Hydrology
Award titles
MSc Hydrology and Business Management
MSc Hydrology and Water Resources Management
Key information
Start date: October 2018
Location: South Kensington
ECTS: 90 credits
Overview
Hydrology is concerned with assessment of the natural distribution of water in time and space, and with evaluating the impact of manmade changes on the distribution and quality of this water.
Applied hydrology has traditionally been concerned with floods and water resources. However, hydrologists are increasingly focusing on the problems of pollutant transport in surface water, soils and groundwaters, and wider issues such as the effects of land use and climate change.
Hydrology is strongly multidisciplinary, and this course includes a basic treatment of relevant physical and life sciences, mathematical sciences, and systems analysis.
All of our MSc courses are career-orientated and cover both theoretical background and practical design considerations. Lectures are given mainly by full-time staff but important contributions are made by visiting professors and guest lecturers who are eminent industrialists.
Many of our students continue their studies to undertake research towards a PhD.
Part-time study
All of our MSc courses are also offered on a part-time basis with an attendance requirement of two days per week over two years.
Study programme
All of our MSc courses last one calendar year, comprising two terms of taught examinable material followed by a research dissertation.
A study tour is a compulsory part of the course.
Professional accreditation
This degree is professionally accredited by the following organisations:
- Institution of Civil Engineers
- Institution of Structural Engineers
- Institute of Highway Engineers
- The Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation
Our accreditation agreements with Institution of Civil Engineers and Institution of Structural Engineers is renewed every 18 years, and the current agreements runs between 2002 and 2020.
Our accreditation agreement with Institute of Highway Engineers is renewed every 5 years, and the current agreement runs between 2015 and 2020.
Our accreditation agreement with The Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation is renewed every 15 years, and the current agreement runs between 2005 and 2020.
Structure
Modules shown are for the current academic year, and are subject to change depending on your year of entry.
Structure
Business Management stream
Core modules
You take all of the core modules below.
- Business Environments and Construction Law
- Contaminated Land and Groundwater
- Environmental Fluid Mechanics
- Environmental Management in Developing Countries
- Hydrogeology and Groundwater
- Hydroinformatics
- Hydrological Processes
- Innovation in Civil Engineering
- Mathematical and Statistical Modelling
- Microeconomics
- Project Management
- Rainfall-Runoff Modelling and Flood Hydrology
- Research Dissertation
- Stochastic Hydrology
- Urban Hydrology and Urban Drainage
- Water Quality Engineering and Ecohydrology
- Water Resources Management
Water Resources stream
Core modules
You take all of the core modules below.
- Agriculture and Water
- Contaminated Land and Groundwater
- Design Project Hydrology
- Environmental Fluid Mechanics
- Environmental Management in Developing Countries
- Groundwater Flow and Quality Modelling
- Hydrogeology and Groundwater
- Hydroinformatics
- Hydrological Processes
- Hydrometry
- Mathematical and Statistical Modelling
- Meterology and Climate Change
- Rainfall-Runoff Modelling and Flood Hydrology
- Research Dissertation
- Stochastic Hydrology
- Urban Hydrology and Urban Drainage
- Water Quality Engineering and Ecohydrology
- Water Resources Management
Teaching and assessment
Teaching methods
- Anonymous feedback evaluations
- Blackboard Learn
- Field data collection and overseas research
- Group coursework
- Group Exercises
- Individual research project
- Individual research project
- Lectures
- Online assignments and coursework
- Practical laboratories
- Seminars and Workshops
- Site Visits
- Tutorials
Assessment methods
- A research dissertation and poster
- Group projects and presentations
- Individual and group coursework assignments
- Laboratory practicals
- Written examinations
Entry requirements
We welcome students from all over the world and consider all applicants on an individual basis.
For advice on the requirements for the qualifications listed here please contact the Department (details at the bottom of this page).
Admissions
Minimum academic requirement
Our minimum requirement is at least a 2.1 UK Honour's degree in civil engineering, natural sciences, earth sciences or a numerate discipline.
Additionally, an A-level in Mathematics at grade B is required.
Relevant industrial/professional experience may also be considered.
International qualifications
The academic requirement above is for applicants who hold or who are working towards a UK qualification.
We also accept a wide variety of international qualifications. For guidance see our Country Index though please note that the standards listed here are the minimum for entry to the College.
If you have any questions about admissions and the standard required for the qualification you hold or are currently studying then please contact the relevant admissions team.
English language requirement (all applicants)
All candidates must demonstrate a minimum level of English language proficiency for admission to the College.
For admission to this course, you must achieve the standard College requirement in the appropriate English language qualification. For details of the minimum grades required to achieve this requirement, please see the English language requirements for postgraduate applicants.
Tuition fees and funding
The level of tuition fees you pay is based on your fee status, which we assess based on UK government legislation.
For more information on the funding opportunities that are available, please visit our Fees and Funding website.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees (Home and EU students)
| 2018 entry | |
|---|---|
| Full-time | £12,500 |
| Part-time | £6,250 per year* |
* Please note that the tuition fee amount you will pay may increase each year.
Fees are charged by year of entry to the College and not year of study.
Except where otherwise indicated, the fees for students on courses lasting more than one year will increase annually by an amount linked to inflation, including for part-time students on modular programmes. The measure of inflation used will be the Retail Price Index (RPI) value in the April of the calendar year in which the academic session starts e.g. the RPI value in April 2019 will apply to fees for the academic year 2019–2020.
Tuition fees (Overseas and Islands students)
| 2018 entry | |
|---|---|
| Full-time | £30,000 |
| Part-time | £15,000 per year* |
* Please note that the tuition fee amount you will pay may increase each year.
Fees are charged by year of entry to the College and not year of study.
Except where otherwise indicated, the fees for students on courses lasting more than one year will increase annually by an amount linked to inflation, including for part-time students on modular programmes. The measure of inflation used will be the Retail Price Index (RPI) value in the April of the calendar year in which the academic session starts e.g. the RPI value in April 2019 will apply to fees for the academic year 2019–2020.
Postgraduate Master's loan
If you are a Home or EU student who meets certain criteria, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan of up to £10,280 from the UK government. The loan is not means-tested, and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Scholarships
We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students to support you through your studies. Try our scholarships search tool to see what you might be eligible for.
There are a number of external organisations also offer awards for Imperial students, find out more about non-Imperial scholarships.
Accommodation and living costs
Living costs, including accommodation, are not included in your tuition fees.
You can compare costs across our different accommodation options on our Accommodation website.
A rough guide to what you might expect to spend to live in reasonable comfort in London is available on our Fees and Funding website.
How to apply
All applications for postgraduate taught degrees are made online via Apply.Imperial.
You can submit one application form per year of entry, and usually choose up to two courses.
How to apply
Making an application
All applicants must apply online.
You can usually apply for up to two courses, although your second choice will only be considered if your first-choice application is unsuccessful.
Most courses don't have a formal closing date, but popular courses close when they are full, so you should apply early to avoid disappointment. There may also be funding deadlines that apply to you.
You will need to upload documents with your applications, which may include transcripts and degree certificates.
Offer holders will need to pay a deposit to secure your place. This will be deducted from the balance of your tuition fees.
For full details on the online application process, or to start your application, please visit the How to Apply section of our website.
ATAS certificate
An ATAS certificate is not required for overseas students applying for this course.
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Further information
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Student finance
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- Find out about applying for a loan
- Use our scholarships search tool
International students
Imperial is proud to be the most international university in the UK, welcoming students from over 130 countries.
- Get advice on visas and immigration
- Read more about Imperial and the EU