River Basin Management 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 hosts water@leeds, one of the biggest and most productive water research centres in the world; and our Masters degree in River Basin Management builds on that success.

Core components of the programme are river basin hydrology, key issues and skills and professional development. You will be able to gain advanced knowledge and skills in geomorphology, water quality, river ecology, environmental assessment, sanitation, water resources management, GIS, remote sensing and programming.

This highly practical course advocates 'learning by doing' and is assessed largely by a variety of types of 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 with an outside organisation or an academic at Leeds.

You will gain 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 will learn to formulate important research questions and design methodological approaches to answer them; and to develop quantitative analyses skills.

Course highlights

• The course is shaped by our world-leading research in areas such as water supply, sanitation, water quality and flooding.

• You’ll be taught by internationally renowned academics working at the forefront of their fields, who are passionate about the subjects they teach.

• Project work enables you to develop skills as a researcher, asking and answering important questions about the ways in which our world works.

• Throughout your studies you’ll benefit from a structured support system, with a programme manager and personal tutor who will offer help and advice about your approach to studying and how to become adept at independent learning.

Programme Team

The Programme Leader, Professor Paul Kay, is Professor of Water Science in the School of Geography and his research focuses on the impacts of land-use on hydrology and water quality.

Active research environment

You will be taught by a team of academics and researchers who are actively engaged in cutting-edge research and part of the River Basin Processes and Management research group and water@leeds.

Accreditation

This course is accredited by the Chartered Institution 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. You will learn about hydrological processes that underpin all water management, contemporary issues and the skills needed to address these, as well as what employers are looking for and how to get on in your career.

You can choose options from a wide range of water management areas including sanitation, water supply, water quality, environmental assessment, GIS, remote sensing and programming.

Work will be undertaken in a host of ways including field, lab and computer classes, group tasks and independent learning.

You will interact with external organisations such as environmental consultancies and water companies and ultimately bring all of the skills you have learnt throughout the course together in your dissertation.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork is a fundamental part of river basin management and you will undertake a two-day residential course in the Yorkshire Dales as well as a day trip to reservoirs and farms in South Yorkshire.

Fieldwork is also a common component of work placements and dissertations.

Project work

The dissertation project is one of the most satisfying elements of this course. It allows you to apply what you’ve learned to a piece of research focusing on a real-world problem, and it can be used to explore and develop your specific interests.

Example dissertation themes for River Basin Management MSc students include:

• Natural flood management

• Water quality

• Stream ecology

• Flood risk assessment

• Agricultural stewardship

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.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read River Basin Management MSc Full Time in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

Learning and teaching

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

Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme and modules.

You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

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 mainly 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, environmental sciences, ecological sciences, engineering, chemistry, biology or a related science subject.

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 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 are now offering online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals.  To find out more, read Online Academic English pre-sessional (10 weeks) and Online Academic English pre-sessional (6 weeks).

Read about differences between our online and on-campus summer pre-sessionals.

If you need to study for longer than 10 weeks, read more about our postgraduate pre-sessional English course.

How to apply

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

29 July 2022 - international applicants

9 September 2022 - UK applicants

Apply (Full time)

Apply (Part time)

This link 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.

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 2022

Fees

• UK: £11,000 (total)
• International: £24,250 (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 about additional costs.

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.

Scholarships are available.

A degree from Leeds and the experience you'll gain here will give you the edge to find the career you want. Your course will give you the experience and knowledge that employers are looking for to help you secure a job.

The University of Leeds is in the top five most targeted universities in the UK by graduate recruiters, according to High Fliers’ The Graduate Market in 2022 report.

Graduates could typically work for environmental consultancies, the water industry, regulators and NGO’s.

Careers support

At Leeds we help you to prepare for your future from day one. Our Leeds for Life initiative is designed to help you develop and demonstrate the skills and experience you need for when you graduate. We will help you to access opportunities across the University and record your key achievements so you are able to articulate them clearly and confidently.

You’ll have access to the wide range of careers resources and support from your Careers Service. You’ll have the chance to attend industry presentations, book appointments with qualified careers consultants and take part in employability workshops and webinars. Our careers fairs provide further opportunities to explore your career options with some of the UKs leading employers.

You will also have full access to the University’s Careers Centre, which is one of the largest in the country.

There are also plenty of exciting ways you can volunteer during your time at Leeds. Find out more at the Leeds University Union website.