PGDip River Basin Dynamics and Management with GIS

Year 1

(Award available for year: Postgraduate Diploma)

Learning outcomes

On completion of the programme all students will be able to:
-Demonstrate in-depth, specialist knowledge and mastery of skills and techniques relevant to river basin dynamics and management
-Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of issues, concepts, information and techniques at the forefront of river basin hydrology, river hydraulics and water resource management
-Demonstrate mastery of industrial, laboratory and field techniques and policy relevant to river basin dynamics and management;
-Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to their own research or advanced scholarship;
-Demonstrate a knowledge and basic understanding of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as relevant to water and the environment;
-Take a proactive and self-reflective role in working and to develop professional relationships with others;
-Proactively formulate ideas and hypotheses and to develop, implement and execute plans by which to evaluate these;
-Critically and creatively evaluate current issues, research and advanced scholarship in disciplines related to river basin dynamics and management.
-Develop, undertake and complete a masters standard independent dissertation.

Additionally, and depending on optional modules taken, on completion of the programme students will be able to:
If taking the major RB pathway
-Demonstrate masters-level knowledge and skills associated with river ecosystems at a variety of spatial and temporal scales;
-Have a clear overview of environmental assessment principles and practice and relevant legislation;
-Have gained work experience and evidence reflections on that experience;
-Demonstrate masters-level knowledge and skills associated with river hydraulics, sediment and solute transfers;

If taking the major GIS pathway:
-Have practical experience of GIS-based theory and concepts and analyses for environmental work and skills in desktop GIS (either ArcView, ArcGIS, MapInfo or Idrisi) ;
-Have experienced practical programming for customising ArcGIS and building environmental models for analysis and prediction;
-Have a masters-level understanding and practical experience (using Erdas Imagine) of digital image processing for both applied and academic purposes and from aircraft and satellite platforms.

Transferable (key) skills

You may find it helpful to provide a skills map.
Masters (Taught) students will have had the opportunity to acquire the following abilities as defined in the modules specified for the programme:
-the advanced techniques, specialist disciplinary knowledge, quantitative and field skills necessary to undertake a higher research degree and/or for employment in a higher capacity in industry or area of professional practice related to river basin dynamics and management;
-constructively evaluating their own achievement and that of others;
-self direction and effective decision making in complex and unpredictable situations;
-independent learning and the ability to work in a way which ensures continuing professional development;
-critically to engage in the subject-specific knowledge, affairs and vocational development of industries and research related to river basin dynamics and management and of professional/disciplinary boundaries and norms;
-an ability to communicate research findings in a manner appropriate for academic publication and/or dissemination within the water industry and related sectors.

Assessment

Achievement for the degree of Master (taught programme) will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme and will involve the achievement of the students in:
-Evidencing an ability to conduct independent in-depth enquiry within the discipline;
-Demonstrating the ability to apply breadth and/or depth of knowledge to a complex specialist area;
-Drawing on a range of perspectives on an area of study;
-Evaluating and criticising received opinion;
-Make reasoned judgements whilst understanding the limitations on judgements made in the absence of complete data.
-Completing an independent masters-level dissertation.