Applied Environmental Science

The study of Applied Environmental Science is critical for establishing policies in environmental assessment, evaluating potential change in environmental quality in response to various land use and other activities, and in development of management and conservation strategies, as well as contributing to policy formulation. This course has a heavy emphasis on practical training in fieldwork, laboratory analyses, information sourcing, data analysis, planning, reporting and communication.



You will work with an interdisciplinary team of experts covering the key aspects of Environmental Science, encompassing marine, freshwater and terrestrial systems. This is the only Applied Environmental Science course in Ireland to include a major input from civil engineering, relating particularly to water quality, hydrology and waste treatment processes. The UCD MSc Applied Environmental Science is the first on the island of Ireland to be approved as an Accredited Degree Programme of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM).



In collaboration with UCD School of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering relating particularly to water quality, hydrology and waste treatment processes.



This multi-disciplinary Master’s course provides fundamental training in key areas of Environmental Science encompassing marine, freshwater and terrestrial systems.



Professional Accreditation

The UCD MSc Applied Environmental Science has been approved as an Accredited Degree Programme of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management on the 22nd day of April 2025.

Stage 1 Core Modules

CVEN40220 Introduction to Water Resources Engineering 1 Autumn 10

ENVB40130 Global Change Ecology Autumn 5

ENVB40720 Vegetation Ecology Autumn 5

GEOG40770 GIS for Environmental Assessment Autumn 5

ENVB40120 Freshwater Resources Assessment Spring 5

ENVB40510 Analyses for Environmental Investigations Spring 5

ENVB40680 Soil Ecology Spring 5

GEOL40300 Environmental Geology Spring 5

BIOL40390 Quantitative Tools for the Life Sciences Summer 5

ENVB40670 Thesis (MSc Env. Science) Summer 20



Stage 1 Options - A) Min 2 of:

Students must take 70 credits of core modules and 20 credits of option modules. Of these options student must pick a 5 credit module in the Autumn trimester, 10 credits of module/s in Spring and a 5 credit module in the Summer.

AESC40150 Wildlife Conservation Autumn 5

BSEN30240 Waste Management Autumn 5

ENVB40040 Environmental Impact Assessment Autumn 5

ENVB40690 Essay (MSc Applied Science) Autumn 5

BSEN40720 Carbon & Sustainability Autumn and Spring (separate) 5

CVEN40570 Water Waste and Environmental Modelling Spring 5

CVEN40840 Sustainable and Nature Based Water Infrastructure Spring 10

ENVB40020 Marine Community Ecology Spring 5

ENVB40320 Wildlife Management/Conservation (On-line) Spring 5

ENVB40350 Appl. Ecotoxicology (On-line) Spring 5

ENVB40650 Environmental-based internship Summer 5

ENVB40660 Research-based internship Summer 5

This programme is intended for applicants with a primary degree in Science, Engineering, Geography, Architecture or a related subject. An upper second class honours, or international equivalent is required.



Applicants whose first language is not English must also demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 6.5 (no band less than 6.0 in each element), or equivalent.



Students meeting the programme’s academic entry requirements but not the English language requirements, may enter the programme upon successful completion of UCD’s Pre-Sessional or International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information http://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/



These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes.



You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.

https://www.ucd.ie/registry/prospectivestudents/admissions/rpl/

Apply online



Who Should Apply?

Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes

International (Non EU) applicants: Yes



Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes

International (Non EEA) applicants: No

90

1 year full-time (X062),

2 years part-time (X204).

Delivery: On Campus.

MSc Environmental Science (X062) Full Time

EU fee per year - € 8010

nonEU fee per year - € 19900


MSc Environmental Science (X204) Part Time

EU fee per year - € 4035

nonEU fee per year - € 9900


***Fees are subject to change


Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.

X062 Applied Environmental Science (Master of Science) Full-Time

Commencing September 2026

Graduate Taught



X204 Applied Environmental Science (Master of Science) Part-Time

Commencing September 2026

Graduate Taught

Career & Graduate Study Opportunities

Our graduates are building successful varied careers in environmental resources assessment, management and protection. A considerable number have been employed in environmental consultancy and national and International government agencies, such as Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Some graduates have also continued their studies at PhD level in the areas of fisheries, biomass fuels, soil, water engineering and invertebrate ecology. The course gives due consideration to key legislative requirements and policy developments.