Study with Ulster
Award:
Postgraduate Diploma, Master of Science
Faculty:
Faculty of Life and Health Sciences
School:
School of Geography and Environmental Sciences
eLearning:
This course is taught online so you can study where you want, when you want.
Start dates:
September 2025
January 2026
This is the only MSc in Environmental Toxicology & Pollution Monitoring in the United Kingdom. This course is running since 1999.
With over 30 years’ experience of teaching Environmental Toxicology, and 19 years teaching via online distance learning, the course team has a significant track record in Ecotoxicology education. This course investigates why pollution occurs, what the risks are to both humans and the environment, and what approaches to management we might have.
The specific objectives of the course are to develop an understanding of:
• The general mechanisms of toxicity.
• The basis of setting environmental quality standards.
• The behaviour of contaminants in water, air and soil.
• The legislative controls on contaminants.
• Analysing large datasets using techniques such as Geographic Infomation Systems.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
In this section
Why Study Environmental Toxicology & Pollution Monitoring?
This subject has origins in development processes such as resource extraction and product manufacture, and this creates impacts that are seen in all parts of our global systems; on land and in air and water. In recent years the need for professionals with a clear understanding of pollution issues has grown steadily across a wide range of sectors.
Why Study with Us?
Additional Benefits
Student backgrounds
Students come from a variety of backgrounds and have included employees from areas such as: The Pharmaceutical Industry; Oil, Gas and Nuclear Industries; Government Environmental Protection Agencies; Engineering and Mining Companies; Environmental Consultants; Laboratory Technicians and people from unrelated areas who may be thinking of a career change. The geographical spread of our students has been global, with students from many areas of the European Union and also further afield such as Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and the United States. You do not need to visit Ulster at any stage to successfully complete this course.
Quality Assurance
The course is validated every five years as is a requirement of the United Kingdom Quality Assurance Agency. At the last validation, the teaching team were commended on the following aspects of the provision:
• The innovative nature of the programme
• The relevance of the programme to the subject area
• The excellent structure of the research project module
• The ways in which the programme addressed wider community interests and made students aware of the independencies and social implications of their fields of study
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How does a distance learning course work?
Most of the course materials, student support and general study guidance and resources are provided via a teaching platform called Blackboard. Students download digital versions of their teaching materials (e.g. illustrated documents, podcasts, practical instructions) at the start of each week and work through them at their own convenience. Coursework (e.g. projects, tests etc.) is also submitted via Blackboard. Unlike a traditional classroom environment, students studying online use communication mechanisms such as discussion boards, chat rooms or video-conference tools to interact with staff and other students, and are not required to attend the campus at any time during the course (though they are welcome to visit the university to use its facilities or meet with staff if they wish).
Many students choose to study by distance learning because they do not have the option of enrolling for an on-campus course, while others prefer the flexibility of time and location afforded by studying online over the face-to-face teaching and interaction of an on-campus course.
What help is available for people studying by distance learning?
The course is supported by the academics responsible for each module and by one or more e-tutors (who are experienced Environmental Toxicology graduates). Students are encouraged to use the Blackboard forums to discuss course-related matters with staff and other students and to seek help when required, and can also contact us via email, phone, Skype, or in person, as preferred. General information about the course, contact details for relevant staff, study skills advice and links to other resources are provided through Blackboard, and our course administrator will assist you with any non-academic issues or direct you to the appropriate person, if you need assistance with things like enrolment, access to the University's electronic journals and ebooks, technical queries etc.
How is the course assessed?
Each module is assessed entirely by coursework – there are no formal university exams. Coursework consists of a mixture of assignments such as project reports, practical write-ups, presentations and online quizzes and tests. We place strong emphasis in coursework on developing and enhancing practical and data analysis abilities, as well as academic and professional skills such as report-writing.
How many hours a week does the course take?
In addition to working through course materials, students need to spend time reading and preparing for tests and assignments. The amount of time taken up each week depends on various factors including aptitude, experience and motivation, but as a general guide, part-time students should expect to allocate anything from 6 to 20 hours per week for the 15 weeks of a module. No teaching takes place during the summer months.
The Online Environment
To take this course, you will need access to a computer with a reliable internet connection. The course uses the Blackboard Learn environment – this is one of the largest online education software providers in the world. You will automatically get access to this when you become a registered student with the Ulster University.
You will find that this course is much more flexible than traditional on-campus university courses as you can study using your own computer and the internet, at your own pace, any place and any time (within given timeframes). A lot of people mistakenly assume that they will feel isolated in an online course. To their surprise, most find that the course actually provides a high degree of personal contact as the online format facilitates communication in ways that would be impossible in other situations.
As a distance learning student with Ulster University you can:
• Submit work quickly and easily using the Blackboard internet technology.
• Email your lecturer or e-tutor with queries or problems as they arise and receive fast, useful feedback to ensure successful progression.
• Liaise with other students by email or through discussion forums and use shared ideas and information.
• Use the University’s extensive online resources of electronic journals, books and databases.
Dr Richard Douglas is Course Director and has research interests in the movement of metals in the environment. Other members include Professor Phil Jordan who specialises in nutrient management, Dr Joerg Arnscheidt involved with research in antimicrobial resistance and Professor Brian Rippey modelling organic contaminants.
Recent Papers of the team:
Mellander, P.E., Jordan, P., Bechmann, M., Fovet, O., Shore, M.M., McDonald, N.T. and Gascuel-Odoux, C. (2018). "Integrated climate-chemical indicators of diffuse pollution from land to water." Scientific Reports 8.
Gormley-Gallagher, A.M., R.W. Douglas & B. Rippey (2016). "Metal to phosphorus stoichiometries for freshwater phytoplankton in three remote lakes." Peerj 4. 10.7717/peerj.2749
Mellander, P.E., P. Jordan, M. Shore, N.T. McDonald, D.P. Wall, G. Shortle & K. Daly (2016). "Identifying contrasting influences & surface water signals for specific groundwater phosphorus vulnerability." Science of the Total Environment 541: 292-302.
McInerney, C.E., L. Maurice, A.L. Robertson, L. Knight, J. Arnscheidt, C. Venditti, J.S.G. Dooley, T. Mathers, S. Matthijs, K. Eriksson, G. S. Proudlove & B. Hanfling (2014). "The ancient Britons: groundwater fauna survived extreme climate change over tens of millions of years across NW Europe." Molecular Ecology 23(5): 1153-1166.
Hagen, T.G. and Douglas, R.W. (2014). "Comparative chemical sensitivity between marine Australian and Northern Hemisphere ecosystems: Is an uncertainty factor warranted for water‐quality–guideline setting?" Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 33(5): 1187-1192.
Students will study the following modules;
Pollution Monitoring
This module provides the knowledge and skills necessary to monitor pollution of the environment. The topics included are: the key elements of the monitoring programmes for air, water and land; sample collection; chemical methods of analysis, including quality assurance; biological methods of analysis, including toxicity tests and bioassessment; use of environmental models; statistics, data analysis and assessing compliance and; critical loads. The student gains experience through lectures, supporting documents, directed reading and practicals.
Water Management
This module introduces the theory and practice of water management. It is intended to provide an understanding of current methods of water treatment and distribution, sustainable use of resources and principles of water quality management and legislation. In addition it aims at teaching skills in analysis and interpretation of water quality data and in applying water legislation. Lecture-based teaching of key concepts is reinforced by linked case study based practical exercises. The module assumes no prior knowledge or experience of water management.
Environmental data analysis
This module will provide new and synthesise existing knowledge and skills necessary to understand and analyse environmental data. Statistics, environmental modelling, geographical information systems and presentation skills will all be taught and demonstrated. The students will put this knowledge into action in the form of worked examples and assessments. Knowledge and evaluation techniques are provided in lectures, skills developed during worked examples and demonstrated by assessments.
Environmental Toxicology
This module provides knowledge and skills necessary to understand the impact of chemicals in the environment. Specific areas covered include: the major toxicants, both organic and inorganic: sources, pathways and fate of major toxicants; specific effects on organisms (including humans); physiological & biochemical principles of toxicity testing; LD50 & NOEC; risk assessment of soils and water; environmental quality standards and toxicity quotients.
Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Monitoring Project
This module provides the opportunity for the student to demonstrate the skills acquired during the course, in the form of a final project. The project is presented in the form of a scientific paper on an area agreed with the student's supervisor.
This course is offered fully online and is completed part-time by distance learning. You do not need to visit Ulster at any stage to successfully complete this course.
The Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) is made up of four taught modules (30 credits per module). One module is taught in each semester (late September to early January and late January to early May). It takes 2 academic years to complete the award of PgDip (120 credits). At this stage you can take the PgDip award or continue studying for the MSc. This entails completing a research project module (60 credits) over a further two semesters. This leads to the award of Master of Science (MSc) worth in total 180 credits. The full PgDip/ MSc programme normally takes three years part-time (6 semesters).
Teaching is delivered entirely online through detailed lecture presentations and videos offering you the flexibility to study at your own pace, any place and at any time. A balance is struck between theoretical input and practical application and real world examples are used to enhance your understanding of key concepts and ideas. Learning is supported by lecturers and e-tutors offering one-to-one problem resolution and is also supported through discussion boards which encourage participation from the whole class. This offers opportunities to learn about issues and problems from different perspectives.
Communication occurs via four methods – email, discussion boards, online chat and telephone. A lot of people mistakenly assume that they will be isolated in an online course. To their surprise most find that the course actually provides a high degree of personal contact because the online format facilitates communication in ways that would be impossible in other situations
Assessment is entirely by coursework and there are no sessional examinations. Instead, a mixture of methods including practical reports, projects, literature reviews, essays, class tests, group work and a research project are used to assess your understanding and skills development.
Once registered you will be able to use the University's extensive online resources of electronic journals (over 45,000 separate publications), e-books and a wide range of scientific databases (for example American Chemistry Society, ProQuest, Celex, Chemistry central, Medline, National Chemical Database Service, Refworks, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science).
As a distance learning student you can
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.
In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.
In this section
Entry to the PgDip:
You must hold an honours degree in a science or other suitable discipline or demonstrate your ability to undertake the course through the accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL).
Entry to the MSc:
You initially register for the Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) and if you complete the PgDip with an overall mark of 50% or higher you can proceed to the MSc programme.
English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 (with no band score less than 5.5). Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
In this section
Our students enrol for this course to develop their professional knowledge and to acquire new skills. They do this to improve their career and promotion prospects, change their career, or, if they are recently graduated, to specialise in a new subject area to enhance their job prospects.
Experience has shown that the majority of students who register on this course are already working in the environmental field. We therefore aim to be as flexible as possible in terms of the topics studied and will give you the opportunity to focus on areas of particular interest to you and/or the organisation for which you work where possible.
Strong links to consultancies and environmental agencies both private and governmental ensure that the course remains current and relevant to the needs of potential employers.
This programme is accredited by the Committee of Heads of Environmental Sciences (CHES), the education committee of the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES). CHES is the collective voice of the environmental sciences academic community and serves to enhance the quality of environmental education worldwide. A programme accredited by CHES is assured to meet high standards, contain a strong component of practical, field and theoretical activities, and has excellent opportunities for training, work experience and links to the professional environmental sector. Students enrolled on CHES accredited programmes can apply for free Student Membership of the IES and for a fast-track route to membership once they graduate, starting you on a route towards becoming a Chartered Environmentalist or Chartered Scientist.
Accreditations reflect the excellence of our teaching, research, and knowledge exchange and ensure our programmes realise the highest expectations. By studying at Ulster University you’ll gain insight and be at the forefront of current industry practices, while our many accredited degree programmes open doors to the world’s top professional organisations, making you more attractive to future employers and giving you a competitive edge in the job market.
This programme is accredited by the Committee of Heads of Environmental Sciences (CHES), the education committee of the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES). CHES is the collective voice of the environmental sciences academic community and serves to enhance the quality of environmental education worldwide. A programme accredited by CHES is assured to meet high standards, contain a strong component of practical, field and theoretical activities, and has excellent opportunities for training, work experience and links to the professional environmental sector. Students enrolled on CHES accredited programmes can apply for free Student Membership of the IES and for a fast-track route to membership once they graduate, starting you on a route towards becoming a Chartered Environmentalist or Chartered Scientist.
Postgraduate fees are subject to annual review, 2025/26 fees will be announced in due course.
See our tuition fees page for the current fees for 2024/25 entry.
Past graduates from Ulster can receive a 10% discount on their tuition fees.
The university also offers flexible payment options to spread the cost of the course over their study period.
This course has no additional mandatory costs.
It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.
Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.
There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.
See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Student Feedback
Feedback from students consistently shows that they find the course both challenging and enjoyable, and that despite studying at a distance, they feel very well supported by teaching staff, librarians and the course administrators. The fact that many new students join the course on the recommendation of previous students testifies to the satisfaction levels of graduates of the course.
Comments from Past MSc Environmental Toxicology & Pollution Monitoring students:
Colm Harkin, Senior Environmental Advisor, Australia
This was my first experience of an online, distance learning course; and it was a number of years since I had completed my degree and having been working full time in the Environmental field. I found the provision of information was excellent and had no problems getting started. The overall experience was excellent and I would highly recommend the course based on the high quality of the resources and level of support from the people involved.
I found that the quality of information provided within each module was of a high standard, and very well considered for the study topics and assignments. The resources signposted within both the course material and online platforms were also of a high standard; and I definitely did not find myself wanting in this regard.
Throughout the course, at both PgDip and MSc level, I found that the support and feedback available from the University staff and course tutors/e tutors was excellent. The tutors and staff were always very quick to reply and provided good feedback on assignments and coursework. On a personal level, I also found that the tutors and staff were very conscious and understanding of the demands of undertaking study while working full time.
There were numerous benefits to me from working on-line, most importantly that I was employed full time and wanted to continue studying simultaneously. When I started the course I was required to travel a lot for work, and the online format meant that I could access my course information and get updates quite easily while on the move or away from home. For the MSc portion of the course I was working permanently overseas and was able to continue my studies seamlessly.
This course has helped my career profoundly, allowing me to expand my scientific knowledge and pursue my own research. Obtaining the PgDip and MSc has allowed me to pursue and obtain my Certified Environmental Practitioner status (Australia/NZ) and has meant that I have been able to undertake and pursue further research opportunities. At the end of last year I applied for and obtained a Scholarship to undertake a PhD in Environmental Economics at the University of Western Australia, which (hopefully) I am able to pursue later this year.
Anthony Wilson, Technical Advisor, Northumbrian Water Group, England
I have to admit that for someone who had been out of education for a while I found the course challenging, however the quality of the materials and resources available for the modules helped me to overcome the challenges and allowed for me to focus in the studies and on the assignments. I found the online discussion forums particularly helpful and gave me a chance to interact with fellow students and e-tutors. The support and feedback from the e-tutors and staff was excellent and certainly helped to break down any perceived barriers that there may be with online learning.
Online learning suited my personal circumstances as it meant that I could juggle full time employment, family and study and spreading the ETOX MSc course over three years part time meant that the workload from the course was more spread out allowing me to manage it more effectively.
The course has had the desired effect on my career and not long after completing it I applied for (and got) a position in the Wastewater Compliance department where the skills learned during the ETOX course are directly applicable and help investigate and understand the impact of fats, oils and grease (FOG) discharges on the sewer network as well as pollution incidents on water courses.
John Paul McEntee, Executive Chemist, Monaghan County Council, Ireland
My overall experience was one of fulfilment that I chose to do this course. It was a challenge to balance the demands of the course and continue working but the online delivery of the course made this run smoothly. I still refer to the notes and lecture content provided by the course on a regular basis as it is very relevant to my current role.
Support and feedback was available from tutors and even fellow students through the easy to use online portal. If I ever needed any help a tutor was never far away. As I am in full time employment and live over 2 hours away from the campus, online delivery was essential. I found the online portal very reliable and easy to use. It also provides an excellent forum to talk to other students. Since completing the course I have been promoted 3 times and I am now in a middle management chemist role in a local authority. I currently work in implementation of the Water Framework Directive.
Tony Hickey, Water and Wastewater Optimisation Analyst, Ireland
I found the course very engaging and broadened my knowledge of environmental fate of contaminants. The course was also very relevant to my work and has helped to give me a more holistic perspective of environmental toxicology in my work setting and will be very beneficial to my career going forward. The course material provided was on a very user friendly platform. I found the course material was relevant to the subject matter. Studying online was the best option for me because it gave me flexibility with a busy family and work life. It was also made easier by the flexibility of the course lecturers and tutors to students needs and also their prompt reply to questions. Overall I would recommend the course.
Julie (Elliot) James, Manager, Toxicology & Regulatory Affairs Intertek Scientific and Regulatory Consultancy, Canada
The overall experience of the course - great, course was interesting. Resources / professors / assistants were always available. Course modules moved at a good pace. The quality of the materials and resources available for your modules – Great.
The benefits of learning online - excellent. I was able to continue working and earn my degree at the same time. Taking time off from work for in class learning would have been difficult
How the course has helped my career - I feel that I am regarded a more highly.
Shane Dalligan, Quality Control Chemist, Forest Tosara Ltd, Ireland
I found the course to be well paced, informative and challenging. The required input in terms of time was well measured. The support network was strong and lots of useful information was easily accessed. The online resources were of a high quality and the response times were very efficient.
The feedback was very useful and informative, the e-tutors are incredibly supportive. The convenience of time management is apparent, being able to work to your own timetable in situations whereby your lifestyle or work schedule otherwise prohibits alternative forms of study.
An increase in knowledge has catered for salary increments and generally showing a willingness to learn or a desire to become a better/more useful/skilled employee has reflected favourably upon my employers.
Rebecca Richardson, Senior Environmental Health Scientist, Australia
Initially I was worried about motivating myself to undertake an online MSc course but I needn’t have worried. The course materials were comprehensive, delivered regularly and in a timely manner. The online support from fellow students, e-tutors and lecturers was fantastic and prompt, with no question too silly to answer. Being able to draw on your own work experiences when undertaking some of the module assessments improves your critical thinking skills in the workplace. The valuable skills and knowledge I gained during this course have provided me with more career opportunities, including a promotion at work and I am about to commence a PhD. I would definitely recommend this course.
Paddy Lambe, Corporate Environmental Consultant, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland
I graduated from the MSc in Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Monitoring in 2013. Since then, the course has helped me develop my skills as an environmental consultant. It gave me the skills and the confidence to understand complex issues and respond to client needs in a meaningful and effective way. Since graduating, I was able to move from my workplace to a different Environmental Consultancy focusing on international environmental projects. I have also worked for the past 2 years as a part time lecturer for a local University delivering courses to degree level students. The course also helped me achieve full membership of the Institution of Environmental Sciences and become a Chartered Scientist through the Science Council.
I studied the MSc course over three years while working as an Environmental Consultant. The flexibility of the course allowed me to work independently and within a schedule which was 100% flexible around my personal and professional commitments. I actually completed most of the second year of the course in a different timezone when I worked on a remediation project in the Caribbean. The fact that I was able to do this meant that the development of my career through work experience did not suffer as a result. The support I received from my tutors during the course was excellent, from the efficient response time, to the high quality guidance it offered. I felt that during the course, even though the majority of interaction was in an online environment, I really bonded with my classmates and tutors alike. This was one element of the experience that I was not expecting and was quite encouraging. The quality of training materials also provided for an interactive learning experience. These key issues shaped my overall experience of the course which I can say has had a profound impact on my career and personal achievement goals that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I would very much recommend this type of learning for anyone wishing to further their career prospects in Environmental areas and would appreciate the overall flexible learning style it offers.
Andrew Davies, ConocoPhillips, Scotland
Farewell! I've finished the course now, passed my MSc and even had my project accepted for publication! I guess I'll have my account with the Portal and Blackboard revoked soon...so this is a very fond farewell to all my fellow students and the wonderful teaching and support staff at Ulster. I've had a brilliant time doing the course, honestly and hugely enjoyed it and I'm very grateful to the staff. All the best to you students!
Example of past student MSc published papers:
Hickey, A., Arnscheidt, J., Joyce, E., O'Toole, J., Galvin, G., O'Callaghan, M., Conroy, K., Killian, D., Shryane, T., Hughes, F., Walsh, K. & Kavanagh, E. (2018). "An assessment of the performance of municipal constructed wetlands in Ireland." Journal of Environmental Management. 210: 263-272.
Davies, A.J. and Hope, M.J. (2015). "Bayesian inference-based environmental decision support systems for oil spill response strategy selection." Marine Pollution Bulletin 96(1-2): 87-102.
Hagen, T.G. and Douglas, R.W. (2014). "Comparative chemical sensitivity between marine Australian and Northern Hemisphere ecosystems: Is an uncertainty factor warranted for water‐quality–guideline setting?" Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 33(5): 1187-1192.
Ulster continues to develop and support sustainability initiatives with our staff, students, and external partners across various aspects of teaching, research, professional services operations, and governance.
At Ulster every person, course, research project, and professional service area on every campus either does or can contribute in some way towards the global sustainability and climate change agenda.
We are guided by both our University Strategy People, Place and Partnerships: Delivering Sustainable Futures for All and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our work in this area is already being recognised globally. Most recently by the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact rating where we were recognised as Joint 5th Globally for Outreach Activities and Joint Top 20 Globally for Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals.
Visit our Sustainability at Ulster destination to learn more about how the University strategy and the activities of Ulster University support each of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Our Faculty is dedicated to integrating sustainability across our curriculum, preparing students to address global environmental challenges.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) have been incorporated throughout each course within the Faculty and each module outlines how and where they meet these SDG’s.
Subject specific guidance on sustainability has been provided in the QAA benchmarks statements for Biomedical Science and Biomedical Sciences; Biosciences; Chemistry; Optometry; Psychology; Earth Sciences; Veterinary Nursing; Agriculture; Rural –Environmental Sciences; Animal Studies; Consumer Science; Forestry, Food Horticulture –and –Human Nutrition; Health Studies; Earth Sciences and Geography.
Our Faculty has key centres of research excellence within all Schools and our interdisciplinary approach brings together researchers from diverse fields to develop impactful solutions.
By advancing knowledge in various fields within the faculty, we aim to identify sustainable approaches to:
Collaboration is key to driving sustainability. Our Faculty partners with external stakeholders including professional bodies and learned societies to enhance the sustainability journey for all our students and to promote sustainable practices.
External partnerships enable us to apply research and innovation to real-world challenges. We drive meaningful change in local communities, industries, and global ecosystems, fostering a more sustainable society through impactful projects and community engagement.
