MSc Applied Mathematical Sciences with Climate and Environmental Modelling
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Key information
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Mode of delivery
- On-campus
- Delivery type
- Full-time, Part-time
- Start date
- September
- Duration
- 1 year
- Qualification
- MSc
Contact
Contact our enquiries team
Contact usOverview
Climate change is recognised as having potentially huge impacts on the environment and on human society. This programme is designed to give students an understanding of climate change causes, impacts, mitigation and adaptation measures from a life science perspective. Students will also develop a wide variety of mathematical modelling skills that can be used to investigate the impacts of climate change.
The programme closely follows the structure of our Applied Mathematical Sciences MSc. Two of the mandatory courses will specifically focus on the issues related to climate change and are taught by expert staff from the University's School of Life Sciences.
Programme duration
- MSc: 12 months
- Diploma: 9 months
Also available part-time over 2 to 3 years.
September 2024 entry
The deadline for applications from UK students is 30 August 2024. For EU and overseas applicants, we guarantee to consider applications submitted by 2 August 2024.
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Course content
Students will take a total of eight courses, four in each of Semesters 1 and 2 followed by a three month project in the summer. A typical distribution for this programme is as follows:
Year 1
Core courses
- Mathematical Ecology
- Modelling and Tools
- Data Assimilation with Applications to Climate Change
- Modelling and Simulation in the Life Sciences
Optional courses
- Climate Change; Causes and Impact
- Statistical Methods
- Optimisation
- Stochastic Simulation
- Statistical Machine Learning
- Mathematical Biology and Medicine
- Partial Differential Equations
- Numerical Analysis (PDEs)
- Bayesian Inference
Typical project subjects
- Population Cycles of Forest Insects;
- Climate Change Impact;
- The replacement of Red Squirrels by Grey Squirrels in the UK;
- Vegetation Patterns in Semi-arid Environments;
- Daisyworld: A Simple Land Surface Climate Model.
The final part of the MSc is an extended project in mathematical modelling the impacts of climate change on environmental systems, giving the opportunity to investigate a topic in some depth guided by leading research academics.
Go Global
Some of our Postgraduate Taught Masters Programmes are eligible for Inter-Campus Transfer. Please contact studywithus@hw.ac.uk for further information.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
Status [footnote 1] | Full-time | Part-time |
---|---|---|
UK | 9152 | 4576 |
Overseas [footnote 2] | 19056 | 9528 |
Scholarships and bursaries
We aim to encourage well-qualified, ambitious students to study with us and we offer a wide variety of scholarships and bursaries to achieve this. Over £6 million worth of opportunities are available in fee and stipend scholarships, and more than 400 students benefit from this support.
View our full range of postgraduate scholarships.
Entry requirements
Entry
Entry is aimed at graduates with strong mathematical knowledge and skills. A good honours degree in mathematics, statistics or a related subject with a substantial mathematical content is desired. Motivation and a willingness to work hard are also important pre-requisites.
English language requirements
If your first language is not English, or your first degree was not taught in English, we'll need to see evidence of your English language ability. The minimum requirement for English language is IELTS 6.5 or equivalent.
We offer a range of English language courses to help you meet the English language requirement prior to starting your masters programme:
- 20 weeks English (for IELTS of 5.0 with no skill lower than 4.5)
- 14 weeks English (for IELTS of 5.0 with minimum of 5.0 in writing and no skill lower than 4.5)
- 10 weeks English (for IELTS of 5.5 with no skill lower than 5.0)
- 6 weeks English (for IELTS 5.5 with no skill lower than 5.5)
Why Heriot-Watt?
Ranking (Mathematics, The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024)
We are ranked 2nd in Scotland and 6th in the UK for Mathematics by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024.
Maths Gym
Maths Gym is a cross-campus initiative which aims to support all Heriot-Watt students, across all our campuses, to strengthen their mathematical and statistical skills and to boost their mathematical confidence.
Clubs and activities
At Heriot-Watt we have an extensive programme of over 90 sports clubs and societies to get involved in. You can try as many as you like or start one of your own!
Edinburgh campus accommodation
Living on our beautiful Edinburgh campus is a great way to meet others from all over the world. Our student accommodation is within easy reach of the teaching buildings, sports facilities, catering venues and the Student Union
Edinburgh Campus facilities
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Health and wellbeing
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Heriot-Watt Student Union
There's more to university life than simply getting your degree, and Heriot-Watt University Student Union is all about helping you to have the best possible experience while you study here.
Living in Edinburgh
Historic and beautiful, a cultural capital that fuels the senses whether you love the arts or nature, nightlife or study life, Edinburgh is stimulating and inspirational and never, ever boring.
Sport facilities
Oriam, Scotland Sports Performance Centre offers state-of-the-art sports facilities, for all levels of sport and ability
Your career
Employers around the world actively seek out our graduates because they are work-ready. All our degrees are career-focused and relevant to the needs of industry. Around 95% of our students are in employment or further study within six months of graduating.