Environmental Science and Sustainable Technology

Bachelor of Science (Honours)

Tracking pollution graphic for Environmental Science & Sustainable Technology
Tracking pollution graphic for Environmental Science & Sustainable Technology
Type of Programme
Full-time
Number of Places
20
Duration
4 Years
Course Code
MT 878
Entry Requirements
341 Points in 2023 and meet minimum entry requirements as listed below.
Application Deadline
See CAO for details
Location(s)
MTU Bishopstown Campus, Cork
Course NFQ Level
Level 8

Eleanor Baldwin

T: +353 21 433 5597

Email: (email)

Overview

This honours degree offers a unique combination of scientific and instrumentation based modules to train graduates in the skills required to become environmental monitoring specialists, specifically in the areas of air and water quality analysis.

Most of the modules taught have a significant laboratory element and students can expect to spend 50% of their contact time working with modern laboratory instrumentation. The emphasis is on making scientific measurements and analysing the results, as well as calibrating and operating technical equipment. To assist in this, the students receive a comprehensive foundation in physics and chemistry together with specialist modules in electronics, statistics, instrumentation, environmental GIS, smart sensors and the internet of things.

There is a continual green ethos throughout the course; the provision of green technical and managerial modules aim to stimulate graduates to become champions of sustainability. There are modules that deal with waste management, water and air quality, as well as green auditing to ensure that graduates are fully up-to-date with the legal, economic and technical aspects of environmental monitoring.

In addition to the scientific and technical modules, there are a number of modules designed to develop competencies in communication skills, report writing and presentation skills, and research methods along with an emphasis on teamwork.

In year 3, students are placed within an industry or research group for work placement. It may be possible for the work placement to be in an international location. In the final year of the course, there is a major technical project in the area of environmental monitoring.

What will I study?

First year at a glance

  • Environmental Instrumentation: measurement and calibration of sensors used for environmental monitoring
  • Mathematics: developing the tools for analysing scientific data
  • Chemical Principles
  • Fundamental Physics
  • Climate Change: introduction to issues contributing to climate change
  • Green Team: introduction to sustainability and team work
  • Creativity, Innovation and Teamwork: team building, independent working and communication skills development

Modules

What is a Module?

A module is a standalone unit of learning and assessment and is completed within one semester. A full-time student will normally study six modules in each semester; part-time and ACCS (Accumulation of Credits and Certification of Subjects) students will have flexibility as to the number of modules taken.

The button below provides a link to all of the University's approved modules for this programme.

View Modules

Entry Requirements

Entry 2024

For admission to a programme, standard applicants must

  • score the necessary CAO points and
  • meet the minimum entry requirements

Leaving Certificate in six subjects i.e. H5 in two subjects and O6/H7 in four other subjects. The six subjects must include Mathematics and either English or Irish grade O6/H7.

 

For Non-EU International Entry Requirements please visit https://www.mtu.ie/international/non-eu/.

Career options

Employment Opportunities

As graduates of a STEM programme with an emphasis on technical skills, employment opportunities are excellent.

The main employment areas are water quality analysis, air emissions monitoring, waste reduction, environmental consulting and management, green auditing, carbon footprint reduction as well as related research and development. Graduates can expect to work in a variety of situations such as working in an environmental testing laboratory or in waste management in a modern pharmachem plant; they could be office based or out in the field collecting and analysing environmental samples.

  • Air and water quality monitoring
  • Environmental consultancy
  • Wastewater and air emissions reduction
  • Green auditing
  • Data analytics

Progression

Further Studies

Suitably qualified graduates are eligible to apply for a postgraduate degree by research at MTU at master (MSc) or doctoral (PhD) levels under the supervision of departmental principal investigators based at CAPPA (www.cappa.ie), Mass Spectrometry Group, or elsewhere at MTU.

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Question Time

The mix of physical science, modern analytical instruments and green management is unique and quite different to traditional environmental science courses. There is a strong focus on lab based technical skills and the use of modern instrumentation to measure environmental parameters. Students learn how to operate and calibrate sophisticated computer-controlled equipment as well as how to critically analyse and validate their data.

Physics and chemistry at Leaving Certificate level are helpful but not essential, as the key content in both subjects are covered in year one of the course.

A strong interest in technology and the environment, specifically the use of modern computer-controlled measuring instruments that contribute to the protection of the environment and enable the development of sustainable solutions for industries and society in general.

You could be working for the Environmental Protection Agency or local authorities ensuring environmental licence compliance for example by monitoring the quality of air in our cities and towns. Opportunities exist in industry in particular in the pharmachem, manufacturing and agrifood sectors where technical specialists are required to monitor a range of environmental parameters and present solutions where issues arise.

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