Hydrology and Water Management MSc

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.

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.

Group work

The programme structure is designed to allow you to share learning experience through group work. Examples include:

• assessment of water issues and challenges based on major international examples (eg the Nile Basin)
• review and critique of a range of current industry-standard modelling software

These activities support your learning skills and experience through:

• working as part of a team
• hearing the findings of your student colleagues across the group teams

Teaching methods

You will be required to earn a total of 180 credits throughout the course. This includes 120 credits in semesters 1 and 2 with 60 credits as part of a dissertation project in the third semester. Specialist modules in Semester 2 include topics in flood risk modelling, computational hydraulics, and climate change.

You will be taught through a combination of:

• lectures
• tutorials
• practical classes
• innovative online teaching approaches
• coursework
• site visits

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

• Case study
• Computer assessment
• Design or creative project
• Dissertation
• Oral examination
• Oral presentation
• Problem-solving exercises
• Report
• Written examination
• Written exercise

Dissertation

You'll put your specialist skills, knowledge, and understanding into practice by undertaking a significant individual research project and written dissertation.

Your project might involve you working within one of the School's world-class research groups. Alternatively, you might work elsewhere in collaboration with another academic or industrial partner where we have strong links.

Wherever you work, you'll be supervised, throughout your project. This will be by an experienced scientist or engineer.

Your supervisor will provide advice on the approaches and methods that are best suited to your research problem. They will also support you with your collection/analysis of data, and will guide you in producing a well-written dissertation.

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.

You'll be taught primarily by internationally-renowned academic staff in the Water Group, together with:

• researchers and PhD students working on related cutting-edge research programmes
• staff from the School of Engineering
• staff from the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences

Dr Stephen Blenkinsop
Senior Lecturer in Climate and Climate Change Impacts
Degree Programme Director

Areas of expertise:

• historical climate observations
• climate variability and change
• climate change impacts
• climate change and health
• climate education

Dr Jaime Amezaga

Reader in Environmental Sustainability
Areas of expertise:

• sustainable management of natural resources and infrastructure
• integrated land and water management
• environmental management: institutions, regulation and policy
• sociotechnical systems and transitions
• developing countries
• stakeholder involvement

Professor Richard Dawson
Professor of Earth System Engineering

Areas of expertise:

• engineering urban areas for sustainability
• climate impacts analysis
• adaptation (particularly of civil infrastructure) to a changing climate
• flood risk assessment
• modelling of coupled human/natural/engineering systems
• infrastructure management

Professor Hayley Fowler
Professor of Climate Change Impacts

Areas of expertise:

• analysis of the impacts of climate change and variability on hydrological and water resources systems,
• analysis of climate model outputs and the development of new downscaling techniques

Dr Caspar Hewett

Lecturer

Areas of expertise:

• water resources
• computational hydraulics
• numerical methods
• sediment transport
• sustainability

Vassilis Glenis
Lecturer in Hydroinformatics

Areas of expertise:

• hydrodynamic modelling
• numerical methods: finite volume shock-capturing schemes
• urban flood modelling and blue-green infrastructure
• transient mixed flows in closed conduits

Professor Chris Kilsby
Professor of Hydrology and Climate Change

Areas of expertise:

• hydrology and climate change with expertise in infrastructure
• extremes and climate change impacts and adaptation, ranging from drought to flood risk
• hydrological risk (drought and flood risk)
• sustainability

Dr Tess O'Hara
Lecturer in Engineering Hydrogeology

Areas of expertise:

• groundwater
• disaster emergency response
• citizen science

Professor Claire Walsh
Lecturer in Water Engineering

Areas of expertise:

• flood risk assessment and management in urban areas
• green infrastructure
• climate impacts on water resources
• infrastructure business models
• urban agriculture
• hydromorphology

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Check the government’s website for more information.

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

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. 

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.

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.