BSc (Hons) Environmental Science modules
Earth Sciences
Year 1 core modules
- Biodiversity and Evolution
- Biological Methods
- Cell Biology and Microbiology
- Earth Sciences
- Energy Systems
- Professional Skills
- Scientific Method and Quantitative Principles
Year 2 core modules
- Genetics and Molecular Biology
- Geotechnology and Materials
- Molecular Ecology
- Pollution Analysis & Monitoring
- Quality Management
- Renewable Energy
- Research Methods for Sciences
- Science Research Proposal
Year 3 optional module
Final-year core modules
- Ecological Sustainability
- Employment Skills
- Environmental Crime Investigation
- Environmental Resource Management
- Science Research Project
- Sustainability Project
Modules offered may vary.
This module provides students with an introduction to the concepts of the earth as a system and develops the skills used to investigate environmental issues. It begins by considering, rocks and minerals, the fundamental building blocks of the planet. Using this knowledge the internal physical and chemical structure of the planet can be defined, from which deep earth structure and processes can be deduced. This includes the theory of plate tectonics, which in 50 years has revolutionized our understanding of the development of the planet, its atmosphere and the evolution of life.
Complex interactions between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and lithosphere are at the heart of current environmental issues, such as climate change, which will influence the immediate future of every aspect of life and commerce, perhaps even including survival of the species. Lectures, seminars, classroom problems and practical work are used to develop observational and data recording skills, culminating in a field-based activity to acquire data relating to a real-world environmental problem. The module is intended for those who have little or no previous experience of earth science and/or geoscience to enable them to appreciate environmental science in the context of the earth as a dynamic spatial system which evolves with time and human intervention.