Our long-established MSc in Hydrology and Water Management equips you with the essential skills and knowledge to tackle today’s most pressing water challenges.

Taught by leaders in their field and informed by the latest research, you'll learn about hydrological processes and develop specialist technical skills in the context of:

water management (including water security and flood protection)
climate change and climate risks
global development and urbanisation

The course will also contribute to your personal development by providing you with versatile, employable skills including:

modelling and coding
time and project management
team-working
writing for technical audiences
presentation skills

You'll also broaden your understanding of policy and practice, completing the set of tools you’ll need for a professional career in the water sector. Our past graduates are in demand by a range of organisations, including:

regulatory bodies
water companies/providers
local government
major multi-disciplinary international consultancies and specialist consultancies in the water sector

This course is for both practising professionals and graduates in subjects such as:

engineering
geography
environmental sciences
earth sciences
mathematics
physics
geology
computer sciences

Drawing on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the course offers a global perspective on hydrology in the context of sustainability.

You will also benefit from our research facilities and equipment including our hydraulics laboratory which includes a state-of-the-art hydraulic flume. We also offer industry guest lectures, which ground the course in hydrological and engineering practice.

How to apply

Quality and ranking

Global Top 140 UniversityQS World University Rankings 2026
Top 145 for Engineering and TechnologyQS World University Rankings by Subject 2025
Top 25 in the UK and Top 200 in the world for sustainable developmentTimes Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025
42% of our research is classified as 4* world-leading researchResearch Excellence Framework 2021
65% increase in research power since 2014Research Excellence Framework 2021
Global Top 145 UniversityTimes Higher Education World University Rankings 2026
Joint 64th in the world and 22nd in the UK for sustainabilityQS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026
Top 5 city for affordability in the UKQS Best Student Cities 2026
World Top 50 and UK Top 5 student cityQS Best Student Cities 2026
89th in the worldTIME Magazine: World’s Top Universities 2026

Professional accreditation and recognition

Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM)

This course is accredited by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM)

Joint Board of Moderators (JBM)

This degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) comprising of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, Institute of Highway Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation and the Permanent Way Institution on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the academic requirement for Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). To hold accredited qualifications for CEng registration, candidates must also hold a Bachelor (Hons) degree that has been accredited as partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). See www.jbm.org.uk for further information.

*It should be noted that candidates completing the MSc who hold an underpinning accredited Bachelor degree accredited for IEng only or a non-accredited bachelor degree will need to apply for an academic assessment to determine whether they will meet the educational base for CEng registration.

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK

If you’re studying an accredited degree and thinking about working in Europe after you graduate, the best place to find current information is the UK Government’s guidance on recognition of UK professional qualifications in EU member states. This official resource explains whether your profession is regulated in another country, what steps you need to take, and which organisation you should contact.

I enjoyed the classes and having a variety of lecturers for a single module. It was great to have each topic presented by experts in the field. Dr Hewett and Dr Blenkinsop have an excellent ability to present complex concepts in an understandable way.

Next: Course details

What you'll learn

The course provides an advanced knowledge and understanding of:

key scientific and technical subject areas such as hydrology and hydraulics
the theoretical basis for methods of analysis and modelling
the regulatory and socio-economic aspects of water management
specific examples of water management, drawing on examples from developing and industrialised countries

These provide the basis for development of skills and experience in areas including:

programming for data management and modelling
field-based hydrometric measurement
application of tools and methods used in industry

Modules

You will study modules on this course. A module is a unit of a course with its own approved aims and outcomes and assessment methods.

Hydrology and Water Management MSc modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
MSc Project and Dissertation	60
Quantitative Methods for Engineering	10
Global Integrated River Basin Management	10
Climate Change: Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation	10
Modelling and Forecasting of Floods	10
Water Management: Issues and Challenges	10
Hydrosystems Processes and Data Analysis	20
Hydrosystems Modelling and Management	20
Fundamentals of Conceptual and Numerical Groundwater Modelling	10
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)	10

Optional Modules	Credits
Environmental Engineering in Low and Middle Income Countries	10
State of the Art Modelling in Hydraulics	10

How you'll learn

Delivery and teaching methods

Group work

The programme structure is designed to allow you to share learning experience through group work. Examples include:

assessment of water issues and challenges based on major international examples (eg the Nile Basin)
review and critique of a range of current industry-standard modelling software

These activities support your learning skills and experience through:

working as part of a team
hearing the findings of your student colleagues across the group teams

Teaching methods

You will be required to earn a total of 180 credits throughout the course. This includes 120 credits in semesters 1 and 2 with 60 credits as part of a dissertation project in the third semester. Specialist modules in Semester 2 include topics in flood risk modelling, computational hydraulics, and climate change.

You will be taught through a combination of:

lectures
tutorials
practical classes
bespoke content on our online virtual learning environment
group work
fieldwork

Assessment methods

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

Case study
Computer assessment
Dissertation
Oral presentation
Problem-solving exercises
Report
Written examination
Written exercise

Additional assessment information

Dissertation

You'll have the opportunity to undertake an original research project and write a dissertation on a topic you're passionate about. You can explore topics such as climate resilience, flood risk, or sustainable water management. This is your chance to apply your skills to real-world problems and contribute to innovative solutions in the field.**

Wherever you work, you'll be supervised, throughout your project. This will be by an experienced scientist or engineer.

Your supervisor will provide advice on the approaches and methods that are best suited to your research problem. They will also support you with your collection/analysis of data, and will guide you in producing a well-written dissertation.

Student support

Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:

academic staff
personal tutors and research supervisors
our University Student Services Team
student representatives
peers

You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff, who will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.

Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:

module handbooks
course materials
groups
course announcements and notifications
written feedback

Our staff

You'll be taught primarily by internationally-renowned academic staff in the Water Group, together with:

researchers and PhD students working on related cutting-edge research programmes
staff from the School of Engineering

Our staff help shape national policy through organisations like the Climate Change Committee. On an international level they also contribute to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Dr Stephen Blenkinsop\ Senior Lecturer in Climate and Climate Change Impacts\ Degree Programme Director

Areas of expertise:

historical climate observations
climate variability and change
climate change impacts
climate change and health
climate education

Dr Jaime Amezaga

Reader in Environmental Sustainability\ Areas of expertise:

sustainable management of natural resources and infrastructure
integrated land and water management
environmental management: institutions, regulation and policy
sociotechnical systems and transitions
developing countries
stakeholder involvement

Professor Richard Dawson\ Professor of Earth System Engineering

Areas of expertise:

engineering urban areas for sustainability
climate impacts analysis
adaptation (particularly of civil infrastructure) to a changing climate
flood risk assessment
modelling of coupled human/natural/engineering systems
infrastructure management

Professor Hayley Fowler\ Professor of Climate Change Impacts

Areas of expertise:

analysis of the impacts of climate change and variability on hydrological and water resources systems,
analysis of climate model outputs and the development of new downscaling techniques

Dr Caspar Hewett

Lecturer

Areas of expertise:

water resources
computational hydraulics
numerical methods
sediment transport
sustainability

Vassilis Glenis\ Lecturer in Hydroinformatics

Areas of expertise:

hydrodynamic modelling
numerical methods: finite volume shock-capturing schemes
urban flood modelling and blue-green infrastructure
transient mixed flows in closed conduits

Professor Claire Walsh\ Lecturer in Water Engineering

Areas of expertise:

flood risk assessment and management in urban areas
green infrastructure
climate impacts on water resources
infrastructure business models
urban agriculture
hydromorphology

Dr Anna Murgatroyd\ Lecturer

Areas of expertise:

water resources planning and management
global food systems
computational modelling
multi-objective optimisation
climate impacts analysis

Philip Robinson Library (Student Texts Collection)

Your development

Technical skills

You'll be guided throughout the course by our teaching team. They'll help you to develop your technical understanding and skills through a range of learning and teaching approaches. These include:

lectures and seminars from leading academics, researchers, and experts from a range of industry organisations
hands-on field and computer-based studies

These are supported by individual and group tutorials, and the individual research project.

Transferable skills

These are structured through the programme to help you gain confidence in key transferable skills including:

critical evaluation and design
individual time and project management
working with colleagues
writing for technical audiences
presenting ideas orally with confidence

Intellectual and practical skills

On completion of the course, you will have developed intellectual and practical skills relevant to industry including:

how to apply appropriate mathematical methods for modelling and analysing relevant problems
using scientific principles to develop mathematical and environmental solutions to practical problems
creating new methodologies or guidance by combining ideas from a wide range of sources
planning, executing and reporting research projects
using instrumentation, IT tools and hydroinformatic technologies, including coding

Field activity

You'll be taken on a series of ‘hydrological walks’ in the Newcastle area. You'll be able to see:

hydrological processes
field methods
water management issues and practices

You'll also be able to see how natural hydrological behaviour interacts with, and is modified by, built infrastructure, including:

sustainable drainage systems
catchment scale engineering (working with natural systems)
flood management features

In addition to seeing standard industry practice, many of these are based around our current research which is advancing the field. An example is the National Green Infrastructure Facility (NGIF), located on part of the campus in Newcastle city centre. Together with specific field activities such as river gauging, these walks build understanding that directly feeds into class-based modelling and assessment exercises.

Course information: Disclaimers, policies and changes

Previous: Overview Next: Entry requirements

Entry requirements

The entrance requirements below apply to 2026 entry.

Academic entry requirements

A good 2:2 honours degree, or international equivalent, in subjects such as

engineering
geography
environmental sciences
earth sciences
mathematics
physics
geology
chemistry
computer sciences
geomatics

Applicants with different or non-standard qualifications will be considered on an individual basis, particularly if you have relevant industrial experience.

Qualifications from outside the UK

Select your country AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBritish Virgin IslandsBruneiBulgariaBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCaribbeanCayman IslandsChileChinaColombiaCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFijiFinlandFranceGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuyanaHaitiHondurasHong KongHungaryIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIsraelItalyIvory CoastJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKosovoKuwaitLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLithuaniaLuxembourgMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaltaMauritiusMexicoMongoliaMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew ZealandNicaraguaNigeriaNorth MacedoniaNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinePanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRepublic of IrelandRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUruguayUSAUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamZambiaZimbabwe

English Language requirements

Select your qualification IELTSPearsonsDuolingo English TestTOEFLOtherPre-Sessional Entry - 6 weeksPre-Sessional Entry - 10 weeks

Previous: Course details Next: Careers

Your future

Graduate destinations

Graduates from this MSc are in high demand from employers in the UK and internationally. Graduate destinations include:

Environment Agency of England and Wales
governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
water companies
major multi-disciplinary international consultancies and specialist consultancies in the water sector such as:
Arup
Mott MacDonald
Atkins
JBA

Our MSc also provides a route into further study at PhD level.

Networking opportunities

You'll benefit from our multidisciplinary approach to teaching. You'll have the opportunity to engage with fellow students from other engineering disciplines and courses.

You may also be working alongside industry professional delegates taking modules as Continuing Professional Development. This provides a rich and diverse learning experience and a network allowing you to enhance your employability.

Our Careers Service

Our expert Careers Service is here to help you take the next steps in your professional life. We will support you while you’re studying with us and for up to three years after you graduate.\ \ You will have access to expert one-to-one advice and guidance through our campus careers centre and online, along with digital resources, workshops, networking opportunities, and careers and recruitment events.\ \ We’ve been awarded 5 QS Stars for Student Employability (2025). Many of our degrees are shaped by strong links with national and international businesses. We are committed to helping you access real-world experience opportunities and develop key skills through paid work placements and internships.

Visit our Careers Service website

Previous: Entry requirements Next: Facilities

Facilities

The School of Engineering has an exceptional range of laboratories equipped with a wide range of analytical instrumentation. These support our research, teaching and contract research projects. These include:

Novak Hydraulics and Hydrology Laboratory, including state-of-the-art experimental hydraulic flume
National Green Infrastructure Facility
Urban Observatory
catchment-based field sites
computational facilities for high-performance computing

Previous: Careers Next: Fees & funding

Fees, Funding and Scholarships

Tuition fees for 2026 entry (per year)

Qualification: MSc Full time
Home students Full time: 12 months	Tuition fees (per year) £13,900
International students Full time: 12 months	Tuition fees (per year) £30,050

Tuition fee increases

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals - tuition fee status

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support. You may be eligible for a scholarship worth 25% off the international fee. Search our funding database.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information.

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

matriculation
registration
tuition (or supervision)
library access
examination
re-examination
graduation

Find out more about:

Deposit

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section.

Funding deadlines

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding and scholarships

Find funding available for your course

Select your country AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBritish Virgin IslandsBruneiBulgariaBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCaribbeanCayman IslandsChileChinaColombiaCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFijiFinlandFranceGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuyanaHaitiHondurasHong KongHungaryIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIsraelItalyIvory CoastJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKosovoKuwaitLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLithuaniaLuxembourgMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaltaMauritiusMexicoMongoliaMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew ZealandNicaraguaNigeriaNorth MacedoniaNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinePanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRepublic of IrelandRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandUruguayUSAUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamZambiaZimbabwe

Previous: Facilities Next: How to apply

How to apply

Before you start

Start Dates

The course starts in September.

Closing Dates

There is no application closing date for this course.

We suggest international students apply at least two months before the course starts. This is so that you have enough time to make the necessary arrangements.

Specialised application information

Part-Time Course Withdrawal

The following part-time course (5408P) has been withdrawn

Deposit

All International students

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you must pay a deposit or submit an official letter of sponsorship. The deposit is payable after you receive an offer to study with us. This deposit is non-refundable and will be deducted from your tuition fees when you register. You may also be subject to academic and English language qualification verification, confirmation of funds and credibility interviews.

International students who received an offer before 18 March 2026

You are required to pay a £1,500 deposit or submit an official letter of sponsorship.

International students Bangladesh, Ghana, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan who received an offer after 18 March 2026

You are required to pay a deposit of £5,000 or submit an official letter of sponsorship by 01 August 2026.

All International students (excluding those from the markets above) who received an offer after 18 March 2026

You are required to pay a deposit of £1,500 or submit an official letter of sponsorship by 01 August 2026.

Programme codes

Qualification: MSc Full time
Full time: 12 months	Programme Code: 5408F

Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.

\ Apply Online

Previous: Fees & funding Next: Get in touch

Open days and events

Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events

Get in touch

Questions about this course?

If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:

School of Engineering\ School Admissions Team\ Email: soe.admissions@ncl.ac.uk

General enquiries

For more general enquiries, you could also complete our online enquiry form.

Fill in our enquiry form

Application enquiries

If you've got a question about your application, send us an enquiry via the application portal you applied through.

If you haven't applied yet, you can send your questions via our enquiry form.

Fill in our enquiry form

Live chat

Our Ncl chatbot might be able to give you an answer straight away. If not, it’ll direct you to someone who can help.

You'll find our Ncl chatbot in the bottom right of this page.

Chat to our students

Choosing a university is a big decision. If you've got questions about a particular course, student life or the city of Newcastle, why not chat to our friendly students or graduates!

Keep updated

We regularly send email updates and extra information about the University.

Receive regular updates by email

Get involved with the School of Engineering.

Previous: How to apply

Find a postgraduate degree

Study with us

PAGE MENU

Hydrology and Water Management MSc

Overview

Quality and ranking

Professional accreditation and recognition

What you'll learn

Modules

How you'll learn

Group work

Teaching methods

Dissertation

Your development

Technical skills

Transferable skills

Intellectual and practical skills

Field activity

Entry requirements

Academic entry requirements

Qualifications from outside the UK

English Language requirements

Your future

Graduate destinations

Networking opportunities

Our Careers Service

Facilities

Fees, Funding and Scholarships

Tuition fees for 2026 entry (per year)

Scholarships

What you're paying for

Search for funding and scholarships

How to apply

Before you start

Programme codes

Using the application portal

Open days and events

Overseas events

Get in touch

Questions about this course?

General enquiries

Application enquiries

Live chat

Chat to our students

Keep updated

Social media