Careers and employability

I think that a key factor for me securing my position was that, in addition to the skills and knowledge I gained from the MSc, I was able to develop a clear idea of the environmental management and research areas that I wanted to work in during my time at Queen Mary. Additionally, I was able to get advice on my CV, application writing and interview techniques from experts in my field, which helped me greatly with my application and interview
Angela Bartlett, Integrated Management of Freshwater Environments MSc 2013

Transferable skills

Our masters programmes will enable you to develop specialist and transferable skills that are highly valued by employers as well as being suitable for further study, including independent research and teamwork, project design and project management, cultural and visual analysis, statistics and GIS.

Wide-ranging career options

The range of skills developed through our programmes, coupled with opportunities for extracurricular activities and work experience, has enabled our students to move into careers within government and secure positions in many international non-governmental organisations among others.

Organisations employing our recent graduates include:

• Affinity Water • Citizens UK • ECCO (Environmental Conservation Co-operative) • Environment Agency • Jacobs • PASCO Corporation Japan • Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) • Transport for All (TfA) • Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) • Wood • Zoological Society of London (ZSL) 

A sample of our recent graduates’ roles include:

• Asset Scientist • Assistant Consultant in Water Management • Business Development Researcher • Campaigns and Outreach Co-ordinator • Community Organiser • Environmental Consultant • GIS Analyst • Graduate Water Engineer • Secondary School Teacher • Senior Geomorphologist 

Our graduates have also secured PhD and research positions at a range of research intensive institutions including:

• University of Cambridge • University of Reading • Newcastle University • QMUL • Western University & Canadian Rivers Institute

Networks and collaborations

We have many collaborations and links with governmental and non-governmental organisations, industry, museums and heritage organisations at local, regional, national and international levels. These include:

• Charities (Womankind Worldwide, The Rivers Trust, National Trust, Canal & River Trust)
• Community organisations (Citizens UK, CASA Latin American Theatre Festival, Eastside Community Heritage)
• Conservation boards (Natural England, Chilterns Conservation Board)
• Environmental consultancies (PiLON Ltd, Atkins, Mott MacDonald)
• Governmental agencies (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales)
• International organisations (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Bank)
• International trade unions (International Transport Workers’ Federation)
• Museums (V&A Museum of Childhood, Ragged School Museum, the Geffrye Museum of the Home, Natural History Museum, Museum of London Archaeology, the British Museum, National Maritime Museum)
• National Health Service
• Research centres (British Geological Survey, the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Future Cities Catapult)
• Utilities (Wessex Water).

Career development support 

In the School of Geography, you will have access to a dedicated Careers Consultant who will provide specialist support tailored to your needs. Queen Mary’s Careers & Enterprise team can work with you to support your career planning and to connect you to employers through their fairs and events. Services include:

• one-to-one appointments to help with career direction, to review your skills and experience to-date, to give advice on job applications, to offer insight into the job market and to give mock interview preparation
• tailored workshops for career preparation and job hunting
• employer-led events focusing on sectors relevant to your knowledge or area of interest
• recruitment support for internships, part-time jobs and work placements.