Overview

Our Climate and Atmospheric Science Masters by Research degree will prepare you in the physical sciences and mathematics for a research career in climate, atmospheric or environmental sciences. It ideally bridges the gap between undergraduate studies in physical/natural sciences and engineering, and study for a PhD.

Gain a broad overview of physical problems in climate and atmospheric science, together with a sound physical understanding of natural processes. Alongside this, develop highly transferable skills to conduct research in these subjects with a strong emphasis on quantitative data analysis and physical and numerical modelling.

A career in scientific research is always interesting – sometimes exciting – but might not suit everyone. This course provides an excellent opportunity to get a taste of postgraduate research study and decide whether it is really the career for you.

Learning and teaching

You will be taught through classwork, research seminars, lectures, tutorials, poster presentations, fieldwork and tutorials.

For your dissertation project, instead of the traditional thesis, you will submit a manuscript suitable for submission to an academic journal. This aims to teach the key transferable skill of communicating results professionally and efficiently, and increase the frequency of publication of students’ research.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

Your dissertation project accounts for a significant part of your assessment.

You’re also assessed on work you do in course, for example through field notebooks, project proposals, seminars, submission of a computer project and a literature-based survey.

Career opportunities

Our school has a strong commitment to enhancing student employability and has its own dedicated Employability Officer. We offer extra support and activities to help you stand out in your chosen field and achieve your career goals. In particular, you are actively encouraged to attend conferences to present your work to help advance your research career.

Highly numerate graduates with training in independent research are widely sought after. Our graduates have strong employment prospects – landing jobs with national agencies, environmental consultancies, wind-power companies and the insurance sector.