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Anyone doing the Masters of Environmental Sciences programme at TCD? Need advice!

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  • 09-03-2010 3:37pm
    #1
    Lbrophy09
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭


    Hi,
    I'm applying for masters at the moment. Have a degree in Environmental Science from UCC and I'm liking the look of the Master of Environmental Science at TCD.
    Anyone in the middle of this course or have it completed already? Is it worthwhile for someone with an environmental degree already to do this course?
    Cheers x


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    #2
    El Siglo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,803 ✭✭✭El Siglo


    Lbrophy09 wrote: »
    Hi,
    I'm applying for masters at the moment. Have a degree in Environmental Science from UCC and I'm liking the look of the Master of Environmental Science at TCD.
    Anyone in the middle of this course or have it completed already? Is it worthwhile for someone with an environmental degree already to do this course?
    Cheers x

    Yes, literally right in the middle of it (I've an assignment to do for Thursday and I haven't written a word!). I've said this before it's a great course, very intensive but you'll enjoy it. Even if you've done environmental science, it doesn't mean that you've done the same as this course, there's a mixture of things done, some weeks you'll be looking at worms under a microscope, the next you'll be learning how to work in the R programming language. You'll fly it but it's still demanding!:D


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    #3
    rantyface
    Registered Users Posts: 496 ✭✭rantyface


    Do you do any environmental chemistry? Can you choose what to focus on? It sounds very good, I eventually want to work in something environment related, although at the moment I'm looking at pure chemistry routes. Could I then do a PhD in chemistry? Would it at all help my chances, or would it be a bad idea i.e. could they think it's too long since I've been in a lab.

    I can imagine myself happily trudging through a bog in wellies collecting samples.


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    #4
    El Siglo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,803 ✭✭✭El Siglo


    rantyface wrote: »
    Do you do any environmental chemistry? Can you choose what to focus on? It sounds very good, I eventually want to work in something environment related, although at the moment I'm looking at pure chemistry routes. Could I then do a PhD in chemistry? Would it at all help my chances, or would it be a bad idea i.e. could they think it's too long since I've been in a lab.

    I can imagine myself happily trudging through a bog in wellies collecting samples.

    We only do environmental chemical analysis, which is condensed into a three week module (9-5 type of thing). If I were you, I'd do the MSc in Environmental Analytical Chemistry in UCC because the TCD course wouldn't be a comprehensive enough for what you're aiming for, there simply isn't enough chemistry in this masters for you'd want to be doing for a PhD. It's still a good course, if you did say the HDip in UCC and the MSc in TCD then you'd hit the nail on the head. Hope that helps!


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    #5
    thehairyone
    Registered Users Posts: 232 ✭✭thehairyone


    I did Env. Science in NUIG and the course coordinator specifically told us not to do Masters in Env. Science as you will essentially cover the same stuff. Saying that though, each college may provide different focus for their Env. Science courses. I'd advise you to check the course prospectus and see what subjects they do, if they are similar to yours you might be wasting a year learning the same things all over again (I'm sure you will learn new skills but you would probably have a lot already). I would also look into courses in UCD such as the Environmental Resource Management Masters (not a very practical course but a good course), UCD also do a Masters in Env Science that may cover differant things than TCD, or the Wildlife Conservation Masters in TCD is ment to be good aswell.


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    #6
    Lbrophy09
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭Lbrophy09


    Thanks so much for all of the advice - so little in Ireland to choose from compared to the UK. Ireland is still quite behind when it comes to environmental regulation and enforcement of existing laws. I'm going to apply anyway because it looks like an excellent course.
    Cheers again!


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    #7
    El Siglo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,803 ✭✭✭El Siglo


    Lbrophy09 wrote: »
    Thanks so much for all of the advice - so little in Ireland to choose from compared to the UK. Ireland is still quite behind when it comes to environmental regulation and enforcement of existing laws. I'm going to apply anyway because it looks like an excellent course.
    Cheers again!

    Fair play hope the application goes well. You're right, there's feck all in Ireland in this field which is a shame because we've a load of research going on in it, there just seems to be that dip in taught programmes available. Take the flooding last winter, there's no MSc courses in hydrology here or even more specifically flooding, and yet there's a taught course in Bristol for this. If you'd like a more succint opinion, Carlos Rocha is the course coordinator and he might be worth emailing (just go on to the Department of Geography website in TCD, he's in the staff listing there).
    Good luck, let us know how it goes!


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    #8
    rantyface
    Registered Users Posts: 496 ✭✭rantyface


    There are no interesting chemistry taught masters courses in Ireland. There are a few in England. All the ones in Ireland are very "applied" and industry related, and not pure science. Most people study chemistry because they're interested in it, not because they want to work for big pharma.
    It's a massive gap in the market, and considering people pay to do masters courses you'd think the universities would have a few.
    Some people don't want to go straight into a PhD after their degree, but that's all that's offered!


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    #9
    El Siglo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,803 ✭✭✭El Siglo


    rantyface wrote: »
    There are no interesting chemistry taught masters courses in Ireland. There are a few in England. All the ones in Ireland are very "applied" and industry related, and not pure science. Most people study chemistry because they're interested in it, not because they want to work for big pharma.
    It's a massive gap in the market, and considering people pay to do masters courses you'd think the universities would have a few.
    Some people don't want to go straight into a PhD after their degree, but that's all that's offered!

    Yeh, I'd have to agree, either industry related or you have to do a research course. It's a pain alright, the only taught course I can think of is the one down in Cork and DCU (Analytical Chemistry). Considering you've already got a degree in Chemistry, you could do the MSc in Environmental Science then go into research like geochemistry, limnology, nitrogen processes etc... there would be a ton of avenues there. There's also this new thing of "chemical fingerprinting", it's mainly stable isotope analysis of sediments etc... it's a big thing in sea-level rise.


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    #10
    El Siglo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,803 ✭✭✭El Siglo


    This is probably the fourth or fifth thread I've come across in Postgraduates regarding environmental science courses. So, last November I was trying to put together an Environmental Science forum, so if anybody would in future like to read information about environmental science courses etc... this kind of forum might be useful. So, if you would like to voice your support for one, please do so here. I just think there's a lack of information on boards about this area.


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    #11
    45772
    Closed Accounts Posts: 38 ✭45772


    hi El Siglo and all other oprevious posters..if anyone could offer their opinion please do..i am trying to decide what best to do on being offered two taught masters places in ucc;

    1. Applied Science - Food Science
    2. Applied Scinence - Environmental Analytical Chemistry

    I have studied agricultural science in ucd for my undergraduate. I am having great difficulty in choosing one over the other. While a taught Msc in food science would complement my undergraduate studies and be the obvious choice however had i not attained an excellent work placement a few years ago with a leading food company on their WWTP sparked an interest in water analysis.

    My gut feeling at the moment is to go for the Environmental Analytical Chemistry...i hold an equal interest in both of the above areas...what to do:confused:


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    #12
    El Siglo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,803 ✭✭✭El Siglo


    45772 wrote: »
    hi El Siglo and all other oprevious posters..if anyone could offer their opinion please do..i am trying to decide what best to do on being offered two taught masters places in ucc;

    1. Applied Science - Food Science
    2. Applied Scinence - Environmental Analytical Chemistry

    I have studied agricultural science in ucd for my undergraduate. I am having great difficulty in choosing one over the other. While a taught Msc in food science would complement my undergraduate studies and be the obvious choice however had i not attained an excellent work placement a few years ago with a leading food company on their WWTP sparked an interest in water analysis.

    My gut feeling at the moment is to go for the Environmental Analytical Chemistry...i hold an equal interest in both of the above areas...what to do:confused:

    The analytical chemistry is a good one to do because it means that you're qualified to carry out different kinds of analysis but still incorporate stuff that you might have done at undergrad. I'll give you an example, stable isotope mass spectrometry. There's work being done on this (I'm doing my thesis on it) with regards sea-level change studies and reconstructing quaternary environmental conditions using 13C and 15N etc... However, it's also used to understand ecological food webs through trophic enrichment (e.g. examining the enrichment of 15N in fish).
    Furthermore, you'd nail down the wet chemical techniques (gran & winkler titrations, alkalinity, gas ion chromatography, ICP-OES/mass spec, etc...) but also techniques like; XRD, XRF, spectrophotometry, stable isotopes etc... there's millions of applications of these techniques and they range from beyond environmental applications. One of my lecturers who's a geologist but also an experimental officer has been involved in a court case regarding the aggregates used in building material, he's been using XRD to show that the contractor used iron pyrite ("fools gold") in the aggregate.
    The food science masters would be I suppose the 'natural choice' but that doesn't mean it's the 'right choice'. It's the fact that there's a load of applications for environmental chemical analysis which makes it such a good course in my opinion.


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    #13
    45772
    Closed Accounts Posts: 38 ✭45772


    Hi El Siglo...Thank you so much for your prompt reply to my previous posting. Your reply is much appreciated as it confirmed my own thoughts on the +'s of the Environmental Analytical Chemistry course in terms of its many applications.

    I have studied chemistry in the earlier years of my undergrad and thoroughly enjoyed it..however a refresher over the next number of weeks would be a must if i go with this course so i can give myself a headstart and not be playing catch up while also trying to settle into a new course.



    I accepted the masters in food science over a week ago, however got the offering for the Environmental masters last friday. If i do accept the latter I expect it should not be too complicated to decline one and accept the other given its the same faculty. I applied for a grant and provided them with my course acceptance for the food science masters, the fees are the same for both courses.

    Your research masters sounds very interesting el Siglo and I wish you the very best with the remainder of it:)


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    #14
    Lbrophy09
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭Lbrophy09


    Hey!

    Can anyone recommend some good academic books relating to Environmental Science? :)


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    #15
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,667 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    Lbrophy09 wrote: »
    Hey!

    Can anyone recommend some good academic books relating to Environmental Science? :)

    Can you be a bit more specific? What year are you in and is there anything in particular that you need?

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



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    #16
    Lbrophy09
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭Lbrophy09


    Environmental chemistry and ecology are my main points of interest.


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    #17
    El Siglo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,803 ✭✭✭El Siglo


    Lbrophy09 wrote: »
    Environmental chemistry and ecology are my main points of interest.

    There's one by RSC called; "Principles of Environmental Chemistry", not bad, decent book. I got it for €40 hardback in Hodges and Figgis. What kind of environmental chemistry will you be doing? What kind of analysis? Again you need to be very specific because if it is something like stable isotopes then that book isn't a great help.


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    #18
    hulkysmash65
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭hulkysmash65


    Anyone from previous years have examples of their dissertations? I'm currently doing mine and can't find any previous projects to compare with and the library have said they've stopped taking them.


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    #19
    El Siglo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,803 ✭✭✭El Siglo


    Ask your supervisor to see if they have a pdf of a previous thesis. When I was writing mine I based the layout on a PhD thesis that I was reading from at the time with my own material (i.e. essentially things like chapter layout: introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion and conclusion).


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