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Programme Specifications

Programme Specification

MSc Infrastructure in Emergencies (Distance Learning)

Academic Year: 2016/17

This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if full advantage is taken of the learning opportunities that are provided.

This specification applies to delivery of the programme in the Academic Year indicated above. Prospective students reviewing this information for a later year of study should be aware that these details are subject to change as outlined in our Terms and Conditions of Study.

This specification should be read in conjunction with:

  • Summary
  • Aims
  • Learning outcomes
  • Structure
  • Progression & weighting

Programme summary

Awarding body/institution Loughborough University
Teaching institution (if different) Water, Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC), within the School
Owning school/department School of Civil and Building Engineering
Details of accreditation by a professional/statutory body

The MSc, PG Diploma and PG Certificate are accredited by the Charted Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) for student intakes in academic years up to and including academic year 2020 – 2021.

The MSc is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM), for student  intakes up to and including academic year 2020 – 2021, as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for candidates who have already acquired an Accredited CEng (Partial) BEng (Hons) undergraduate first degree. See www.jbm.org.uk for further information.

Final award MSc, PG Dip, PG Cert
Programme title Infrastructure in Emergencies (Distance Learning)
Programme code CVPT80
Length of programme MSc: 2-8 years, Diploma: 1-5 years, Certificate: 1-3 years. Delivered by Distance Learning (largely paper-based).
Participants have the option of two start dates: Mid-January and Mid-July.
UCAS code
Admissions criteria

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/programmes/departments/civil/infrastructure-emergencies-dl/

Additional information about the programme is available from http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/learn/iie.html

 

 

Date at which the programme specification was published Wed, 17 Aug 2016 13:32:26 BST

1. Programme Aims

This programme is for graduates with little or no practical experience of emergency infrastructure provision, as well as experienced practitioners who have a specific interest in addressing the problems of emergency infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries. It aims to: 

  • Equip them with appropriate expertise and skills for emergency relief and reconstruction work;
  • Improve knowledge and skills in the assessment, planning, design and implementation of a range of infrastructure options for emergency relief and reconstruction; and
  • Provide an opportunity for specialisation in one topic through in depth study during the Research Dissertation module.

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

This specification has taken into account the descriptors for a qualification at Masters (MSc), Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) and Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) levels that are set out in the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

WEDC’s postgraduate programmes are multidisciplinary in content so no single- subject benchmarks are wholly applicable to them. There are currently no benchmark statements for Engineering MSc programmes. Although the Subject Benchmark Statement for Engineering applies to first degrees in engineering, and not to postgraduate degrees, it has been used to inform the drafting of intended learning outcomes for this programme, with the expectation that postgraduate students attain a higher level than undergraduate students in relevant outcomes.  Note has also been taken of the Engineering Council document The Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (published May 2014) for Master Degrees other than the Integrated Masters (MEng) (Accredited as further learning to masters level, partially meeting the educational requirements for CEng).

Following an accreditation visit by the Charted Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) in June 2016, the panel recommended that this programme at MSc, PG Diploma and PG Certificate levels be accredited for student intakes up to and including academic year 2020 – 2021.  Accreditation recognises that this programme contributes to the academic requirements for CIWEM membership.

Following an accreditation visit in October 2015, the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) accredited the MSc level of this programme as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for candidates who have already acquired an Accredited CEng (Partial) BEng (Hons) undergraduate first degree.  This applies for intakes up to and including academic year 2020 – 2021.  See www.jbm.org.uk for further information.

 

3. Programme Learning Outcomes

3.1 Knowledge and Understanding

Sections 3.1 and 3.2 relate to the outcomes from study for the Master of Science (MSc) award. Section 3.3 gives details about outcomes from study to achieve the Postgraduate Certificate (PCert) and Postgraduate Diploma (PDip) awards.

 

On successful completion of this programme participants should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

  • The stages and types of emergencies, their causes, consequences & key principles of emergency response.
  • Principles and strategies for assessment, planning, financing and management of emergency response.
  • Ethics and accountability in delivering humanitarian assistance.
  • The principles of provision of a range of infrastructure options in an emergency.
  • The  range  of  suitable  technologies,  their  design,  implementation  and management, for water supply and sanitation during emergencies and reconstruction.
  • The design and management of the reconstruction of essential infrastructure post emergency.
  • How to investigate complex real-life problems in detail and identify possible solutions.

3.2 Skills and other attributes

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

On successful completion of this programme, participants should be able to:

  • Explain how emergency situations may occur and their likely consequences.
  • Explain the key principles of working with disaster-affected populations and providing effective humanitarian assistance.
  • Explain the options for a range of infrastructure facilities and services during and following emergencies, and how they should be planned, implemented and maintained.
  • Describe  important  technical  and  non-technical  aspects  of  organising infrastructure provision in emergencies.
  • Describe key features of a range of common emergency water supply and sanitation technologies, and select suitable technologies to meet specific criteria.
  • Describe the standard procedures for assessing, managing and protecting the environment and water resources.
b. Subject-specific practical skills:

On successful completion of this programme, participants should be able to:

  • Prepare outline designs for simple low cost water supply and sanitation systems to meet emergency and reconstruction needs.
  • Investigate  complex  real-life  problems  in  detail  and  identify  possible solutions.
c. Key transferable skills:

On successful completion of this programme, participants should be able to:

  • Manage time and produce work to meet deadlines.
  • Take an inter-disciplinary approach to planning and problem solving.
  • Apply critical thinking and be able to work with limited or contradictory information.
  • Communicate effectively in writing and preparing calculations.
  • Use literature critically, assessing it against other evidence, including personal experience.
  • Demonstrate originality in tackling and solving problems.
  • Analyse data, check their validity and make appropriate use of data when writing reports.
  • Show basic skills for word-processing on a computer.

 

3.3 Intended Learning Outcomes for Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) and Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) Awards:

  • Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert)

The intended learning outcomes for studies that contribute to the Postgraduate Certificate are best defined by combining the intended learning outcomes of each of the four modules chosen to contribute to the programme (see Section 4.2).  An index list of all module specifications can be found at https://lucas.lboro.ac.uk/epublic/wp5016.main?dept=CV&dept2=CV

Postgraduate Certificate students should obtain the learning outcomes listed above (Sections 3.1 and 3.2) for the MSc programme but not to the extent that will be expected of MSc students. However, the learning outcomes arising specifically from Data Collection, Analysis and Research and Research Dissertation are not relevant because these modules are not options for the Certificate programme.

  • PostgraduateDiploma(PGDip)

The intended learning outcomes for studies that contribute to the Postgraduate Diploma will be the same as those specified above (Sections 3.1 and 3.2) for the MSc programme other than those that relate to the Research Dissertation module which is not an option for the Diploma.

4. Programme structure

4.1    The following distance learning modules are available for study under this programme:  

(A different programme CVPT83, called Infrastructure in Emergencies (Blended Learning), allows a mixture of DL and campus-based modules.) 

Code

Module Title

Credit Weighting

CVP253*

Data Collection, Analysis and Research (DL)

15

CVP257*

Wastewater Treatment (DL)

15

CVP258*

Urban Infrastructure (DL)

15

CVP262*

Environmental Assessment (DL)

15

CVP268*

Integrated Water Resources Management (DL)

15

CVP273*

Water Utilities Management (DL)

15

CVP280*²

Emergencies Management and People (DL)²

15

CVP281*

Emergency Water Supply (DL)

15

CVP282*

Emergency Sanitation (DL)

15

CVP283*²

Introduction to Infrastructure in Emergencies (DL)²

15

CVP295*¹

Individual Research Project (DL) (One-year option)¹

60

CVP296*

Research Dissertation (DL) (Two-year option)

60

CVP297*¹

Individual Research Project (DL) (Two-year option)¹

60

CVP298*

Research Dissertation (DL) (One-year option)

60

Notes:

*  Fully DL module.

¹  Only for students already registered on this programme in academic year 2011-12.

²  Introductory modules, normally taken first for all awards.

 

4.2    Modules required for each level of the programme are as follows: 

For the award of Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) students must take the following modules: 

Compulsory modules

Optional modules

CVP280*

Emergencies Management and People (DL)³

 

None

CVP283*

Introduction to Infrastructure in Emergencies (DL)³

 

 

CVP281*

Emergency Water Supply (DL)

 

 

CVP282*

Emergency Sanitation (DL)

 

 

 ³  Introductory modules, normally taken first.

 

For the award of Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip), students must take the following modules: 

Compulsory modules

Optional modules (Select Four)

CVP280*

Emergencies Management and People (DL)³

CVP258*

Urban Infrastructure (DL)

 

CVP283*

Introduction to Infrastructure in Emergencies (DL)³

CVP257*

Wastewater Treatment (DL)

CVP281*

Emergency Water Supply (DL)

CVP262*

Environmental Assessment (DL)

CVP282*

Emergency Sanitation (DL)

CVP268*

Integrated Water Resources Management (DL)

 

 

CVP273*

Water Utilities Management (DL)

 

 

CVP253*⁴

Data Collection, Analysis and Research (DL)⁴

 Notes:

 ³  Introductory modules, normally taken first.

 ⁴  CVP253 is compulsory for students intending to upgrade to an MSc at a later date.

 

For the award of Master of Science (MSc), students must take the following modules: 

Compulsory modules

Optional modules (Select Three)

CVP280*³

Emergencies Management and People (DL)³

CVP258*

Urban Infrastructure (DL)

CVP283*³

Introduction to Infrastructure in Emergencies (DL)³

CVP257*

Wastewater Treatment (DL)

CVP281*

Emergency Water Supply (DL)

CVP262*

Environmental Assessment (DL)

CVP282*

Emergency Sanitation (DL)

CVP268*

Integrated Water Resources Management (DL)

CVP253*

Data Collection, Analysis and Research (DL)

CVP273*

Water Utilities Management (DL)

 

 

CVP296*

 

 

CVP298*

AND - Select one of the following

 

Research Dissertation (DL) (Two year option)5

OR

Research Dissertation (DL) (One year option)5

 

 

 Notes:

³  Introductory modules, normally taken first.

5  Normally the last or penultimate module to be studied.

5. Criteria for Progression and Degree Award

In order to be eligible for the award, candidates must satisfy the requirements of Regulation XXI.

6. Relative Weighting of Parts of the Programme for the Purposes of Final Degree Classification

Not applicable.

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