Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES)
Environmental Scientist
Ben MortensenMSc Contaminated Land
Within one month of finishing a masters course in Contaminated Land I went on to become an Environmental Scientist specialising in contaminated land for the private consultancy firm Ecologia Environmental Solutions Ltd.
As an Environmental Scientist, part of my role involves undertaking Phase 1 desk studies, Phase 2 investigations, designing and overseeing Phase 3 remediation plans, and Phase 4 validation with quantitative risk assessment. My job gives me a great variety of office and field based work, as I could never imagine having a job based entirely behind a desk! I am also head of waste management for all UK based operations in this multi-million pound company, meaning I have great responsibility within my role.
When I was in my third year at university I was still unsure as to what I wanted to do; which career path to choose. I knew I wanted to work within the scientific field, but with so many options I didn't know what was right for me. That was until I saw a flyer for the MSc Contaminated Land course running at the University of Portsmouth. I had really enjoyed my lectures in that field and saw this as a great opportunity to enter the environmental sector. The course was exactly what I had hoped for, not only in terms of modules, but also the fantastically supportive members of staff, the amazing field trips and likeminded students with a real interest for the same subject as me.
The MSc Contaminated Land course helped me get the job I have today, and prepared me for the role of Environmental Scientist; one which I could not fulfil without the extra step given to me from the knowledge gained from the University of Portsmouth."
Environmental Consultant
MSc Contaminated Land
A week after finishing my MSc course I was given a position as a contaminated land consultant with a small firm in Chichester. I am now currently working for URS, one of the major global geo-environmental companies as an environmental consultant. As part of my job I fulfill a number of roles, from long term residential engineer on remedial contracts to site supervisor on geo-environmental investigations both in the UK and overseas. The client's I work for include major oil and gas companies, nuclear power suppliers and governmental agencies. I complete Phase 1 desk studies and stage 2 general risk assessment screening.
After finishing my undergraduate course it took a few years realise how I wanted to progress my career but once I knew it was in contaminated land I quickly saw that I needed to further my knowledge in the field. The University of Portsmouth was one of the few UK universities that offered me the type of dedicated course that I was looking for. The modules covered by the MSc course gave me good knowledge of the fundamental principles that the current legislation is built on.
