Overview

With a strong emphasis on practical study, you will be taught by both University academics and industry professionals, and will gain the key skills and professional training required for a rewarding career as a practitioner or researcher.

Our programme is unique in that it is taught jointly by University academics and professionals from leading environmental consultancy JBA Consulting, the Environment Agency and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, which has a one of its major research facilities based at Lancaster. Graduates gain the skills and knowledge to progress careers with a water consultancy, water regulator, water company or research organisation.

You will study six modules and complete a dissertation project. The jointly-taught core modules have been professionally accredited by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management and will provide you with the key skills of a water professional by addressing the principles of catchment hydrology, sustainable surface water management, groundwater assessment, methods of catchment protection, principles of lake ecology, managing coastal flooding, flood forecasting, the design of river structures and the restoration of river channels. Optional modules covering wider environmental and social science skills are also available.

Practical work is an important component of the programme, with modules including challenging fieldwork in Cumbrian and Lancashire catchments, and laboratory work involving the use of flumes, water quality analyses and computer models.

We encourage you to undertake your dissertation research project with an external partner in the water sector or as an integral part of our ongoing research activities in water resources. Each year we offer a large selection of possible projects with external partnership or internship opportunities including JBA Consulting, the Environment Agency, United Utilities and many other organisations. We also welcome projects that strengthen your existing partnerships. You will be supervised by one of our active researchers with relevant expertise.

Examples of recent dissertation topics are:

  • Assessing the effects of recent afforestation on saturated hydraulic conductivity and soil moisture content, with implications for natural flood management
  • Phytobenthos within the Eden catchment: an avenue for citizen engagement in the WFD?
  • Quantifying the physical, hydrological and agronomic impacts of mitigating grassland soil compaction
  • Analysis of surface water flow to propose flood alleviation measures: a GIS based case study at The Pastures, Egremont
  • An investigation into groundwater-surface water interactions during storm events on the River Leith
  • How does riparian vegetation influence groundwater-surface water interaction?
  • Flood forecasting and warning systems: using data-based mechanistic modelling and probabilistic flood information for Galgate community
  • New method for the optimisation of the UK river flow gauging station network

Entry requirements

Academic Requirements

2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in Civil Engineering, Environmental Science, Geography, Ecology, Natural Science, etc.

We may also consider non-standard applicants with extensive work experience with in-work training in hydrology. Please contact us for information.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

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.

If your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

Pre-master’s programmes

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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Optional

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Fees and funding

Location Full Time (per year) Part Time (per year)
Home £14,140 £7,070
International £30,310 £15,155

General fees and funding information

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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.

Scheme Based on Amount
Lancaster Master's ScholarshipBased on Entry grades Amount Up to £5,000
Lancaster Global Scholarship - Master'sBased on Entry grades Amount £5,000 in your first year of study.
Management School MBA ScholarshipBased on Entry grades and interview Amount Up to £16,000
Alumni Loyalty ScholarshipBased on Lancaster alumni status Amount 10% fee discount
Management School Master's ScholarshipBased on Entry grades Amount Up to £8,300 in your first year of study
Master’s Scholarship for Black British StudentsBased on Ethnicity, household income, academic performance, and Lancaster alumni status Amount Full fees and £9,000 living costs

We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

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.