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MSc in Environmental Forensics

MSc/PgDip/PgCert
Environmental Forensics

Collaboration between the Department of Civil Engineering and the Centre for Forensic Science, Dept of Pure and Applied Chemistry

This unique MSc in Environmental Forensics, the first of its kind in the UK, harnesses Strathclyde's world-leading expertise in environmental forensics. The course is the result of a close collaboration between the Department of Civil Engineering and the Centre for Forensic Science (from the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry) - the UK's most respected Forensic Science research and education centre - with input from the Strathclyde law school.

According to the International Society of Environmental Forensics: 'Environmental Forensics has grown out of the need for a platform to present scientific investigations that address environmental contamination subjected to law, public debate, or formal argumentation, as well as the evaluation of the basic science that serves as underpinnings to those activities'. This MSc addresses these needs.

The emerging scientific discipline of 'Environmental Forensics' aims to prove, to the satisfaction of a court of law, who is responsible for instances of pollution. By determining scientifically and incontrovertibly who caused an incidence of pollution, environmental forensics will make legal proceedings arising quicker, more straightforward, and therefore less expensive. This will remove some obstacles to brownfield development. It will also be of benefit to major projects already under way, for example, the redevelopment of the site for the 2012 Olympic Games in East London and the Clyde Gateway project in Glasgow, which includes the potential site for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Understanding how pollutants behave in the environment requires a multidisciplinary approach and in the case of cost allocation or cost recovery litigation, there are benefits to using environmental forensic methods performed by a qualified expert. The term of Environmental Forensics was first used after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 for which an issue regarding the origin of the background hydrocarbons present in the Gulf of Alaska before the disaster was raised. Since then, Environmental Forensics has been extensively used to date and allocate sources of gasoline and is now also applied to most priority contaminants such as chlorinated solvents, nitrate, gasworks related wastes, herbicides, pesticides and the Stockholm convention's persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

The MSc in Environmental Forensics is available full-time (1 year) and part-time (2 or 3 years), and is offered to students from all disciplinary backgrounds and/or employment situations.

The Programme and its International Context

Companies are increasingly liable for environmental damage that they have caused and this has had a powerful effect in curtailing new brownfield redevelopment and major civil engineering infrastructure projects. With new legislation like the European Union Environmental Liability Directive 2004/35/EC, now more than ever companies with an international exposure face new liabilities that could reach 60% of annual profits (among publicly traded firms publishing these figures). This new legislation applies the ‘polluter pays’ principle to prevent and remedy environmental damage to land, water, natural habitats and protected species.

Enforcing authorities will have to determine whether there is environmental damage and decide on the necessary remedial measures. With its potential to dramatically cut down investigation costs, Environmental Forensics will play a central role in the enforcement of the regulations. Regulations come into force in England on 1 March 2009; hence, career and business opportunities in this field are considerably rising.

In the UK, environmental liabilities have generally been the remit of regulators through enforcement of environmental legislation (e.g. SEPA, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, or the Environment Agency for England and Wales) and through negotiation between parties and insurers (e.g. brownfield redevelopment). The current 'risk-based' approach by the regulator allows for a pragmatic approach to environmental remediation, however this approach falls short in providing for a convincing 'weight of evidence' needed for legal decisions when risk and responsibility must be partitioned. Thus, over the past few years, the new area of Environmental Forensics has emerged.

Professor Robert Kalin, the course manager for this MSc, is a leading international figure in Environmental Forensics. The 5 year Environmental Forensics initiative taken at Queen’s University Belfast in 2005 by Prof. Bob Kalin, which has received EPSRC funding of nearly £450,000, is due to run until 2010 at the University of Strathclyde. An investment of over 1 million pounds was recently made by the University of Strathclyde to upgrade research laboratory facilities for Environmental Forensics to the highest international standard. Most recent advances of analytical chemistry, biogeochemistry, hydrogeology, atmospheric pollution and microbiology are now being applied to Environmental Forensics by researchers and scientists at Strathclyde.

The course will then allow students to learn about cutting edge technologies used in this new area. This course will develop students' ability to make sound judgement within a legal context, in relation to the impact of human activity on the environment.

Programme Structure

The Diploma and MSc courses run concurrently, involving a curriculum of six core modules (totalling 90 credits) and a range of optional modules (minimum of 30 credits). Each module is taught two to three hours per week over eight to 12 weeks. In addition, MSc students undertake a dissertation (60 credits). Progress to the MSc is dependent on performance in the instructional modules.

For part-time study the modules can be taken over two years (attending classes typically one day per week) with the dissertation completed in years two or three. In addition to the dissertation topics proposed by course leaders and industrial partners, students may propose topics themselves that can be of relevance to their employer.

Core Modules

Dept of Civil Engineering:

Site Investigation and Risk Assessment
Fundamentals of Environmental Forensics
Recycling Urban Land
Research Methodology with Environmental Monitoring & Analysis

Centre for Forensic Science, Dept of Pure and Applied Chemistry:

Essentials of Forensic Science

Strathclyde Law School:

UK and EU Environmental Law

Optional Modules
(All taught by Civil Engineering - not all classes may be offered each year)

Atmospheric Pollution Impact Assessment
Waste Management and Landfill Design
Hydrogeology
Pollution and Rehabilitation of Degraded Ecosystems
Spatial Query and Analysis using GIS
Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation

Entry Requirements

MSc: At least a second-class Honours degree from a UK University (or equivalent) in any discipline; two supportive academic references; and/or appropriate professional experience or achievements.

PgDip: A wider range of qualifications will be considered by the course leader.

In all cases, for candidates whose first language is not English, minimum standards of written and spoken English are a TOEFL score of 600, TOEFL internet based test of 100, TOEFL computer based test of 250 or an IELTS score of 6.5.

Normal course length

MSc: 12 months full-time; 24 months part-time
PgDip: 9 months full-time; 18 months part-time
PgCert: 6 months full-time; 12 months part-time

Career Prospects

As this is the first MSc in Environmental Forensics in the UK, the career prospects of graduates are excellent. The course has been designed so that people from industry can complete the MSc in part-time mode over 2-3 years.

Target attendance

Students will be specifically trained on an emerging multidisciplinary scientific area. They will have the opportunity to interact with researchers and to learn about the latest technological advances. Constantly growing needs of qualified professionals of Environmental Forensics on the market highlight the various career opportunities in this field despite the difficult financial climate in which young graduates have to look for a first job.
People from the legal profession might want to train in this area to get a detailed understanding of the link that needs to be created between legal and technical tools, especially considering the implementation of the Environmental Liability Directive 2004/35/EC in 2009.
People working in local and central government will need to determine whether there is environmental damage, decide on the necessary remedial measures and will therefore require learning about services that can be offered by consultants.
Environmental and Engineering consultants that have a thorough comprehension of this interdisciplinary approach are increasingly demanded. They will find that knowledge of environmental forensics is critical to the evolution of their business and career in the field of environmental engineering.
Regulators, like SEPA and Environmental Agency, need to know about environmental forensics because they have to assess the veracity of identification of sources of pollution established by the consultants.
Environmental analysts and scientists will find that knowledge of environmental forensics will add weight to their portfolio because of the holistic scientific approach required.
Banks and lending agencies will understand how Environmental Forensics can cut down the cost of brownfield development.
Pressure groups will learn how to unequivocally support litigation against spillers.