MSc Environmental Health with Professional Practise

Abertay University

This module will consider the prevention of non-communicable disease and food system challenges. It will cover methods used in nutritional epidemiology with its limitations and benefits. The module will provide information related to design, implementation and analysis of epidemiologic studies that address questions of dietary intake and nutritional status. Indicative content Nutritional and Physical Activity Assessment Methods: You'll explore the different methods used to assess nutrition and physical activity, while considering their strengths and limitations. Nutrition Epidemiology: You'll investigate how researchers explore links between diet and chronic disease. You'll examine study designs, biomarkers, methods for measuring exposure and health outcomes, and biostatistics used in nutritional epidemiology. Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public Health: You'll explore why evaluating nutrition and physical activity is important for shaping public health priorities. You'll consider risk factors for non-communicable diseases, with a particular focus on how diet and physical activity can help prevent obesity. Food System Challenges: You'll examine how food connects with wider social, economic and environmental issues. You'll explore challenges including food security, sustainability, food waste and the environmental impact on food systems, while considering healthy and sustainable eating patterns and the future of food.

This module addresses issues related to the management of food microbiology, food safety, and quality systems throughout the food supply chain. It also explores infection control, epidemiology, communicable disease, zoonotic disease, and public health microbiology. Indicative content Contamination of Foods and Its Prevention: You'll explore how food can become contaminated by physical, chemical and microbiological hazards, including bacteria, and how contamination can be prevented. You'll carry out risk analysis, identify potential hazards and consider suitable controls to protect food safety. Infection Control and Epidemiology: You'll examine the principles of infection prevention and control, including how communicable diseases spread. You'll also explore outbreak investigations and the epidemiological techniques used to understand and manage disease. Environmental and Public Health Microbiology: You'll investigate microbiological issues linked to public and environmental health, including swimming pools, bathing waters, zoonoses, animal health and the disposal of the dead, while exploring how these areas connect with wider public health practice. Safety Management: You'll assess existing HACCP plans and learn how new HACCP plans and safety management systems are designed and implemented to manage food safety risks. Legislation and Other Requirements: You'll explore key legislation, regulations and standards covering food, public and environmental health, including the Food Safety Act 1990, Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations, Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 and Environmental Protection Act 1990. You'll also examine the roles of relevant food safety organisations, BRC and ISO standards, and the importance of hygienic food premises. Emerging Trends: You'll consider some of the developing challenges affecting food and public health, including climate and health, environmental sustainability, food security, food crime and fraud, and regulatory divergence following Brexit.

Increasingly many organisations have recognised that the environment is a management issue and not just a matter of legislative compliance. This module presents a series of practical management tools with which environmental issues can be managed, within both the public and private sector. This module enables those interested in the role of project management to examine the policy, legal and ethical frameworks in which projects operate and to develop the necessary skills to manage diverse teams in a sustainable manner. Indicative content Sustainable Development: You'll explore what sustainable development means and how it can be assessed and improved through different approaches and frameworks. You'll examine relevant policy, legal and ethical considerations, and compare EU environmental legislation with approaches in regions including Asia, the USA and Africa. Management Systems: You'll explore key tools and systems used to manage environmental impacts, including Environmental Management Systems (EMS), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), carbon management and carbon sequestration. The Future of Transportation: You'll examine how transport is evolving through shared, electric and automated solutions. You'll explore the growing shared mobility ecosystem, including carsharing, micro-transit, for-hire services and shared micro-mobility. Carbon Capture and Storage: You'll explore how carbon capture and storage (CCS) can capture carbon dioxide (CO2) before and/or after it's released into the atmosphere. You'll also examine how captured CO2 can be stored in gas, liquid or solid form. Project Leadership: You'll develop your understanding of effective project leadership, including decision-making, solving complex problems, developing teams and leading people. Health and Safety: You'll explore the duties and liabilities of employers and employees, alongside the purpose of health and safety risk assessments and method statements. You'll also consider the ethical issues involved in managing health and safety. Project and Ongoing Management: You'll explore approaches to project and ongoing management, including business efficiency initiatives such as PPC permitting and ISO 14001.

This module is designed to introduce you to research methods and statistical analysis. Theoretical approaches to research and statistical concepts are taught in online lectures with virtual lab sessions using both quantitative and qualitative techniques that allow you to put theory into practice. Indicative content Introduction to Research: You'll explore the purpose of research and discover different approaches, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. You'll also examine how these approaches connect with research philosophies such as positivism, interpretivism and pragmatism. Dealing with Practical Issues and Ethics: You'll learn how to plan a research project, from choosing a topic and setting objectives to developing an effective research strategy. You'll also explore what makes a strong research project and consider the ethical issues involved in conducting research. Searching and Reviewing the Literature: You'll develop the skills to search for, evaluate, organise and bring together relevant research. You'll learn how to write a literature review, manage bibliographic records and develop effective research questions for qualitative and quantitative studies. Writing Your Research Proposal: You'll learn how to turn a research idea into a clear proposal by identifying a problem or issue, defining your research purpose and questions, and choosing appropriate research strategies and methods. Introduction to Statistics: You'll explore how to summarise and visualise data, alongside key concepts in probability and probability distributions. You'll also examine discrete and continuous random variables and be introduced to hypothesis testing. Qualitative Methods: You'll explore qualitative research methods, including questionnaire design, populations, samples and sampling methods. You'll also learn how qualitative data can be analysed using approaches such as thematic analysis. Quantitative Methods: You'll develop your understanding of data sampling and explore statistical techniques including t-tests, ANOVA, Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon Rank and Kruskal-Wallis tests. You'll also examine correlation and regression as methods for analysing relationships within data.

This project module focuses on the theory and practice of identifying and implementing innovation of products and systems in organisations. It provides an opportunity for you to critically reflect on analytical, design, planning and evaluation tools that have been included in the programme and to apply these to the design and construction processes of a project that requires innovation and mimics the real-world feasibility design stage of a Civil and Environmental Engineering project. Indicative content Innovation Practice: You'll explore the construction market and learn how tools such as PEST and SWOT analysis can help shape business strategy. You'll examine business models that support innovation and consider what organisations can learn when innovative ideas don't succeed. Case Study Brief: You'll work with industry practitioners and academic supervisors or researchers to explore a case study brief, review the available information and develop your understanding of the challenge. Development of Options: You'll work as part of a group to develop innovative options in response to the case study, supported by your own research and independent study. Option Appraisal: You'll assess and compare your proposed options using an integrated decision-support framework, considering sustainability indicators as part of the decision-making process.

This module will develop an enhanced understanding of applied environmental management and its relation to climate change. Environmental management examples, specifically waste and wastewater management, will be addressed in terms of regulatory and technical applications and environmental standards. These applications are contextualised within wider challenge of mitigating and adapting to climate change. Climate models and their implications (and uncertainties) are presented and discussed in relation to applied management of the environment. Indicative content Climate Change and Climate Models: You'll explore how climate change is predicted and modelled, including the uncertainties involved and approaches to mitigation and adaptation. You'll examine scenario planning, greenhouse gas emissions, flood management and environmental sustainability models, as well as how waste and wastewater affect, and are affected by, climate change. Climate Change and International Agreements: You'll examine how international agreements respond to climate change scenarios and monitored environmental change, and explore their influence on environmental management now and in the future. Waste Management and Treatment: You'll explore how waste is regulated, collected, transported and managed, considering different types, quantities and disposal routes. You'll also examine waste reduction, reuse and recycling, alongside treatment technologies including incineration, pyrolysis, gasification, anaerobic digestion, composting and landfill. Contaminated Land Management and Remediation: You'll learn how contaminated land is investigated and assessed, including identifying hazards and evaluating risks. You'll also explore the methods and techniques used to treat and remediate affected land. Wastewater Management and Treatment: You'll explore how municipal and industrial wastewater is regulated, treated and managed. You'll examine processes including sedimentation and biological treatment, compare systems for different population sizes, and consider the treatment, use and disposal of wastewater sludges in line with environmental standards.

This module gives you the chance to dive deep into a topic that really interests you within your chosen specialism. You’ll carry out an individual, work-based investigation that connects theory with real-world practice, helping you explore your area of interest in detail. It’s a great opportunity to consolidate everything you’ve learned so far and apply it in a meaningful way – all while building the foundation for your final dissertation. Indicative Content The Role of Theory in Counselling Practice: You'll explore the collaborative pluralistic framework in depth – looking at its core principles, strategies, and techniques – and compare it with other counselling approaches to understand its strengths and relevance in practice. Personal Development: You'll take part in personal development groups, keep a reflective journal, and learn to give and receive feedback. These activities help build self-awareness and mutual support, both essential for effective counselling. Research: You'll be introduced to practitioner research and develop skills in analysing outcomes and processes, helping you understand how evidence supports and improves therapeutic work. Therapeutic Interventions: Through practical sessions, you'll learn how to apply therapeutic methods using the pluralistic approach. You'll explore how to support different client groups and work with a range of issues, such as loss, bereavement, and relationship challenges.