University of Manchester

MSc Green Infrastructure

A degree in Green Infrastructure opens the door to a dynamic and diverse range of careers at the intersection of people, nature and place.

As cities and communities across the world look to create healthier, more sustainable environments, professionals who understand the complex connections between green spaces, infrastructure and urban life are in growing demand.

This course prepares you to work across a range of interconnected sectors, including urban planning, hydrology, urban forestry, infrastructure development, ecological and environmental management, and local and national government.

You’ll also be equipped to work in roles that focus on community engagement and co-design - key areas in the successful delivery of green infrastructure projects.

What sets this course apart is its integration of planning, design, management and policy evaluation, giving you a well-rounded skillset that’s immediately valuable to employers. In addition to specialist knowledge, you’ll develop a wide range of transferable skills that will serve you well in any career path. These include strong interpersonal communication, negotiation and problem-solving skills, experience with real-world fieldwork, meaningful interaction with practitioners and communities, and effective project management.

Graduates leave the course ready to shape the future of cities, landscapes and communities, whether working for public bodies, consultancies, NGOs or international development organisations.

Associated organisations

The course draws upon working relationships with local/regional bodies working on Green Infrastructure, and those who have relationships with The University of Manchester. This will include potential engagement with:

• City of Trees - Manchester;
• Mersey Forest;
• Manchester City Council;
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority;
• Environment Agency;
• Natural England, TEP;
• Arup;
• NHS England;
• Forestry Commission.

Careers support

The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate.

At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability .

MSc Green Infrastructure is a pioneering course, the first of its kind to fuse expertise from geography with landscape and environmental planning, uniting theory, practice, and policy evaluation into one forward-thinking programme.

As the need for resilient, liveable cities becomes ever more urgent, this course equips you with the knowledge and practical skills to lead the design, implementation, and management of green infrastructure in real-world settings.

You’ll explore why green infrastructure is essential, not just for climate adaptation and biodiversity, but for improving public health, community wellbeing, and economic resilience.

Taught by nationally and internationally recognised experts, you’ll gain a unique blend of conceptual insight and hands-on experience. Your learning will be shaped by cutting-edge research from The University of Manchester’s world-leading research in urban greening, sustainable drainage, nature-based solutions, and policymaking.

Manchester and the wider North West provide the perfect urban laboratory, with a wealth of ongoing green infrastructure projects that allow you to test ideas in real time.

Through live case studies, applied projects, and regular engagement with professionals, communities, and policymakers, you’ll develop a nuanced understanding of what makes green infrastructure effective, and how to deliver it successfully.

You’ll also have the opportunity to take part in field trips, including a fully funded week-long residential, previously in Berlin, where you’ll explore award-winning, state-of-the-art green infrastructure schemes and meet the practitioners shaping them.

This close connection between academic insight and professional practice ensures that you'll graduate with the tools, confidence, and connections to make a meaningful impact in this fast-growing field.

Whether you're aiming to shape more sustainable cities, influence environmental policy, or work with communities on transformative green projects, this course offers the knowledge and real-world experience to help you lead that change.

Aims

• Introduce the concept and principles of green infrastructure.
• Develop a critical awareness of the values, benefits and functions of different types of green infrastructure.
• Understand key policies relevant to the formation and implementation of green infrastructure.
• Understand the methods and approaches used to assess the performance of green infrastructure.
• Gain practical experience in the monitoring and evaluation of green infrastructure.
• Learn from real-world examples and practitioners of green infrastructure.
• Benefit from a highly interdisciplinary and applied course.

Special features

• Geography has been studied at Manchester for more than 125 years, and we're one of Europe's best-equipped universities for the subject.
• We’re home to world-class academics in Geography and other areas of the University contributing to the programme, including the Manchester Urban Institute , and the Manchester Environmental Research Institute .
• Join the Manchester University Geographical Society (MUGS) a society run by Geography students for Geography students.

Teaching and learning

Important notice: factors affecting fieldwork and placements

The School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED) recognises the value of fieldwork and placements. However, the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff remains our priority.

The School will assess on a regular basis the viability of any travel and fieldwork and communicate any significant changes to our students at the earliest possible opportunity.

The role of SEED

• changes to the rules and guidance on travel and activities implemented and published by the UK and overseas governments;
• a risk assessment conducted by or on behalf of the University identifying unmanageable risk;
• changes that enhance the educational value and student experience of the activity;
• changes to the situation of a placement provider (for example, which cause them to be unable to accept students);
• the unavailability of appropriate insurance cover;
• the unavailability of appropriate travel and accommodation and any significant changes to their financial costs;
• where fieldwork and placements are a compulsory element of the Programme, they will be replaced with something academically similar;
• where a trip or placement is not a compulsory element of the Programme, it may not be replaced.

We will consult with affected students at the earliest possible opportunity and explore the options available to them.

The duty of students

Preparation, attendance and conduct

Attendance at preparatory classes is a compulsory pre-requisite of the fieldwork and placements to ensure safety and learning outcomes are met.

Students who do not attend the compulsory preparatory classes may be prevented from participating in the fieldwork or placement. It is the duty of students to discuss any attendance issues with the field course or placement convenor.

Students are representatives of the university during their fieldwork or placement. Behaviour deemed by the convenor to be unacceptable may result in students being sent home.

Where a student is unable to attend or complete the fieldwork or placement (e.g. due to mitigating circumstances), is prevented from attending due to absence from compulsory preparatory classes, or returned home due to poor conduct:

• a suitable alternative assessment will be offered (as appropriate) to ensure that the programme ILOs are met, and that the student is not academically disadvantaged;
• the University accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred by the student in relation to the fieldwork or placement.

Immigration, passport and visa requirements

It is the responsibility of the individual student to ensure they have:

• a valid passport to enter the destination country (including sufficient months prior to expiry);
• a valid visa (where required) and comply with its requirements.

The School cannot guarantee that visas required for fieldwork or a placement will be granted by the relevant authority. Please note that countries may change their immigration and visa regulations at short notice.

Where a student is unable to attend fieldwork or a placement because they do not have the required visa or passport:

• a suitable alternative assessment will be offered to ensure that the programme ILOs are met and that the student is not academically disadvantaged;
• the University accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred by the student in relation to the fieldwork or placement.

Coursework and assessment

You must accrue 180 course credits to achieve the required standard for recommendation to the degree of MSc.

The dissertation, based on an original research project of your own design, accounts for 60 credits.

The remaining 120 credits are based on five compulsory and three optional 15 credit course units.

All assessment for the compulsory course units is coursework-based, with no unseen written exams.