Career opportunities

Career opportunities in this field are diverse and excellent. Graduates of this MSc course can expect to find employment in public and private sector organisations from all areas of the water and environmental management industry, including environmental management and engineering consultancies, remediation contractors, water companies, regulatory bodies (e.g. Environment Agency), local authorities, university departments and research institutes (e.g. British Geological Survey), voluntary and aid agencies, among many others. You can also go on to study a higher degree (e.g. PhD) by research, in this field. These opportunities are available in both the UK and overseas. Many of our students, both from the UK and overseas, take a career break to either retrain in this field or upgrade their technical knowledge and practical skills within the discipline, to enhance their career prospects.

An MSc degree is the expected qualification for a career as a hydrogeologist and will contribute to the professional experience required for chartered status. There continues to be a shortage of suitably qualified professionals in this field and consequently the employment market for hydrogeologists is buoyant. Because much of the work done by hydrogeologists relates to the assessment and management of contaminated land and groundwater, graduates from our MSc course are in particular demand by employers. See comments from our graduates for their view of the course!