MSc Environmental Engineering
Belfast, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
30 Jun 2026
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 27,600 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* internatonal fee
Key Summary
Environmental Engineers work at the interface between the Natural and the Built Environment. Environmental Engineering deals with the Impacts of the Built Environment and Human Activities on the Natural Environment and vice versa.
The Programme provides the Technical Understanding of these Interactions across the Engineering and Environmental Sciences and develops your Practical Skills to Characterise and Monitor these key Processes and to find Solutions to address these Challenges.
In doing so, Environmental Engineering is key to supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals and to finding and implementing Solutions to Mitigate and to Adapt to Climate Change.
Environmental Engineering is a broad discipline which is accessible to those from many different backgrounds. The Programme offers a wide variety of elective modules across Environmental Engineering to suit your particular interests.
The Programme provides the opportunities for a career in the environmental, consultancy, regulatory, management, and engineering industry at home or abroad.
PLEASE NOTE:
Applications for this course received after 30th June may not be accepted. In addition, a deposit will be required to secure a place.
Environmental Engineering Highlights
Professional Accreditations
This degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) comprising of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, Institute of Highway Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation and the Permanent Way Institution on behalf of the Engineering Council. . This means that the programme provides the required Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). See www.jbm.org.uk for further information. It should be noted that candidates completing the MSc who hold an underpinning accredited Bachelor degree accredited for IEng only or a non-accredited bachelor degree will need to apply for an academic assessment to determine whether they will meet the educational base for CEng registration.
Industry Links
Teaching Staff at the School of Natural and Built Environment maintain close links to industry partners and governmental agencies across the field of Environmental Engineering. Individual modules on the programme include field trips and site visits in collaboration with industry partners. Additionally, each year MSc Dissertation Projects are completed in collaboration with industry and/or governmental agencies/departments.
Internationally Renowned Experts
Queen’s is ranked 24th in the UK for Engineering with 96% of our research rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. (REF 2021/ Times Higher Education).
You will be taught by staff with an active research portfolio of international standing, with a wide range of interests across the Environmental Engineering Discipline.
The programme provides a suitable background for careers in environmental engineering, monitoring, management and consultancy, and it establishes a basis for interdisciplinary research to a higher level. Past graduates have found employment with a wide range of employers, eg environment regulatory agencies, civil engineering and specialist contractors as well as engineering and environmental consultancies in the UK, Ireland and abroad.
Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts help our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.
Students may enrol on a Full-time or Part-time basis.
The MSc is awarded to students who successfully complete the taught element of the programme in a combination of compulsory core modules (80 CATS points) elective modules (40 CATS points) and a Dissertation research project (60 CATS points).
Exit qualifications are available: students may exit with a Postgraduate Diploma by successfully completing the taught element of the programme (120 CATS points) or a Postgraduate Certificate by successfully completing 60 CATS points from the taught programme.
As well as compulsory and optional modules, the programme includes a research project which leads to a report (PgDip) or thesis (MSc) submission. Typically full-time students complete 60 CATS points worth of modules per semester.
Course Details
As well as compulsory and optional modules, the programme includes a research project which leads to a report (PgDip) or Thesis (MSc) submission. Typically full-time students complete 60 CATS points worth of modules per semester.
Core Modules
- Land & Water Quality (20 CATS)
- Engineering Hydrology & Hydrogeology (20 CATS)
- Assessment of Environmental Impacts (20 CATS)
- Computer Modelling of Contaminants (20 CATS)
- Thesis Project (60 CATS)
Elective Modules
- Introduction to Renewable Energies (10 CATS)
- Environmental Interaction Assessment of Marine Renewables (10 CATS)
- Water and Waste Water Treatment (10 CATS)
- GIS & Spatial Analysis (20 CATS)
- Project Planning for Sustainability (20 CATS)
- Skills for Sustainable Development (20 CATS)
- Mitigating Climate Change (20 CATS)
Note: the availability of elective modules in a given academic year will be subject to sufficient numbers of students (typically >6) enrolling in respective modules.
Module Review
All modules for 2025/26 are currently under review and subject to change in advance of the programme commencing in September 2026
How do I fund my study?
The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study.
A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas (excluding Initial Teacher Education/PGCE, where undergraduate student finance is available). Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.