MRes Geomatics
| Date | 01 September 2010-30 September 2011 |
| Venue | University of Plymouth |
The University of Plymouth is situated in the south west of England, next to Plymouth Sound and on the Devon coastline. The natural harbour of Plymouth Sound and its major river, the Tamar, are the places for practicals afloat and opportunities to apply hydrography and marine geoscience. To the north, Dartmoor National Park provides a complete break from the bustle of the modern city, offering wild walks, climbing and seclusion.
The University has around 30,000 students, either on the Plymouth campus or across the region. There is a strong national and international research profile and significant funds to support research are attained annually. There is a large number of PhD and postgraduate students. Recent years have seen an investment of more than £110 million in state-of-the-art facilities, from the library to lecture theatres, laboratories and the Student Union building.
Each of the University's survey courses is strongly vocational with field activities on its research vessel Catfish. She is equipped with the University's own survey instrumentation and also with loans from industry. The experience from the Plymouth survey courses is of strong employment in applied work based on the degree studied.
Variety, travel, scientific endeavour, marine experiences and being paid to do it! Who could want better?
The MRes Geomatics is an opportunity to move towards research in the context of surveying, data processing/analysis and visualisation. It is primarily intended for students with a very good first degree (2.1 or 1st with a project mark at 1st class) and so may lead onto a PhD or work within research organisations/government departments/environmental consultancies. Alternatively, it could be undertaken by students with a lower qualification, but practical experience, and the need to undertake a more flexible method of postgraduate study – as the project is a considerable proportion of both the final mark and study period it can focus on a specialised area of interest.
The field survey context includes land and hydrographic surveying, which are covered in the core modules in the first term. Satellite-based remote sensing (often called Earth Observation) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are also introduced, and this allows students to undertake research projects in these areas or use these technologies/data sources in a wider context project. Once into the second term you will undertake a significant piece of research over 30 weeks.
Previous students have studied:
- Remote sensing of marshland areas
- Historical changes in the mudflats of Morecambe Bay
