Study options
- Starting in
- September 2025
- Location
- Mile End
- Fees
- Home: £12,250
Overseas: £28,500
EU/EEA/Swiss students
What you'll study
You will explore how natural systems can be valued, restored, and managed to support both ecological integrity and sustainable investment. Core modules cover key themes such as natural capital and ecosystem services, environmental restoration and rewilding, biodiversity loss, sustainable finance, and environmental values. You will gain an advanced understanding of how scientific, economic, and ethical perspectives intersect in the design and delivery of sustainability solutions.
You will also develop practical skills in data acquisition and environmental analysis using a range of field, laboratory, and geospatial analysis methods, with the opportunity to apply these in your research.
A major component of the programme is the individual research project, where you have the option to work with an external sustainability organisation and/or on ongoing research projects led by the teaching team. This project allows you to apply your learning to real-world challenges, supported by expert supervision and potentially opening doors to future employment or further research.
Additional costs
Non-residential fieldwork within and around London (tube/ train fares) will incur modest travel costs that you will need to cover. Other transport costs (e.g., coach) are included in the fee. Your independent research project can include fieldwork conducted in the UK or overseas. There is a limited amount of financial support available for research costs from the Water Conservation Trust. Applications for dissertation funding support are submitted with a short research proposal and considered by the Programme Director, and you would be responsible for the costs associated with this.
Enrolment in the elective module BIO796P would involve an additional cost to you for the Borneo field trip (approximately £2000 in 2025-26).
Structure
- Six compulsory modules
- One elective module
- Compulsory 12,000-word individual research project
For full module information, please see the QMUL Module Directory.
Assessment
- 67% Modules
- 33% Research project
- Modules are assessed through a variety of coursework assignments, including essays, literature reviews, scientific and design reports, presentations, modelling exercises, annotated bibliographies, skills portfolios, and field notebooks
- You will complete a 12,000-word individual research project
Research project
- Quantifying vegetation dynamics and carbon storage in rewilded landscapes
- Assessing physical habitat condition in rivers and estuaries for Biodiversity Net Gain
- Developing new methods for monitoring and assessing recovery and restoration success in terrestrial, freshwater or coastal ecosystems.
- Impacts of stressors, such as pollution, trawling, dredging and climate change, on coastal biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and ecosystem services.
- Responding to the intersecting risks of climate change and coastal pollution
Teaching
Teaching comprises a mixture of formal lectures, field trips, laboratory and computer practicals, small group seminars, workshops, and one-to-one supervision meetings.
If you choose to study part-time, the number of modules you take is reduced per semester. The full number of modules you need to complete the programme will be spread over two academic years.
In the 2024 Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES), 100% of our students agreed staff were good at explaining things and enthusiastic about what they were teaching. 93% of students agreed their research skills had developed during their course and 87% felt better prepared for a future career as a result of their course.
Find out more about the School of Geography’s inclusive approach to learning, co-created with our diverse student body, enhanced by our world-leading research.
Where you'll learn
Facilities
Find out more about our Laboratories
Geospatial analysis, remote sensing and environmental modelling software and computing facilities
Analysis of environmental samples including water and sediment chemistry
River Laboratory incorporating sediment transport demonstration channel, river simulator and digital camera equipment and software to capture river morphology in 3D
Use dedicated Masters study and computing spaces within the School of Geography
Access an unparalleled range of learning resources, special collections, and world-leading libraries within QMUL and the University of London.
Campus
Teaching is based at Queen Mary’s Mile End campus, one of the largest self-contained residential campuses in the capital. Our location in the heart of London’s East End offers a rich cultural and natural environment.
Queen Mary has invested £105m in new facilities in recent years to offer our students an exceptional learning environment. Recent developments include the £39m Graduate Centre, providing 7,700 square metres of learning and teaching space.
The campus is 15 minutes by tube from central London, where you will have access to many of the University of London’s other facilities, such as Senate House.
About the School
School of Geography
Geography has been taught at Queen Mary since 1894, making us one of the longest-established schools of geography in the UK. Today, we are one of the leading centres for Geography, Environmental Science and Global Development scholarship in the world.
We were positioned 7th overall for the quality of our research in the latest UK nation-wide research rankings and 92% of our research was assessed as internationally excellent or world-leading (Research Excellence Framework 2021). The latest QS World University Rankings by Subject (2023) places us in the top 100 geography schools in the world.
Set in the heart of one of London’s most vibrant and diverse areas, the School is ideally placed for studying the capital’s people, places, cultures and environment, as well as being a global hub for geographical expertise. We have a culturally diverse and inclusive postgraduate community, with students drawn from 35 countries around the world in 2022.
We pride ourselves on our close research and teaching links with external partners including the Environment Agency, the Museum of the Home, the British Museum, Citizens UK and Natural England.
Career paths
Graduates will be well-prepared for a range of impactful careers in the rapidly growing sustainability sector. The course equips students with interdisciplinary expertise that is highly valued across public, private, and third-sector organisations working at the intersection of environment, finance, and policy.
Potential career paths include the following roles:
- Sustainability consultant
- Environmental policy advisor
- Natural capital or biodiversity analyst
- ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) specialist
- Sustainable investment strategist.
You may work with environmental consultancies, government agencies, conservation NGOs, international development organisations, or businesses integrating sustainability into their operations. The strong emphasis on real-world application, networking with industry professionals, and experience gained through research collaborations also provides an excellent foundation for those wishing to pursue PhD research or academic careers in sustainability and environmental science.
Discover what our recent students have done after their course to help you to maximise your potential and achieve your ambitions.
Queen Mary Careers and Enterprise offers a range of tailored support and resources for current students and recent graduates, from refining your CV and exploring your options to finding part-time roles, work experience, and graduate opportunities.
Fees and funding
Full-time study
September 2025 | 1 year
- Home: £12,250
- Overseas: £28,500
EU/EEA/Swiss students
Unconditional deposit
Home: Not applicable
Overseas: £2000
Information about deposits
Part-time study
September 2025 | 2 years
- Home: £6,150
- Overseas: £14,250
EU/EEA/Swiss students
Unconditional deposit
Home: Not applicable
Overseas: £2000
Information about deposits
Queen Mary alumni can get a £1000, 10% or 20% discount on their fees depending on the programme of study. Find out more about the Alumni Loyalty Award
Funding
There are a number of ways you can fund your postgraduate degree.
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Postgraduate loans (UK students)
- Country-specific scholarships for international students
Our Advice and Counselling service offers specialist support on financial issues, which you can access as soon as you apply for a place at Queen Mary. Before you apply, you can access our funding guides and advice on managing your money:
Entry requirements
Find out more about how to apply for our postgraduate taught courses.
International
English language requirements
The English language requirements for our programmes are indicated by English bands, and therefore the specific test and score acceptable is based on the band assigned to the academic department within which your chosen course of study is administered. Note that for some academic departments there are programmes with non-standard English language requirements.
The English Language requirements for entry to postgraduate taught and research programmes in the School of Geography falls within the following English band:
Band 4: IELTS (Academic) minimum score 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each of Writing, Listening, Reading and Speaking
We accept a range of English tests and qualifications categorised in our English bands for you to demonstrate your level of English Language proficiency. See all accepted English tests that we deem equivalent to these IELTS scores.
Visas and immigration
Find out how to apply for a student visa.