Programme Specifications

Programme summary

1. Programme Aims

This programme is likely to be of particular interest to applicants who wish to develop careers in aspects of design, implementation and management of water supply and waste management for low- and middle-income countries.  It aims to:

• Provide Engineers and Scientists with the knowledge and skills to meet the global challenge of basic services for low- and middle-income countries;
• Develop participants’ understanding of important aspects of sustainable public health infrastructure and services for all levels of consumers;
• Equip students with appropriate expertise and skills for work in low- and middle-income countries; 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.

These postgraduate programmes are taught by the Water, Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC) in the School of Civil and Building Engineering at Loughborough University. 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. The Subject Benchmark Statement for Master’s Awards in Business and Management has also been consulted because of the management content of the WEDC programmes; the list of skills for all Master’s programmes listed in Appendix 2 is of particular relevance. Note has also been taken of relevant parts of the Annex to Academic Standards – Engineering MEng Degrees.

Following an accreditation visit from CIWEM (Charted Institution of Water and Environmental Management) in May 2011, the accreditation panel recommended that the Water & Waste Engineering MSc, PGDiploma and PGCertificate, when studied by Distance Learning, be accredited for students who graduate in, or before, academic year 2017-18. Accreditation recognises that this programme contributes to the academic requirements for CIWEM membership.

Following an accreditation visit in February 2011, the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) accredited the Water & Waste Engineeering MSc as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for candidates who join the programme in, or before, academic year 2015-16, and who have already acquired an Accredited CEng (Partial) BEng (Hons) undergraduate first degree. (See http://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 importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to public health engineering and ways to integrate various perspectives in project planning
• the links between water, sanitation and health
• ways of integrating technical and non-technical considerations into project planning, design, execution and evaluation
• key issues in relation to effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and replicability in planning public health infrastructure and services
• key issues in relation to social and institutional aspects, particularly for sustainability of water supply and environmental sanitation services
• major international developments and initiatives, relating to some of the above-mentioned aspects

3.2 Skills and other attributes

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

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

• plan, conduct and report a programme of original research (demonstrated in the Research Dissertation module)
• integrate and evaluate multi-disciplinary information
• describe basic water supply and environmental sanitation options suitable for low- and middle-income countries, and be able to select appropriate options subject to specific constraints
• use an interdisciplinary approach to plan appropriate solutions to meet users’ needs and demands for water supply and environmental sanitation. This will include use of appropriate techniques for technical, financial and institutional analysis.           

b. Subject-specific practical skills:

None. Other than those already implied in the above statements.

c. Key transferable skills:

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

• demonstrate originality in tackling and solving problems
• carry out fieldwork for data and information collection
• use literature critically, assessing it against other evidence, including personal experience
• analyse and interpret qualitative and quantitative data using a wide variety of techniques, check their validity and make appropriate use of data when writing reports
• communicate effectively when writing essays and reports. This will include presentation of findings, data analysis and justification of conclusions
• show basic skills for word-processing on a computer
• manage time and work to deadlines
• continue to advance personal knowledge and understanding of relevant current issues, and develop new skills to a high level.

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 http://luis.lboro.ac.uk/epublic/wp5016.main?dept=CV&dept2=CV

Postgraduate Certificate students should obtain the general 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 the Group Project, Case Study and Research Dissertation are not relevant because none of these modules are options for the Certificate programme.

• Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip)

The intended learning outcomes for studies that contribute to the Postgraduate Diploma will be the same as those listed 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 programme.

4. Programme structure

4.1    The programme comprises selections from the following modules that are all studied by Distance Learning:

 (A different programme CVPT79, also called Water and Waste Engineering, allows a mixture of DL and campus-based modules).

IMPORTANT NOTES:

*  Fully DL module.

¹  Module CVP253 cannot be studied in conjunction with either CVP295 or CVP297, modules which already include some teaching and assignments relating to research skills.

²  Module CVP262 is not an option for students starting their programme after January 2014. Instead CVP268 can be chosen.

³  The Research Dissertation module was formally called Individual Research Project.

Module CVP290 has now been discontinued but for students who have already studied it, it can contribute to the programme.

4.2    Modules required for each level of the Water and Waste Engineering programme are shown in the following tables. 

For the award of Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert), students must choose the following four modules: 

For the award of Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip), students must choose eight modules from the following: 

 Notes:

²  Module 262 is not an option for students starting their programme in January 2014 or after.

³  Module 290 has now been discontinued, but for students who have already studied it, it can contribute to the programme.

If a diploma students is planning at some later stage to upgrade his/her diploma to an MSc he/she should to choose to study module CVP253 (Data Collection, Analysis and Research) as part of the diploma because this is a compulsory module for MSc students, who also need to study CVP296/298 (Research Dissertation).

For the award of Master of Science (MSc)

a)  Students who started their programmes before January 2013 will normally choose nine modules from the following: 

Note:

A student who started before January 2013 can replace one of the optional modules with module CVP253 as long as she/he also chooses to replace module CVP 295/297 with CVP298/296. 

Module CVP290 has now been discontinued but for students who have already studied it, it can contribute to the programme. 

b) Students starting their programmes in January 2013 or after need to choose nine modules from the following: 

 Note:

² Module 262 is not an option for students starting their programme in January 2014 or after. 

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