threats posed by these emergencies. This requires investment in people and talent, equipping them with the multi- and transdisciplinary knowledge and skills needed to help solve these societal challenges, building up our social and natural capital.

This programme looks to raise your ability to understand and analyse complex interlinked environmental issues, in order to develop long-term solutions. You will develop advanced technical skills and build experience in applying them across a range of environmental areas ensuring that you are equipped with highly sought after skills needed for a successful career in the Environmental sector.

The Resources and Waste Management pathway acknowledges that society has heavily relied on natural resources to fuel its socioeconomic development, whilst generating vast amounts of waste that are often not properly managed.

Past and current production and consumption patterns have underpinned substantial growth in wealth across the world but concerns about the sustainability of these patterns are mounting, as economic growth is closely linked to trends in environmental degradation and pollution.

This pathway aims to develop multidisciplinary understanding and apply holistic, life-cycle thinking to evaluate the key drivers and barriers of natural resource and waste management aspects from extraction through to use and management. By doing so, it seeks to promote sustainable practices, circularity and inform effective policy development.

At Brunel, we have excellent links with many organisations through our research activities, so you can be assured of a high-quality placement at a relevant organisation.

Opportunities for our master's students include placements at the Environment Agency, Waste Management Companies (e.g. Cory), Food Industry (e.g. Quorn), the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

All students will begin the programme together regardless of the pathway selected. Semester 1 content is designed to give students a holistic perspective of environmental management given the diversity of areas that underpin the subject.

In Semester 2 you will undertake compulsory modules that are aligned with the respective pathway to enable students to gain specialist knowledge and skills.

Finally, students will undertake a dissertation which will be lab, field or desk-based and produce an original piece of research in an area that will build experience in applying what they have learnt through the duration of programme.

After completing the course, you'll be equipped with the skills to pursue a wide range of environmental careers. Our Alumni have gone on to hold positions in industry, government and academic sectors and this programme will give you the skills and experience needed to be successful in any one of these sectors.

Career choices can include Environmental Consultants, Environmental Managers, Policy Managers, Environmental Impact Assessors, Chemical Risk Assessors, Environmental Protection Officers and many more. In fact, the Environmental sector is so incredibly diverse that this programme will put you in a position where you will have access to a wide range of opportunities and will be highly sought after. If you are passionate about research, PhD study may be something to consider.

We are part of the TREES Doctoral Landscape Award which supports fully funded studentships in environmentally related research. We also have dedicated careers advice for our students and will support you for up to three years after you graduate, in addition to the support during your studies from the Professional Development Centre, personal tutors and academic staff.

• A 2:2 or equivalent internationally recognised qualification. A wide range of disciplines are acceptable, for example: Environmental Science; Engineering; Physics; Chemistry; Biology; Geography; Environmental Health; Marine Science; Maths; Agricultural Science; Law; Business; Commerce and Economics.
• Applicants with a third class honours degree or other qualifications will be considered with any relevant work experience. Such applicants may be required to attend an interview.

• IELTS: 6.5 (min 6 in all areas)
• Pearson: 59 (59 in all subscores)
• BrunELT: 63% (min 58% in all areas)
• TOEFL: 90 (min 20 in all) 

Assessment on the programme will take a wide range of formats and have been designed to mirror ‘real world’ experiences that you would likely be asked to do as part of your career in the future. Assessments will include open book exams, reports, poster presentations, short talks, reports and requests to tender.

We are committed to supporting you on throughout your studies and all assessments will provide feedback to support your development and achievement. Our personal tutors will coach and mentor you to ensure that you achieve your goals whilst you study. Read our guide on how to avoid plagiarism in your assessments at Brunel.