River Basin Dynamics and Management with Geographical Information Systems MSc

River basins are of fundamental importance to the world’s population, meaning that research training in water dynamics and management are in high demand by both industry and academia. The University of Leeds has a world-class reputation for water-related research and geographical information systems (GIS) development in an environmental context and our Masters degree in River Basin Dynamics and Management with GIS builds on that success.

Core components of the programme are river basin hydrology and basic environmental GIS. You will gain advanced knowledge and skills in channel hydraulics and sediment transport, river ecology and environmental assessment.

You will also be able to gain an advanced knowledge and skills in GIS for environment, GIS programming and digital image analysis and remote sensing.

This highly practical course advocates 'learning by doing' and is assessed 100% by coursework. We host guest lecturers from business, industry and academia, visit work places and conduct a series of field, laboratory and PC-based practicals. You also have the chance to do a work placement.

You will learn a detailed understanding of the principles of water resource management and an appreciation of the institutional and legal frameworks impacting on river basin management. You learn to formulate important research questions and design methodological approaches to answer them; and to develop quantitative analyses skills.

Accreditation

This course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management.

This course delivers advanced pure and applied education and training in key modern and developing fields of catchment dynamics and management and GIS.

Studying on this course will involve:

• Developing research methods

• Developing communication and interpersonal skills

• Independent working

• Instruction in advanced techniques

• Specialist disciplinary knowledge

• Quantitative skills training

• Field skills training

• Vocational/employability/research career awareness and training

The course has a heavy emphasis on practical work, which gives you the opportunity to interact with industry and business.

Fieldwork

We hope to run our fieldwork activities as planned for the 21/22 academic year, but it might not be possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are continually reviewing the situation and will communicate any decisions to applicants and offer holders at the earliest possible opportunity.

Want to find out more about your modules?

Take a look at the River Basin Dynamics and Management with GIS module descriptions for more detail on what you will study.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.

Learning and teaching

Teaching for this Masters course is delivered through lectures, tutorials, fieldwork and seminars. You will also have the opportunity to interact significantly with industry and business.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

Assessment is entirely by coursework. You will need to show that you can conduct independent in-depth enquiry and evaluate and criticise received opinion. You will apply breadth and/or depth of knowledge to a complex specialist area and will complete an independent masters-level dissertation.

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in geography or a related subject, eg environmental sciences or ecological sciences.

Relevant work experience is viewed positively and is taken into account particularly for candidates whose first degree grade is slightly below our requirement. If you’re interested in this programme but are unsure if you have the necessary background, please get in touch with us to discuss your position.

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. For more information please contact the Admissions Team.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in in any component.. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Science (6 weeks) and Language for Science: General Science (10 weeks). 

We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. Find out more about our six week online pre-sessional.

You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.

How to apply

Application deadlines

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

31 July 2021 – International applicants

10 September 2021 - UK applicants

The ‘Apply’ link at the top of this page takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.

If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

International students

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2024

Fees

• UK: £10,750 (total)
• International: £23,500 (total)

Read more about paying fees and charges.

For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.

Part-time fees
Fees for part-time courses are normally calculated based on the number of credits you study in a year compared to the equivalent full-time course. For example, if you study half the course credits in a year, you will pay half the full-time course fees for that year.

Additional cost information

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page.

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government.  Find out more at Masters funding overview.

This course offers a range of transferable, marketable skills required to obtain employment in river basin processes and management or to pursue a career in research and education.

Typical roles undertaken by our recent graduates include Assistant Analyst, Flood warning Engineer, Graduate Engineer, Graduate Water Scientist/Catchment Scientist, Hydrologist/Hydrogeologist, Licensing Officer, Planning Liaison Officer, PhD study, Projects Co-ordinator, Water Resource Manager.

Our graduates typically work for environmental consultancies, the water industry, regulators and NGO’s.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

We have a strong commitment to enhancing student employability. Read more about our employability support.

The University of Leeds Careers Centre also provides a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.