Environmental Sustainability and Green Technology - MSc
Faced with urgent demand for clean energy, loss of natural habitats and species, and the impact of climate change, there’s a growing demand for insight and solutions to improve the relationship between the earth and its inhabitants. Accredited by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), our MSc explores a wide range of complex environmental problems and the new technologies designed to solve them. Studying within Keele’s Energy Campus environment, you'll see renewable energy sources and smart solutions in action, developing the specialist scientific, managerial and generic skills to tackle environmental problems and help establish a sustainable environment.
Month of entry
- September, January
Mode of study
- Full time, Part time
Fees for 2023 entry
- UK - Full time £10,000 per year. Part time £5,500 per year.
International - £18,800 per year.
Duration of study
- 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time
Please note: this course is no longer accepting applications from international students for January 2023 entry
Why study Environmental Sustainability and Green Technology at Keele University?
Course summary
As the world’s human population approaches eight billion, modern life – from agriculture, farming practices and mass manufacturing, to housing or the supply of food, water and energy – has taken its toll on our planet's ecosystem. Increasing environmental threats pose severe scientific, social and economic challenges for the human race.
Highlighted by the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), urgent action is needed to solve problems created by overpopulation and overproduction, and find new ways to protect our environment for generations to come.
Our MSc in Environmental Sustainability and Green Technology is accredited by the IEMA, the professional body for everyone working, studying or interested in environment and sustainability. It has been designed to provide diverse, interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding in the areas of science, technology, policy and green political theory relevant to environmental challenges and sustainability.
The course incorporates Keele University’s internationally recognised expertise in research and teaching on environmental issues. It is taught by a team of environmental specialists working in the fields of energy, clean technologies, biological sciences, chemical science, project management, and environmental policy and politics.
We’ll help you develop the broad skillset needed to devise, implement and evaluate sustainability initiatives, or plan and conduct the research to develop the new solutions, processes and technologies to support them. You'll then put skills, such as critical evaluation, research design, scientific writing, project management, data collection, analysis and interpretation, presentation and more, into practice during your research project.
Depending on availability, you could have the opportunity to collaborate with an external organisation and work with them on a real-life issue, giving you valuable experience and boosting your job prospects. In the past, for example, our students have gone on to PhD studies, and careers in clean energy, waste management and sustainability in organisations such as the NHS, local authorities and commercial businesses.
Some of our students also take advantage of the Keele Research, Innovation and Skills Partnership (KRISP) scheme. Previous projects, for example, developed an educational energy usage auditing toolkit for Noreus, assessed the feasibility of using sheep wool as an alternative to man-made packaging insultation for Woolcool, and mapped the reduction in carbon footprint of ITS Ltd's non-plastic dipping stick.
As a student on the MSc in Environmental Sustainability and Green Technology, you will benefit from learning on a campus featuring a Low Carbon Energy Generation Park which is supporting Keele University's pledge to be carbon neutral by 2030, featuring two wind turbines, 12,500 solar panels and an industrial-sized battery to store the generated energy. You will access on-site energy projects such as the recent HyDeploy project and the HyDEX project, which are driving forward demonstration of low-carbon hydrogen technology, and the Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND) project. SEND, a European first, is an at-scale environment providing a platform that allows energy generation, distribution, storage, forecasting and energy balancing to be intelligently carried out across different energy sources using the Keele University campus as a genuine ‘living laboratory’.
The School of Geography, Geology and the Environment also hosts a monthly Research Seminar Series, which gives you the chance to benefit from the knowledge and expertise from external speakers and visiting researchers. Past topics have included cutting-edge research on energy, sustainability and technology.
Other courses you may be interested in:
Next Steps
"I enjoyed learning about all different environmental issues and solutions, technologies as well as business skills for addressing stakeholders with project ideas, to make real-world changes."
Course structure
This IEMA-accredited interdisciplinary postgraduate course is for students from any undergraduate degree discipline and provides a broad understanding of sustainability challenges, whilst embedding the appropriate specialist scientific, managerial and generic skills for a career in the environmental sustainability sector.
The course can be studied full-time over one year or part-time over two years, with start dates in September and January.
You will complete four core 15-credit modules, which provide an overview of important key concepts and principles around sustainability and green technology, and equip you with the skills to plan and carry your research project (60 credits). For example, critical evaluation, research design, scientific writing, reflective practice, fieldwork, laboratory skills, data collection, analysis and interpretation.
Additionally, you will choose four optional modules, which enable you to tailor the programme to topics you are most interested in and/or fit with your career goals. One of the advantages of studying this course at Keele is the sheer breadth of our academic expertise, which includes chemistry, soil science, coastal science, glaciology, vulcanology, physical geography, forensic geophysics and applied geophysics.
To achieve the MSc, you must complete 180 credits. There are two interim awards available, depending on how many modules have been successfully completed: a Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits); and a Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits).
Core Taught Modules
Core Taught Modules
ESC-40034 – An Introduction to Sustainable Technologies (15 credits)
This module is designed to provide students from diverse entry disciplines with an overview of key concepts, debates and processes with regard to clean and sustainable technologies, which will be covered in further detail in optional modules. In addition, module considers key process and issues involved in using resources and the effects both now and in the future.
You will introduce a broad range of subject matter across the field, preparing you to specialise in greater depth through optional modules and your research project. Topics include: energy security; power distribution and storage; renewable sources of energy and their exploitation for power generation; conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons; nuclear energy; geological, biological and ocean sequestration; climate change, greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect; protecting and managing water and food resources; biodiversity and biosecurity.
PIR-40106 Dimensions of Environmental Politics (15 credits)
You will be introduced to the main facets of environmental politics, gaining an broad overview of key concepts, debates, processes and discourses in relation to the political dynamics of ‘The environment’. You will explore three key questions in environmental politics: How did ‘The environment’ come to be seen as a political question? How have political institutions responded to what have been called environmental problems? What are the challenges such problems individually or collectively pose for existing political structures, institutions, and practices, and the theoretical presumptions underlying them This module will provide you with a good general understanding across the field, should you wish to specialise in greater depth, for example, in your dissertation.
ESC-40030 Case Studies in Sustainability (15 credits)
The ability to assimilate data, work as a team and solve problems is fundamental to any career development. In this module, you will interact with others, to analyse and consider scientific, political, management and ethical issues relating to problems in the environmental sustainability and green technology sectors. Reviewing several case studies and scenarios, you will increase your awareness of issues relevant to the sustainability agenda, such as waste products from standard procedures. You will also build your confidence in assessing and evaluating complex and often conflicting information.
ESC-40048 Research and Business Skills, Project and Portfolio Management (15 credits)
This module responds to the need, identified by research funding bodies, to provide training in generic research skills at postgraduate level. It aims to provide a broad understanding of the context, methodologies and practice of scientific enquiry in research associated with the sustainability agenda, developing research and communication skills for academic and commercial environments. You will learn how to put together professional project planning documents, including a project scope and business plan incorporating a detailed implementation, resource allocation, and financial management. In doing so, you'll develop an appreciation of commercial factors, for example, assessing proposals for green initiatives against an organisation's business situation. Topics covered include: experimental design and data analysis for science and social science; project management; communication skills; public understanding of science; career management; intellectual property rights; and the role of ethics.
ESC-40029 Research Project (60 credits)
You will build your confidence and autonomy, developing your research and problem-solving skills by undertaking a research project based on real-world challenges in sustainability in collaboration with the University or an associated academic, private or public sector organisation, here in the UK or overseas. Research project opportunities vary year-on-year and topics may be proposed by our own researchers or partnering organisations and companies. We also encourage you to come up with your own project ideas on any relevant area of interest, provided it can be agreed with and supported by an experienced supervisor. You will write up your research project, communicating the background, context, methods, results and conclusions through the submission of a 15-20,000 word dissertation. Past research projects have focused on a diverse range of subjects, from nuclear energy development to community education.
Optional Taught Modules
Indicative Optional Taught Modules
ESC-40019 Water Resources (15 credits)
Water is a vital resource to life on earth, yet pressures on water resources in many regions are growing due to increasing population, decreasing quality of water and climate change. In order to effectively manage water resources it is important to understand hydrological processes, the problems and potential solutions surrounding water quantity and water quality, and the requirements of the human and ecological water users.
ESC-40060 Climate Change Science (15 credits)
This module covers factors affecting the climate and the impacts that this change is having on our planet and its inhabitants. Topics include how climate change comes about, its effects and how to prevent it, including the role of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). You will develop the skills and knowledge needed to decipher, relate and use complex information related to climate change, basic modelling and data analysis, risk and socioeconomic factors. Typical topics include: natural and human-induced climate change processes, including greenhouse gas formation, interactions and impacts; forcing factors; the role of the IPCC; geoengineering and related ethical issues and dilemmas; and modelling sea-level rise.
ESC-40031 Clean and Green Technologies I: Power from above the Earth (15 credits)
You’ll be introduced to the key concepts, debates and processes around renewable technologies, including bio, wind, wave, solar thermal and photovoltaic, hydro and marine energy. The module aims to support your professional skills development in technical information processing, feasibility assessment and specifying suitable technology for sites around the world, taking into account economic, social and technical factors. With an emphasis on how we can minimise carbon footprint and assess the contribution each might make to energy needs, you’ll be provided a framework to understand and evaluate key drivers and barrier to energy development.
ESC-40032 Clean and Green Technologies II: Power from beneath the Earth (15 credits)
You will be given an overview of key concepts, debates, processes and discourses in relation to technologies which derive energy from below the ground, including fossil fuels, geothermal and ground source heat, focusing on how to minimise carbon footprint. You will develop your understanding of the implications of meeting global energy budgets using current fossil-fuel energy resources and lower impact ‘cleaner-coal’, unconventional fossil fuels and nuclear energy. You will also consider how different national climatic scenarios drive the development of technologies, for example, fossil based hydrocarbon fuels.
ESC-40047 Green IT (15 credits)
You will gain an understanding of the sustainability challenges facing the IT industry, such as energy consumption, planned obsolescence, IT waste issues and unsustainable sourcing of minerals. You will cover strategies and techniques that are available to address these challenges. The module also covers ways in which IT can enhance sustainability in other sectors, for example, through the use of simulation and modelling software and IT tools such as video conferencing, and how to identify opportunities to extend their use.
ESC-40056 Applied GIS (15 credits)
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are of increasing importance to our understanding and management of environmental and socio-economic problems. People with appropriate GIS skills are in high demand by such diverse sectors as the military, central and local governments, the environmental agencies and the likes of insurance companies and property developers. Introducing you to fundamental GIS concepts and capabilities, you will examine a variety of applications, ranging from multi criteria analysis to drone technology. As well as standard GIS and Remote Sensing methods, a wealth of technologies are introduced, including 3D modelling, 3D printing, distributed GIS and bespoke aerial data acquisition using drones. Reflecting the applied nature of the course, you'll also receive introductory training in the use of industry-standard GIS software and have an opportunity to apply your skills when addressing a specific case study.
ESC-40061 Smart Grid and the Energy Transition (15 credits)
The Keele University Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND) – a European first – is an at scale environment providing a platform that allows energy generation, distribution, storage, forecasting and energy balancing to be intelligently carried out across different energy sources using the Keele University campus as a genuine ‘living laboratory’. This module covers aspects of energy control using IT systems and related programming.
ESC-40015 Natural Hazards (15 credits)
This module examines the causes and characteristics of a broad variety of natural hazards and their destructive impact on human society with particular attention paid to the assessment of risk. These hazards range from small-scale to large-scale events, from relatively minor disturbances to catastrophic disasters, and are associated with both environmental and anthropogenic triggers. You'll evaluate and analyse the causes of a variety of natural hazards, investigating their potential impacts on human society and infrastructure, and assessing the measures that can be taken to mitigate and predict their destructive effects.
LAW-40043 International Environmental Law (15 credits)
This module offers a critical perspective on the development of international environmental law. It provides a grounding in the legal norms, institutions and processes of the field, and explores current environmental global issues such as biodiversity loss, transboundary pollution, toxic waste dumping, trade and environment, food security, animal rights or climate change through specific treaty regimes. Drawing on a range of legal, policy and other literature, you’ll be introduced to key challenges facing the regulation of the environment on the international stage today.
GEG-40006 Economic Development and Environmental Transformation (15 credits)
Are economic development and environmental concerns always opposed? What areas should be conservation priorities to sustain global ecosystems? What does international development assistance do for the people who depend most directly on their local environments for their livelihoods? On this module, you’ll seek to find the answers to some of society’s most pressing environmental questions. Introducing you to the area of development geography, you will use case studies of economy and ecology to evaluate different pathways towards – and definitions of – 'development.'
Next Steps
"The flexibility in essay topics for many of the degree’s modules allowed me to explore my interests in electric vehicle technology. There was a lot of support and encouragement to pursue work experience either prior to graduating or prior to the dissertation module."
Entry requirements
ACADEMIC ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Applicants should have a degree (UK second-class honours degree or above) or equivalent qualification (generally an aggregate mark of at least 60%). This is an interdisciplinary course, and we accept a degree in any subject. Students without a degree but with relevant professional training will also be considered.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ENTRY REQUIREMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
If you’re applying from a country where English is not the first language we’ll need some evidence of your English language competence. We need an overall IELTS score of at least 6.5 with a score of at least 5.5 in each sub-set (or equivalent). The University also accepts a range of internationally recognised English tests.
If you don’t meet these English language requirements, Keele offers a range of English language preparation programmes.
If you’re accepted on to the course then we’ll give you lots of support in developing your language skills and you’ll undertake a programme carefully integrated with the content of this MSc.
Next Steps
Funding
LIVING COSTS
Keele University is located on a beautiful campus and has all the facilities of a small town. Student accommodation, shops, restaurants and cafes are all within walking distance of the teaching buildings. This is a very cost effective way to live and to reduce your living costs.
Planning your funding
It's important to plan carefully for your funding before you start your course. Please be aware that not all postgraduate courses are eligible for the UK government postgraduate loans and, in this case, you would be expected to source alternative funding yourself. If you need support researching your funding options, please contact our Financial Support Team.
Scholarships
We are committed to rewarding excellence and potential. Please visit our bursaries and scholarships webpages for more information.
Next Steps
"Keele University in particular has great relationships with the local community and businesses and their ability to put research into practice, especially in the Environmental sustainability sector. The whole ethos of environmental sustainability is taken seriously across the whole campus"
Your career
This course is designed to prepare you for a successful career in environment and sustainability, in research and development, teaching, management, regulation or consultancy, guiding activities such as energy or waste management, recycling, air quality, flood risk and other effects of climate change.
Previous graduates of this course have secured roles, for example, as an environmental sustainability specialist, sustainability and wellbeing consultant, project manager, innovation associate or assistant engineer.
They can be found working for employers all over the globe, from the London headquarters of one of the world's leading industrial groups (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) to the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), a Bogotá-based publishers and Chinese R&D firm specialising in chemical fungicides.
The transferrable skills you gain in critical thinking, problem-solving, project management, communication, leadership and creativity will equip to find work across a wide range of professions, from business and management, to systems analysis, academia or scientific journalism. One graduates, for example, became an account executive for a medical communications company.
Since the course develops your research skills, it is an excellent route for those who wish to progress onto further study at PhD level, which a large number of our graduates choose to do.
Roles you may find interesting include:
- Academic
- Business Analyst
- Corporate responsibility and sustainability practitioner
- Energy assessor
- Energy engineer
- Environmental consultant
- Environmental sustainability specialist
- Project manager
- Research associate
- Research scientist
- Scientist
- Senior scientific advisor
- Senior scientist (R&D)
- Senior technical manager
- Surveyor
- Sustainability consultant
- Teacher
- Technician
Next Steps
Course Director Dr Sharon George speaks to CNN about UK plans to minimise plastic waste
Teaching, learning and assessment
How you'll be taught
The programme is delivered through a variety of learning and teaching activities designed to develop research and professional skills. This includes lectures, tutorials, workshops, seminars, practical/laboratory classes, problem-based learning, directed reading and independent study and project work, individual presentations and linked discussion.
In addition, you’ll have one-on-one meetings with individual research supervisors, which may take place online or face-to-face. You will be taught by experienced, well-qualified staff who are research-active within the discipline, accomplished at working on research-funded projects nationally and internationally, and eager to share their teaching, research and professional experience to help you achieve success in your studies.
Though there are taught components to the course, we place a strong emphasis on student-led learning and research to help develop your independent research skills and technical skills, with support from teaching staff and technicians. All students are expected to engage in independent study for the duration of the programme and each week we will post digital resources line for you to work through before teaching sessions.
The main focus of the programme is your research project, which can be carried out here at Keele, with external collaborators in the public or private sector, or at overseas institutions, giving you the opportunity to enhance your employability and network within the sector.
Recognising the importance of engaging first-hand with practitioners, where possible, we also invite guest speakers from industry and business to give you a real-life perspective on the topics you’re studying. Past topics have included clean technology development and management by representatives from Schott Solar and Siemens, for example.
How you'll be assessed
You will complete formal assessment on all modules. Assessments for core modules are coursework-based and include, for example, oral and poster presentations, reports, reviews, a blog, reflective writing, project proposals, a research project portfolio and the dissertation. The assessment on optional modules varies depending on the module, but will feature similar types of assessment, as well as essays, consultancy or technical reports, or exams.
Between 15,000 to 20,000 words in length, the dissertation produced as part of your research project forms your main assessment. You will be paired with an academic supervisor who is an expert in your field, from within the staff here at Keele, one of our international partner institutions or an external collaborator. Together, you will work to advance your research interests and develop your individual research, writing and communicatio
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Keele Postgraduate Association
Keele University is one of a handful of universities in the UK to have a dedicated students' union for postgraduate students. A fully registered charity, Keele Postgraduate Association serves as a focal point for the social life and welfare needs of all postgraduate students during their time at Keele.
Hugely popular, the KPA Clubhouse (near Horwood Hall) provides a dedicated postgraduate social space and bar on campus, where you can grab a bite to eat and drink, sit quietly and read a book, or switch off from academic life at one of the many regular events organised throughout the year. The KPA also helps to host a variety of conferences, as well as other academic and career sessions, to give you and your fellow postgraduates the opportunities to come together to discuss your research, and develop your skills and networks.
Our expertise
Teaching staff
The School of Geography, Geology and the Environment prides itself on the approachability and quality of its staff and has a strong commitment to providing high-quality educational programmes, with a nationally leading reputation for innovation in teaching, including the Gold award within the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).
At a subject level, we are ranked among the top 20 universities in the UK for the teaching of Geography and Environmental Studies (Guardian University League Table 2022).
All staff within the School are active within their discipline, carrying out cutting-edge research nationally and internationally in sustainable places and societies; sustainable environments (natural and built) and sustainable energy and geo-resources. They get involved with many of the leading professional bodies, including The Geological Society, Royal Geographical Society (RGS) and IEMA, the professional body for everyone working in environment and sustainability.
Teaching team includes:
Dr Sharon George (Programme Director), Senior Lecturer – A researcher in Keele’s Institute for Sustainable Futures, and the Lead Academic on the £4.9m HyDEX project accelerating the hydrogen economy in the Midlands. Sharon holds a PhD in chemistry and is a specialist in sustainable development, technology development and deployment. She teaches at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels on subjects including sustainability, green technologies, climate change, entrepreneurship. Interested in circular design, renewable energy, its distribution and management, she has worked extensively on technology development with academia and businesses, including taking the lead on Innovate UK projects on barriers to electric vehicle technology, inductive charging and solar cooling.
Dr Alix Cage, Senior Lecturer – Alix joined Keele as a Lecturer in Physical Geography and Environmental Science in 2011, after previously teaching at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is a palaeoceanographer and palaeoecologist working in mid-latitude shelf seas and polar regions. Her expertise lies in using tiny marine protists called benthic foraminifera (captured in marine sediment cores) to reconstruct environmental and climate change, and improving marine geochronologies via tephrochronology. Alix is also interested in the ecological response of the benthic community to pollution events, primarily focusing on coastal regions.
Dr Jamie Pringle, Senior Lecturer – A geophysicist, Jamie’s diverse areas of research include engineering, environmental geology and geoscience, applied near-surface geophysics (including forensics), quantitative sedimentology, spatial data analysis, visualisation and virtual outcrops, petroleum reservoir modelling and military geology and archaeology. He actively collaborates with the UK Police Service's National Crime Agency, various UK Police Service County Forces and the Environment Agency to locate and identify various near-surface buried objects – from utility pipes, environmental contamination or abandoned mines, to weapons used in crimes, unmarked graves in church graveyards and clandestine graves of murder victims.
Dr Ian Oliver, Senior Lecturer – Ian is an environmental chemist specialising in the fate and ecotoxicology of contaminants in terrestrial and aquatic environments, chemical risk assessments and environmental pollution. Before joining Keele in 2013, he worked in environmental regulation for five years, as a Senior Specialist Scientist with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). He has also previously worked as a scientist for the Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia.
Professor Zoe Robinson, Professor of Sustainability – Zoe was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2012 for her institutional and national work in the field of Education for Sustainable Development and employability, and awarded Principle Fellow Status of the Higher Education Academy for her institutional sustainability leadership. She aligns herself with the emerging field of ‘Sustainability Science’, which centres around finding solutions to problems of ‘unsustainability’ rather than around specific disciplines.
Professor Brian Doherty, Professor of Political Sociology – Brian teaches courses on social movements, political sociology and environmental politics. Having been active in environmental and peace groups in Britain and Ireland since the early 1980s, his principal research interest is in the relationship between radical ideas and actions, particularly in environmental movements. His work has therefore covered green parties, local environmental protesters, major NGOs, and environmental direct action in Britain and other countries.
Professor Deirdre McKay, Professor of Social Geography and Environmental Politics – Deidre conducts research on development and migration, drawing on both social/cultural geography and social anthropology to explore people's place-based experiences of globalisation and development. She is particularly interested in stories of development, migration strategies, and people’s sense of self, examining how these phenomena are being reshaped through social media. She is the author of Global Filipinos (Indiana, 2012) and An Archipelago of Care (Indiana, 2017).
Dr Mario Prost, Senior Lecturer – Mario is a former Board member of the European Society of International Law, and a founding member of its interest group on international environmental law. As well as his ongoing work on various aspects of international legal theory, Mario's current research focuses on the colonial history of (international) environmental law and critical approaches to transnational arbitration (with special emphasis on investor-state arbitration).
Dr Simon George, Research Associate – Joining Keele in 2021, Simon has a multidisciplinary background in physics, mathematics, computing and engineering which has been enhanced by the experience of working with customers in a commercial research environment. His interest in computing started with programming but more recently has involved computational modelling covering both Finite Element and Fluid Dynamic techniques using software such as MARC, ANSYS and CFX.
Dr Glenda Jones, Research and Teaching Fellow – Like many geoscience enthusiasts, Glenda's childhood love and curiosity of nature led her to pursue a greater scientific understanding of our Earth. A Keele graduate (both her undergraduate degree and PhD) she initially worked as an Applied Geologist for an Environmental and Engineering Consultancy based in the UK before joining academia. Her research is multidisciplinary, encompassing environmental science, geophysical surveying, hydrogeology and engineering geology. As a member of Keele’s Applied and Environmental Geophysics Group (AEGG), she has been involved in projects using a range of geophysical methods for site characterisation (geology, hydrogeology and contamination) and for the investigation of mine shafts and graves.
Dr Alex Nobajas, Lecturer – Prior to joining Keele as a Lecturer in Human Geography and GIS in 2013, Alex held teaching and research roles at the Universities of Barcelona, Lleida, Sheffield, Durham and Leicester. He has also also worked in the private sector as an Environment Technician. Alex is interested in all things geography and GIS - historical cartography and GIS, geographies of food and eating, pedagogy of geography, and remote sensing and GIS. He is a member of the Catalan Geographical Society, the Association of Catalan Geographers, the Official Geographers Body of Catalonia and Spain, Group of Historical Cartography Studies, the Keele Institute for Social Inclusion and Keele Natural Sciences Research.
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Facilities
Based in the William Smith Building, the School of Geography, Geology and the Environment aims to provide an excellent environment for multidisciplinary teaching and research. Our research-led courses prepare students for careers that address the most significant challenges facing society today, in topics ranging from the physical structure of the planet to the organisational structures of human activity.
Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion within both the School and our programmes, we are proud holders of the Athena SWAN Bronze Award and contribute to both the University Race Equality Charter and Stonewall Workplace Equality Index.
All of the laboratories within the William Smith Building have recently been refurbished and elsewhere on campus we offer an extensive range of specialist facilities, including include one of the few thin-section laboratories in the UK. In addition, the Library has many resources for Geoscience, and can be accessed both on campus and online. Students will have access to the IT Services at the University located in the library building.
Our unique self-contained campus, with over 600 acres of grounds including forests and lakes, has provided an ideal setting to establish itself as a testbed for real-world teaching, learning and research opportunities as a ‘true Living Lab’. Featured as a national best practice case study in the promotion of sustainability exchange, initiatives such as the Smart Energy Network Demonstrator and SIMULATE (Smart, Infrastructure and Mobility Urban Laboratory and Test Environment) project, contributed to Keele being named Global Sustainability Institution of the Year (International Green Gown Awards, 2020).
Central Science Laboratory (CSL)
The School benefits from its very own dedicated teaching space in the new state-of-the-art Central Science Laboratory (CSL). Featuring 80 new polarising microscopes and 20 new low powered microscopes, the CSL allows us to innovate and enhance the teaching experience of our students, and supports a highly tailored approach to practical learning.
Following a £34m investment, the CSL opened its doors to students in September 2019 and provides 5,300m2 of modern, co-located science laboratories. Over £2m alone has been spent on industrial research-grade analytical and laboratory equipment that will be used by students in their day-to-day laboratory teaching. Access to state-of-the-art facilities and high specification equipment will ensure you are well prepared for scientific or industrial employment post-graduation. The environment mirrors the multi-faceted nature of working life and the shared space allows group working and collaboration between disciplines, building the skills and experience much valued by employers.
Keele Ice Lab
Working in collaboration with national and international partners including the British Antarctic Survey, the Keele University Ice Lab provides new capacity in the UK for ice core and water research to help us better understand climate change. It features dedicated high-precision water isotope and fluorescence spectrometry capability, as well as a dedicated freezer laboratory for water and ice samples from polar environments.
Keele Weather Station
The Keele University Weather Station has been supplying meteorological data for over 70 years, both locally and nationally. We record a wide range of information, including wind speed and direction, rainfall, humidity, sunshine/radiation, air and ground temperatures. Weather recording on two sites is now automated thanks to a recent investment and support from the Met Office to purchase equipment from Campbell Scientific Instruments – the same company that installed a weather station on Mount Everest.
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