International Marine Environmental Consultancy (IMEC) MSc

Overview

The International Marine Environmental Consultancy (IMEC) course brings together core ecological skills and the business elements required to compete in this growing sector.

Our expert academic staff maintain an extensive network of industry contacts.

You'll complete a four-month consultancy project. This provides opportunities for developing a proposal to collaborate with a world-leading marine consultancy.

This interdisciplinary course attracts a wide range of honours graduates. Your background skills may come from:

• geography
• the law
• politics
• marine biology
• the environmental sciences

You should have an interest in the marine environment and its management. You'll also need a professional, committed attitude which is essential.

This course forms the basis of the taught components of the Marine Science suite of postgraduate qualifications, such as our Marine Ecosystems and Governance MRes.

These courses share the same modules in the first semester. This helps create a supportive, collaborative, student cohort that often works together on interdisciplinary projects.

Important information

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

Your course and study experience - disclaimers and terms and conditions

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2023-24.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

 

Qualifications explained

Find out about the different qualification options for this course.

MSc,PGDip

MSc - Master of Science

An MSc is a taught Master’s degree. It usually involves the study of a science-related subject. It typically includes:

• subject-specific taught modules
• a dissertation or research project of approximately 15,000 – 18,000 words

You'll usually study an MSc full-time over 12 months.

A Master of Science is awarded for the successful completion of 120 credits of taught modules and a 60-credit dissertation or research project.

Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications.

What you'll learn

You'll do a research project in one of the marine areas of the Ecology or Modelling, Evidence and Policy research groups and key consultancies operating across these areas.

Project areas have been focussed on:

• structural and functional integrity of ecosystems
• biological and socio-economic drivers of ecosystem change
• governance and management of resource use

There may be opportunities in other research groups:

• Earth, Ocean and Planetary
• Biology, Plant and Microbial Sciences

There may be opportunities in other marine science research groups:

Marine Resources and Renewable Energy (MRRE):

• antifouling and ballast water treatment
• bacterial bioactive products

Modules

You will study modules on this course. A module is a unit of a course with its own approved aims and outcomes and assessment methods.

Course content changes

Module information is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

Optional modules availability

Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions.

International Marine Environmental Consultancy (IMEC) MSc module

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Quantitative Ecological Research Methods	20
Consultancy Dissertation Project	80
Geographical Information systems and Remote Sensing	20
Dynamics of Coupled Human-Natural Systems	20
Understanding Marine Ecosystems	20
Marine Consultancy Project Planning	20

How you'll learn

Delivery and teaching methods

Modules are block taught, with intensive teaching weeks and weeks of private study. Each semester is 60 credits (in full-time mode). The intensive teaching weeks run Monday to Friday from 9am-5pm.

Teaching is delivered via:

• lectures
• seminars
• practical sessions (in computer labs, on boats and shores)
• personal supervision

Projects may be:

• analytical
• experimental
• field based

They are designed to give you the skills you need for future research.

The course finishes with a four month project. This is delivered in conjunction with consultancy partners in the UK or overseas.

Modules are delivered on the University's main campus but the Dove Marine Laboratory and the RV Princess Royal are also used as teaching venues.

Assessment methods

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

• Case study
• Professional skills assessments
• Oral presentation
• Report
• Research proposal
• Research paper
• Written exercise

Student support

Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:

• module handbooks
• course materials
• groups
• course announcements and notifications
• written feedback

Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:

• peers
• academics
• personal tutors
• our University Student Services Team
• student representatives

You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff. They will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.

Your development

Placement opportunities

We have strong links with consultancy partners from a network of marine organisations. These partnerships have been fostered over many decades working with and in the commercial marine sector. Organisations that have worked with our students on their consultancy projects include:

• major international consultancies eg AMEC, ERM, Natural Power, Vatenfall
• national government agencies eg Natural England, MMO, Environment Agency, Cefas, Defra
• local managers eg Durham Heritage Coast, NIFCA, NEIFCA
• European projects eg C-Scope
• local niche consultancies eg CTL Consult, Envision Mapping, Environment Systems

Industrial work experience operates in many consultancy projects or you can collaborate with:

• Newcastle academics
• other universities
• institutes
• scientific associations

Research skills

The marine science research groups form part of extensive national and international networks. Recent partnerships and collaborations include:

• the Environment Agency
• Natural England
• Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority
• University of the West Indies (Barbados)
• National Oceanographic Centre Southampton (NOCS)
• University of Costa Rica
• North Sea Regional Advisory Council
• Haribon Foundation

You have the support of a marine science research community including:

• 30 research students
• six-10 post-doctoral scientists
• six technicians
• 13 full-time academic staff

This provides you with abundant opportunities to progress your scientific career, whether in industry or academia. Students have been successful at finding employment in industry, academia, government agencies and non-governmental organisations. You'll also train to produce final projects of publishable quality.

Your future

Our Careers Service

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information.

Facilities

The School of Natural and Environmental Sciences has an outstanding range of facilities to support our research and teaching, including:

• aquaria
• algal culture
• stable-isotope preparation
• marine geochemistry
• gas chromatography
• air-sea gas exchange tank
• uHPLC
• bio-fouling
• force gauge
• WaterJet
• contact angle goniometer
• molecular biology
• tracking systems

We study live marine animals at our Dove Marine Laboratory in Cullercoats. With an aquarium on-site, we examine a range of wildlife.

Our research vessel, The Princess Royal, is a floating laboratory. Activities on the vessel range from oceanographic characterisation of river plumes to remote camera surveys of offshore habitats.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2024 entry (per year)

Tuition fee increases

If your studies last longer than one year, your tuition fee may increase in line with inflation.

EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals - tuition fee status

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information. 

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination
• graduation

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

Deposit

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section.

Funding deadlines

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding

Find funding available for your course

Select your country

How to apply

Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.

Apply Online  

Open days and events

You'll have a number of opportunities to meet us throughout the year including:

• campus tours
• on-campus open days
• virtual open days
• webinars

Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events