Sustainable Environments

Course Overview

This multidisciplinary course provides students with insight into environment, health, and sustainability issues within urban and rural environments. It integrates ecological, health and sustainability issues and considers their interaction within the natural and built environments. It combines modules from Environmental Science, Engineering and Economics to provide students with experience of research-led learning opportunities that will develop skills in identifying and evaluating sustainable solutions for real world environmental problems. Fieldtrips to learn from the practical experience of professionals are an essential element of this course. This course is open to students from a variety of backgrounds.



This course combines theory, policy and practical experience to provide its graduates with the skills and knowledge that are needed to pursue successful careers in managing sustainable environments. It provides scene setting lectures, site visits and practical work to encourage students to adopt an informed, creative and innovative approach to problem solving. It will provide students with the competences to obtain employment in environmental consultancy, policy development or proceed to further research.



Course Outline

This multidisciplinary course integrates and evaluates environment, health, and sustainability issues within the natural and built environment. Students gain experience of research-led learning opportunities in Environmental Science, Engineering and Economics that will develop skills in identifying and evaluating sustainable solutions for real world problems. A key aspect is that students learn by doing. Fieldwork and site visits, where students learn from practical experience are essential elements.



The course structure is based on a 90 ECTS model, with 60 ECTS coming from taught modules. A research project in Semester 2 Summer accounts for the remaining 30 ECTS. Assessment comprises continuous assessment (C/A) solely in Semester 1, and a combination of C/A and examination for some modules in Semester 2. Students must submit a report on their research project at the end of the summer in Semester 2.



Taught modules include: Ecosystems Assessment, The Built Environment, Renewable Energy Economics and Policy, The Environment and Human Health, Environmental Problems & Solutions, Biodiversity and Conservation, Environmental Resilience, Water Quality, Energy in Buildings, and Communicating Science & Research.



Students will develop skills to appraise sustainability issues and challenges associated with (a) integrating the built and natural environments, in particular, biodiversity mitigation measures (b) landscape evaluation and nature conservation and (c) interlinkages between the environment and human health.



Students will define current practice relating to management natural and built environments in Ireland and relate this to best practice. They will evaluate environmental issues and problems, and their drivers. Specific instances may relate to particular issues such as invasive species, water quality, green space policies, or renewable energy policy economics, for example.



Students will examine policy responses in relation to sustainability in Irish urban and rural settings, and selected international case studies. They will acquire experience in best practice in identification, surveying, mapping, assessment and management techniques at species, habitat and landscape level.



Students will assess how the development and implementation of sustainability policy in the past has met the requirements of stakeholders, both in Ireland and elsewhere. They will be able to apply appropriate techniques for sustainability, for example, energy in buildings, relative to relevant legislation and policy.



Students will synthesise and explain the complexity of both natural and socio-economic systems, together with an understanding of existing and novel sustainability policy options, to develop a competency in identifying and evaluating optimal policy options. They will assess ‘reality checking’ of candidate sustainability policies, to ensure that as far as can be determined there exist no important reasons (financial, technical, social, governance) why implementation is impractical, for example, renewable energy policy and economics.



Students learn to assess the gaps in their own knowledge, and develop skills in comprehending and evaluating information from field- and site-visits, in academic journals, books and websites. Students develop competencies in both individual and group based project scoping, development and conclusion, and the coherent and succinct reporting of findings. Student manage, assess and reflect on their learning process in a reflective journal. They build on this to be able to effectively and persuasively use the evidence-base to communicate findings appropriately using a variety of fora.



Students learn from current practice in relation to the built and natural environment at international, national, regional and local levels, and based on the evaluation, recommend and implement improvements to current practice to ensure environmental resilience. Develop a realistic assessment of the challenges faced in developing and implementing policy to enhance sustainability. Demonstrate their awareness of the skillset they acquire throughout the course in a reflective journal in terms of any role that they themselves may play in advancing the roll-out of appropriate policy and actions in future.

Year 1 (90 Credits)

Required MI5106: Environmental Resilience

Required EV602: Ecosystems Assessment

Required EV6101: The Environment and Human Health

Required EV603: Biodiversity & Conservation

Required EV604: Environmental problems & Solutions

Required CE476: The Built Environment

Required EV5103: Sustainable Environments Research Project module

Optional BI5108: Green Lab Principles and Practice

Optional PAB5125: One Health

Optional CE6107: Water Quality

Optional EV5102: Communicating Science and Research

Optional EC5102: Renewable Energy Economics and Policy

Optional CE466: Energy in Buildings

Optional PAB5127: Geospatial Analysis and Remote Sensing

Optional EC5116: Global Issues in Agricultural, Marine and Renewable Energy Economics

Places are limited (15) and selection is based on each candidate’s academic record/relevant experience, personal statement, and letters of recommendation.



Applicants must have a primary degree with a second class honours, or equivalent in a relevant discipline. Relevant disciplines include science, marine science, engineering, environmental science, geography, social science, health promotion, engineering, economics or other related disciplines.



Applicants who do not have an academic background and have relevant experience are welcome to apply. They may be required to attend an interview.

How to apply

We encourage all applicants to apply as early as possible.



Review/Closing Dates (for Taught Programmes)

For most programmes, University of Galway does not set specific closing dates for receipt of applications. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and course quotas will be reviewed continuously throughout the application cycle with the exception of applications for some programmes which are reviewed after the specified closing date. Candidates who do not have their final degree marks available may be made a conditional (provisional) offer.



Online Application

Applications to most postgraduate programmes at University of Galway are made online via www.universityofgalway.ie/apply (see "Application Weblink").

1 year, full-time.

Next start date: September 2024.



Review/Closing Dates (for Taught Programmes)

For most programmes, University of Galway does not set specific closing dates for receipt of applications. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and course quotas will be reviewed continuously throughout the application cycle with the exception of applications for some programmes which are reviewed after the specifed closing date*. Candidates who do not have their final degree marks available may be made a conditional (provisional) offer.

Career Opportunities

Graduates with this qualification will pursue a wide range of careers in the public, private and voluntary sector. Job opportunities exist within environmental, agri-environmental and sustainability consultancies, or as sustainability officers in companies and corporations. Graduates may also find employment within national, regional and local government sectors. Graduates may also go on to further research.