The Postgraduate Diploma in Freshwater Quality Monitoring and Assessment is a part-time programme delivered online over two academic years. The programme is offered on a cyclical basis (with the first intake of students in 2017/2018).

Candidates must have a BSc in Environmental Science or cognate discipline; or a relevant professional qualification; or a portfolio of work and experience in the area of freshwater quality monitoring. Candidates who do not hold a BSc will be judged on a case-by-case basis as to their suitability for the programme, subject to the approval of the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science.

The number of places is limited and selection will be made on the basis of the candidate's performance in his/her primary degree and personal statement.

To access and interact with the course content, assignments and assessments etc., students will require access to at least a PC/Laptop running Windows 7 or later or a recent version of Mac OSX. Common plug-ins such as Microsoft Silverlight, Java and Flash will also be required. Students must have access to MS Office or an equivalent suite of applications such as Open Office.

Students must also have access to a modern standards compliant web browser. UCC recommends either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. A minimum of 1MB download speed and 500KB upload speed is required. To engage productively and successfully with the content, basic technical computer skills such as familiarity with word processing, web browsing and email is recommended.

Students take 60 credits over two academic years. All modules are delivered online with the exception of the elective module EV6004* in Year 2 which is delivered in situ in developing countries and/or in Ireland, in the form of training workshops.

Year 1 (from 2017/2018 and every second year thereafter)
Students take 30 credits as follows:

EV6001 Monitoring Programme Design for Freshwater Bodies (10 credits)
EV6002 Quality Assurance in Freshwater Quality Monitoring Programmes (10 credits)
EV6003 Data Handling and Presentation for Freshwater Quality Monitoring Programmes (10 credits)

Module Semester Information may be found here. Module descriptions may be found here.

Year 2 (from 2018/2019 and every second year thereafter)
Students take 30 credits as follows:

Core modules
EV6005 Monitoring and Assessment of Surface Waters (10 credits)
EV6007 Monitoring and Assessment of Groundwater (10 credits)

plus 10 credits from the following Elective modules:
EV6004 Freshwater Quality Monitoring in the Field (5 credits)*
EV6008 Water Quality Monitoring using Biological and Ecological Methods (5 credits)
EV6009 Freshwater Quality Monitoring with Particulate Material (5 credits)

*EV6004 is delivered in situ in developing countries and/or in Ireland, in the form of training workshops. Up to 15 GEMS/Water students will be funded to attend EV6004 via the agreement with UN Environment. Non-GEMS/Water students wishing to take EV6004 can do so on a self-funded basis. If sufficient EU students enrol, EV6004 may be delivered in Ireland for self-funded students.

Module Semester Information may be found here. Module Descriptions may be found here.

Examinations
Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2018 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules 2017/2018.

Postgraduate Certificate in Freshwater Quality Monitoring and Assessment (NFQ Level 9, Minor Award)
Upon successful completion and passing of modules to the value of 30 credits, students may opt to exit the programme and be conferred with a Postgraduate Certificate in Freshwater Quality Monitoring and Assessment.

Programme Learning Outcomes for Postgraduate Diploma in Freshwater Quality Monitoring and Assessment (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Describe the steps involved in designing a monitoring programme and the different factors that must be considered in each step of the design.
• Recommend appropriate monitoring approaches and select appropriate monitoring stations for specific monitoring objectives;
• Select suitable methods for use in the field and laboratory and prepare the appropriate operating procedures;
• Explain how hydrological, ecological and chemical features of rivers, lakes, reservoirs and groundwaters might influence water quality and the interpretation of water quality monitoring data;
• Produce a quality assurance plan for a monitoring programme;
• Analyse monitoring data using a range of graphical, statistical and GIS-based approaches;
• Write a water quality assessment report suitable for technical and non-technical audiences.

Programme Learning Outcomes for Postgraduate Certificate in Freshwater Quality Monitoring and Assessment (NFQ Level 9, Minor Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Describe the steps involved in designing a monitoring programme and the different factors that must be considered in each step of the design.
• Recommend appropriate monitoring approaches and select appropriate monitoring stations for specific monitoring objectives;
• Produce a quality assurance plan for a monitoring programme;
• Analyse monitoring data using a range of graphical, statistical and GIS-based approaches;
• Write a water quality assessment report suitable for technical and non-technical audiences.