Embark on a unique programme built in collaboration with leading industry partners
All of our modules are Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) accredited
Gain practical, hands-on experience relevant to the flood risk industry
With the current climate crisis bringing with it more unpredictable weather patterns and coastal conditions, the need for those with the ability to appropriately compensate for the risks flooding poses to our homes and infrastructure has never been greater. This unique programme in Flood and Coastal Risk Management – developed in collaboration with the specialist flood risk management organisation, JBA Consulting – aims to equip you with the skills and expertise necessary to pursue a career within the UK water sector, allowing you to make a meaningful, positive impact upon the communities around you.
Who is this programme for?
With an emphasis on professional development, our courses in Flood and Coastal Risk Management are ideal for those who have either recently graduated from a scientific or engineering-based discipline which covers elements of hydrology, or those currently working in the UK water sector wishing to develop their understanding of flood and coastal risk.
Looking ahead to employability
What sets this programme apart is the unique opportunity to learn directly from both academic experts and seasoned professionals from leading environmental firms, including JBA Consulting, the Environment Agency, and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. This collaboration not only enhances the quality of your education but also provides invaluable networking opportunities, opening doors to career paths in high-demand areas within flood and coastal risk management. You will gain direct access to industry insights, cutting-edge practices, and a global perspective that will set you apart in the competitive job market.
You will also:
Develop the key competencies required to excel in the flood risk sector, including advanced skills in flood forecasting, river hydraulics, and coastal erosion. You will be equipped with both the theoretical and practical knowledge that employers are actively seeking.
Gain practical fieldwork experience through our specialist field modules, ensuring you are well-equipped to meet industry demands.
Achieve the experience and credits needed to attain Chartership with the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), significantly boosting your professional profile and employability.
What to expect
This Master’s programme offers a comprehensive learning experience, with eight taught modules and a substantial dissertation project. Designed to be flexible, the course can be completed over two to five years, accommodating your employment commitments.
You will also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of field trips, giving you hands-on exposure to real-world situations. The dissertation project, a cornerstone of the programme, will allow you to apply the theory you have learnt to practical challenges. This project provides an excellent opportunity for you to refine your research, data handling, evaluation, and communication skills – all of which are crucial for success in your future career. Moreover, your dissertation may focus on a topic directly related to your current job, further enhancing its relevance and impact.
By the end of the programme, you will not only have the academic qualifications but also the practical expertise and professional connections to excel in the field of flood and coastal risk management, positioning you for long-term career success.
Make a difference with our Flood and Coastal Risk Management MSc
Lancaster University's Dr Nick Chappell explains how our courses in Flood and Coastal Risk Management and Sustainable Water Management give you the skills to make a difference in the water sector.
The next delivery date of each module together with further module details and information on fees are given on the programme website. The programme website has details of the CPD, PgCert and PgDip variants.
2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in a science or engineering subject that includes hydrology modules; for example Civil or Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Geography, Natural Sciences, etc.
We may consider applicants with considerable experience and in-work training in hydrology or flood risk. Please contact us for further information.
If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.
Additional Requirements
As part of your application you also need to provide:
A copy of your current CV detailing your hydrology training either in-work or as part of a degree course
Two references, ideally from someone who can comment on your academic ability
English Language Requirements
We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.
We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 6.0 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications.
Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored pre-master’s pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University master’s degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.
Course structure
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.
Core
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*This module is offered in alternate years (e.g. 19/20, 21/22 etc)*
Bringing together the latest methods and applied techniques in catchment hydrology and modelling, students will gain a solid foundation in the key concepts of hydrology, hydrometrics and basic hydrological processes operating at a catchment scale.
Teaching will focus on the practical application of skills and industry standard techniques in the context of the latest legislation, guidance and policy. The module will introduce commercially available models and allow students to critically apply these models in a range of worked case studies and examples.
Students will learn to critically assess the main hydrological assessment and modelling techniques in order to effectively use hydrological data. However, they will also be expected to deal with instances where there is an absence of local data, to the extent that they will know which estimation or modelling technique to choose when faced with uncertainty in a real world situation.
*This module is offered in alternate years (e.g. 18/19, 20/21 etc)*
Students will learn about the processes that lead to coastal erosion and flood risk, including tides, storm surges and waves. They will be introduced to estimation and computational techniques used to calculate extreme sea level and wave heights and for the production of tidal graphs for flood inundation modelling.
It will be delivered in the context of applying these technical approaches and concepts to decision making faced by coastal asset owners, planners, developers, etc. and will also introduce the concepts of predicting climate change impacts, the principles of adaptation, resilience and uncertainty, and how to incorporate these into flood risk management.
Students will gain an understanding of different types of numerical and physical models available for coastal flood modelling (e.g. empirical, 2D or 3D grid-based, offshore circulation, wave transformation), their strengths and weaknesses and how to deal with uncertainty.
Students will also gain skills in how to assess, quantify and mitigate the risks to coastal assets, people and the environment. In addition, this module encourages comprehension and assessment of coastal processes reports, wave overtopping studies and coastal flooding studies.
This module is taken by all master's students. This is a piece of research carried out with one-to-one supervision from either a member of LEC staff or one of our research partner organisations or sometimes both. Students can choose their own project (subject to agreement), choose a project from a list published by the department, or can apply for a project in conjunction with an external company.
*This module is offered in alternate years (e.g. 19/20, 21/22 etc)*
Forecasting and Extreme Event Response will provide students with an introduction to the latest hydrological and meteorological forecasting methods and a solid foundation in the concepts and processes involved in flow forecasting. It will introduce commercially available models for real time flood forecasting and warning systems and the concepts of variability, uncertainty and accuracy in short term forecasting. It will also introduce longer term climate prediction and the concepts and principals of uncertainty.
The course will include a simulated flood response exercise to enable students to understand how forecasting is applied and how uncertainty and variability in forecasting is dealt with in a real world context. This will utilise JBA’s Exercise Management System software which simulates hydrometric data, displaying rainfall and river level information, automatic alarms, radar imagery and exercise injects to test response to realistic flooding scenarios.
*This module is offered in alternate years (e.g. 19/20, 21/22 etc)*
This module will deliver an introduction to flood risk management in the context of UK policies, legislation and spatial planning. It will provide a grounding in flood risk related responsibilities and will teach students the key concepts in urban hydrology and sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). To this end, the module will cover the design of SuDS systems, from outline design concepts to assessment of performance, estimation of flow and water quality loading.
Students will come to understand the capabilities and applications of the commercially available hydraulic models (e.g. Microdrainage, MUSIC) and the relative advantages/disadvantages of each, plus the data requirements. They will also learn how to plan, design, construct and manage a SuDS scheme in accordance with the relevant legal and regulatory framework.
By the end of this module, students will demonstrate the skills required to undertake a Flood Risk Assessment and will be able to select and apply the best techniques and models for estimating design flows in urban drainage systems.
*This module is offered in alternate years (e.g. 18/19, 20/21 etc)*
Students will be provided with a solid foundation in key hydraulic processes, the impact of structures and an overview of the generic types of river model during this module. This includes how to select the most appropriate model for a particular application for flood risk management e.g. flood warning, flood risk mapping for spatial and emergency planning, broad scale screening studies, detailed feasibility and design of flood mitigation measures.
In addition to this, commercially available 1D, 2D and integrated models will be available to use during the module. Students will critically evaluate these commercially available models and select the best model for a specific application. This involves learning to identify and quantify where uncertainty exists in data and modelling, and how it should be dealt with.
Students will benefit from the availability of a mobile hydraulic flume. It is owned by the JBA Trust for educational purposes and will be used to demonstrate hydraulic principles relating to good river weir and culvert design.
With this knowledge gained from these tools, students will be able to apply industry standard flood estimation and modelling techniques to solve real problems in the context of flood risk management and the latest legislation and policy.
*This module is offered in alternate years (e.g. 18/19, 20/21 etc)*
The module will cover the concepts and theory involved in river restoration techniques and introduce a geomorphological approach to sustainable river management. It will be based on case studies and examples of river restoration projects, delivered in the context of the developing legislative and policy drivers, such as the Water Framework Directive (WFD). It will also include a field trip to visit a local river (the River Lune) to demonstrate assessment techniques, identify sustainable solutions and provide case study material.
Students will learn how the Water Framework Directive (WFD), the ‘Catchment Based Approach’ (CaBA) and the principles of Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) influence and drive river and catchment management. They will also consider the main hydro-ecology and hydromorphology assessment techniques. This will enable students to understand the process, techniques and key steps involved in designing a sustainable river restoration scheme.
Optional
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*Please note this module will not run in 2022/23*
Catchments are increasingly perceived as complex and highly interconnected systems. This presents significant difficulties for those who manage catchments, but also a range of novel and timely research opportunities. In this context, the module aims to provide you with understanding and practical experience of key research and management challenges facing the future management of catchments. The module will take the Eden catchment as a case study, and draw on the latest land and water management framework, derived from the Water Framework Directive, as a basis for discussion. After analysing this framework and identifying significant challenges, you will use a combination of field, laboratory and data analysis techniques to investigate research questions related to biophysical processes within catchments. These investigations will lead to an appreciation of the limits to current knowledge and the opportunities for future research.
Students will cultivate an appreciation of the scale and variety of groundwater resources within the UK and overseas. The vulnerability of these resources and the various procedures and challenges for the implementation of policies for their protection will also be a major focus during this module.
The module will introduce the principles of groundwater flow and transport for which both physical and mathematical aspects of groundwater systems need to be discussed. Use will be made of computer models to solve practical problems relevant to the water industry. The students will also gain hands-on experience of groundwater investigation methods in the field.
Those who take this module will learn to apply a specific groundwater model (MODFLOW) to a number of problems, after considering the different methods that are widely used for investigating groundwater systems. Students will then learn to state the limitations of such models for practical use and will numerically evaluate the model results that they gather.
This module will ultimately impart the skills needed to prepare reports for a Head of Section as if working for an organisation such as the Environment Agency.
Fees and funding
Fees are subject to annual increase and are invoiced on a module by module basis. Costs in respect of travel, accommodation and food for the residential school element are additional.
The programme comprises eight modules plus a 60-credit dissertation project. This project may be undertaken with your current employer in the water/environmental sector, with another organisation in the water sector or as part of one of Lancaster's research teams. You may request to transfer your credits from the PgCert/PgDip FCRM programme to the MSc FCRM programme and add the 60-credit dissertation project.
The 2025/26 fee for each standard module is £1,570 and the fee for the LEC.505 project is £4,310. Thus eight modules plus the project if all taken in 2025/26 would be £16,870.
This programme is only available to UK applicants.
There may be extra costs related to your course for items such as books, stationery, printing, photocopying, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. Following graduation, you may need to pay a subscription to a professional body for some chosen careers.
Specific additional costs for studying at Lancaster are listed below.
College fees
Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK universities to have a collegiate system. Every student belongs to a college, and all students pay a small College Membership Fee which supports the running of college events and activities. Students on some distance-learning courses are not liable to pay a college fee.
For students starting in 2025, the fee is £40 for undergraduates and research students and £15 for students on one-year courses.
Computer equipment and internet access
To support your studies, you will also require access to a computer, along with reliable internet access. You will be able to access a range of software and services from a Windows, Mac, Chromebook or Linux device. For certain degree programmes, you may need a specific device, or we may provide you with a laptop and appropriate software - details of which will be available on relevant programme pages. A dedicated IT support helpdesk is available in the event of any problems.
The University provides limited financial support to assist students who do not have the required IT equipment or broadband support in place.
For most taught postgraduate applications there is a non-refundable application fee of £40. We cannot consider applications until this fee has been paid, as advised on our online secure payment system. There is no application fee for postgraduate research applications.
For some of our courses you will need to pay a deposit to accept your offer and secure your place. We will let you know in your offer letter if a deposit is required and you will be given a deadline date when this is due to be paid.
The fee that you pay will depend on whether you are considered to be a home or international student. Read more about how we assign your fee status.
If you are studying on a programme of more than one year’s duration, tuition fees are reviewed annually and are not fixed for the duration of your studies. Read more about fees in subsequent years.
Scholarships and bursaries
You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status and course. You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.
Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.
A number of our programmes offer bursaries for excellent students applying for specific degree schemes. These bursaries include the Heatherlea and Peter John Vincent prizes.
You will find yourself taking advantage of several laboratory facilities at Lancaster Environment Centre. There are our £4.4 million Teaching Labs, for example, as well as specialist facilities for Environmental Chemistry, Noble Gas, and Plant and Soil Ecology.
Research Facilities
There are no fewer than 15 purpose-built glasshouse modules, 16 controlled environment plant growth rooms, 4 solar domes based at the Hazelrigg Weather Station and a suite of ultraviolet radiation research facilities that can truly claim to be world-class.
Field Sites
You could find yourself working at a range of catchment science sites across England and Wales, including the local River Eden Valley, or they can travel much further afield to the tropical forests of the Amazon and Borneo.
Cutting-Edge Technologies
You can be trained to use a range of equipment, such as our Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer Facility, X-ray CT Scanner, Magnetometer or the LI-COR Portable Photosynthesis System, which has the capacity to measure plant gas exchange with exceptional speed and precision.
Rich Data Resources
Dedicated support staff with expertise in GIS, statistics, modelling, information technology and programming are available to provide specialist training in all aspects of data acquisition, processing and analysis.
Important Information
The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.
The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.
More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.
Our Students’ Charter
We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.
