Applied Environmental Hydrogeology MSc

The University of Edinburgh

Become part of the next generation of sustainable hydrogeologists who will oversee and manage the global water crisis in the coming decades.

Groundwater resources are under threat around the globe from:

• over-exploitation

• anthropogenic contamination

• climate change

• land-use change

These threats put human and ecosystem health at risk by increasing the likelihood of water scarcity, water conflict, and water-related diseases.

The MSc Applied Environmental Hydrogeology will develop your skills to tackle these challenges and sustainably manage groundwater resources to protect human and ecosystem health.

You will learn to become a critical, innovative thinker in the field of hydrogeology with a focus on sustainable environmental practices.

Gain unique expertise

This exciting new MSc is unique from other hydrogeology programmes, as it combines traditional field skills with modern quantitative skills such as computational analysis using state-of-the-art computational tools.

Quantitative methods are now regarded as required skills for modern hydrogeologists to tackle complex water issues.

We will teach you these new methods alongside foundational themes of aquifer characterisation, groundwater processes, biogeochemistry, engineering geology and field skills in the context of:

• groundwater contamination and remediation

• legislation

• economics

• climate and sustainability

What is hydrogeology?

Hydrogeology focuses on subsurface flow processes with an emphasis on protecting water resources.

Groundwater resources supply a majority of the world's population with a portion of their daily water needs and approximately 40% of the world's crop irrigation. However, it is widely acknowledged that these resources are over-exploited and threatened with anthropogenic contamination.

Highly skilled and numerate hydrogeologists are needed to manage these issues to ensure continued access to safe groundwater for domestic, industrial and agricultural use.

As a hydrogeologist, you get to explore topics such as:

• water resources management

• energy storage

• geofluid interaction

• waste storage

• energy resource exploitation

• remediating brownfield and legacy mining sites

• wider groundwater issues such as legislation, economics, climate change, land use and sustainability

A more sustainable future

Our social responsibility and sustainability values are embedded within each course, as we seek to ensure vital groundwater resources are sustainably managed and not over-exploited.

We will teach you to recognise and address ethical dilemmas, social responsibility and sustainability issues and apply these to your own values to situations and choices.

Is the MSc for me?

This MSc is ideal for those:

• ready to take the next step in their education

• upskill their knowledge, or

• switch careers to a more environmentally responsible role focused on sustainable management of environmental resources

The MSc will offer an exciting alternative career path for a diverse range of graduates from geosciences and engineering backgrounds and other related degrees such as physics, maths, chemistry, and biosciences.

Reputation, relevance and employability

The School of GeoSciences is a world-leading research centre in environmental geosciences and has specifically designed this exceptional MSc programme in Applied Environmental Hydrogeology.

You will be taught by academics with international reputations for high quality, world-leading research, which they will bring to the programme.

The MSc has also been designed in collaboration with industry and professional bodies. Their input will ensure you can develop sought-after skills in this industry, including significant employer demand for hydrogeologists with quantitative skillsets.

You will benefit from our wide network of industry experts who will contribute to the programme.