Environmental Science BSc (Hons)

Course Content

• Course Details

  This Environmental Science course has been designed to contribute towards achieving the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

  SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG13: Climate Action, SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG12: Responsible Consumption and Production and SDG15: Life on Land

  This Environmental Science BSc (Hons) degree provides you with the opportunity to develop your knowledge of environmental science and to recognise its relevance to society at national and global levels. You will learn how environmental science can be used to help understand both natural and human-caused environmental change and the role that individuals, organisations, and governments play in addressing such issues.

  Partnerships and Accreditation

  This Environmental Science programme is accredited by The Institution of Environmental Sciences.

  The University of Northampton are also proud to work in partnership with RECOUP. RECOUP works in collaboration with all stakeholders to promote, develop, stimulate and increase the levels of plastics recycling within the UK.

  Course Details

  This flexible, interdisciplinary course allows you to follow a programme with modules drawn from across the subject of environmental science. You are then able to specialise in particular areas of interest in the second and third year or continue to study a more varied programme.

  You will undertake a wide variety of activities and encounter new challenges that help support your theoretical learning. The need for accuracy, critical evaluation, and the ability to research solutions and apply them in new ways, as well as being able to communicate findings to a variety of audiences, are vital skills for environmental scientists.

  You will examine research design and methodology in relation to field and laboratory work including data collection and quantitative analysis techniques. Statistical tools will be used and developed throughout the course to ensure that you are confident and are able to apply appropriate procedures for different sets of data.

  We use field and lab based activities to ensure that you develop a range of scientific concepts and theories that are transferable and sought after in a variety of employment areas.

  Assessments

  A wide range of assessment is used including field surveys, reports, oral presentations, field reports and time constrained tests as well as end of year examinations.

  • Stage 1
    • ENV1002 Introduction to Ecology (20 Credits)
    • GEO1107 The Physical Environment (20 Credits)
    • ENV1128 Lab and Field Skills (20 Credits)
    • GEO1108 Geohazards (20 Credits)
    • GEO1110 A Sustainable Community (20 Credits)
    • ENV1127 Environmental Pollution (20 Credits)

    All modules in Stage 1 are compulsory.

  • Stage 2
    • ENV2143 Data Technologies (20 Credits)
    • LAW2044 Environmental Law and Justice (20 Credits)
    • ENV2124 Fieldwork Module (20 Credits)
    • ENV2142 Impacts of Pollution (20 Credits)
    • ENV2103 Biogeography (20 Credits) (Designated)
    • GEO2111 Weather and Climate (20 Credits) (Designated)
    • GEO2037 Landscape Processes (20 Credits) (Designated)
    • ENV2140 Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems (20 Credits) (Designated)

    Students must take all compulsory modules plus two designated modules.

  • Stage 3
    • ENV4101 Research Project and Dissertation in the Environmental Sciences (40 Credits)
    • ENV3151 Glacial Environments (20 Credits)
    • ENV3144 Pollution Monitoring and Control (20 Credits)
    • ENV3021 Biodiversity and Conservation (20 Credits) (Designated)
    • GEO3124 Water Resource Management (20 Credits) (Designated)
    • GEO3108 Communicating Climate Change  (20 Credits) (Designated)
    • GEO3140 Monitoring The Earth’s Surface (20 Credits) (Designated)

    Students must take the compulsory modules plus two designated modules

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• Student Perks

  At the University of Northampton, everything we do, from funded trips to paid internships, is to give you everything you need to make a difference when you leave.

  If you join this full time Environmental Science degree at Northampton, you will receive a laptop when your course begins*. The laptops are built to a bespoke custom specification ideal for use in the seminar room, collaborative group work or studying at home.

  Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your environmental science course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd. We’ve created the Northampton Employment Promise because we are so confident that if you focus on your studies and complete one of our awards you’ll be highly employable by the time you graduate. Putting you in a great position to secure employment or continue your studies.

  To check out the full list of perks, visit our Student Perks page or dedicated International Perks page.

  *UK fee payers only (see Terms and Conditions for further details).

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• Integrated Foundation Year (IFY)

  The Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) offers a new and exciting route into studying for an environmental science degree, attracting ambitious and driven students who are willing to learn and advance.

  If you have non-standard qualifications or do not quite meet the admissions requirements for BSc Environmental Science, we can offer you a fantastic opportunity to study a four year programme which includes an Integrated Foundation Year. The Integrated Foundation Year will help you develop the theoretical/practical and academic skills you need, in order to successfully progress to the full award.

  Our four-year courses will enable you to successfully follow the degree pathway of your choice while gaining essential study skills. The foundation year of your chosen degree will be studied on a full-time basis and is aimed at supporting the transition to higher education. Years two, three and four are then studied as a standard degree programme.

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• Opportunities Abroad

  There are various opportunities for visits and for fieldwork throughout our Environmental Science course. There are two compulsory UK based field trips, one in the first year and one in the second year. There is a further opportunity in the second year to undertake an optional residential field trip overseas, currently Tenerife, but please note there is an additional charge for overseas field courses to cover flights, accommodation and transport (in 2019, the cost was £550).

  Examples of previous UK day field trips include Oxford Botanic Garden, Kew Gardens, the Natural History Museum, as well as field sites in and around Northamptonshire.

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• FAQs

  How will I be taught on the Environmental Science BSc degree?

  Face-to-face sessions are organised as interactive classes with discussion and activities. For some modules on BSc Environmental Science, there are computer based workshops (GIS and statistics) and field and laboratory based activities.  Classes are supported by online and technology-enhanced learning to ensure you have the best possible study experience to achieve your potential.

  How many hours per week of teaching/personal tutoring?

  Environmental Science students typically have 12 hours contact time per week, in addition to 20-25 hours per week of independent study. Students are encouraged to meet with staff on a one-to-one basis to get additional study support, and also receive timetabled personal tutor meetings each term.

  How will I be assessed?

  Each module generally has two items of assessment. Assignments are designed to develop your skills, as well as test your knowledge and understanding. There is a range of written assignments, including reports and essays. You may also be asked to analyse data or reflect on your learning. In some written assignments you will be tasked with writing in a style appropriate to a particular audience. Presentations, debates and discussions are used to assess your verbal communication skills. There are no formal examinations, but there are a small number of class-based tests. A detailed set of instructions is provided for every assignment. Students are encouraged to meet with academic staff to get one-to-one support.

  What careers can I go into from studying this course?

  The BSc Environmental Science degree equips students with a broad knowledge base and a wide range of skills that are attractive for many careers requiring graduate skills. Our graduates gain employment in range of sectors such as planning, consultancy, biodiversity and ecology related careers, waste and resource management, contaminated land, sustainability, environmental consultancy, education, energy, charities, and local government. Opportunities to network with graduates are incorporated into the programme.

  Are there any study trips on the Environmental Science degree?

  Fieldwork is a key and an integral part of the environmental sciences degree. It not only provides you the opportunity to work with specific equipment but also helps you develop transferable skills. Many of our modules include part- or full-day field trips. In addition, we often conduct fieldwork on and around campus. There are 2 compulsory UK residential trips, one in Year 1 (3 day) and one in year 2 (5-day). Recent field courses have taken place at FSC field centres in Slapton, Devon and Preston Montford. Students have covered a wide variety of techniques such as bat surveys, biological monitoring, water quality, coring techniques, rocky shore ecology and studying past environments and geology. Other optional field trips may be available to you throughout your degree. We fund travel and accommodation costs on compulsory study trips. There are additional fees for optional trips.

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