Environmental Science with Education & Optimal Placement Year
Taking care of our planet for future generations is our most important responsibility. By studying Environmental Science at Ulster you will gain the knowledge and skills to address issues such as climate change, conserving animal and plant diversity, environmental impacts of development and the management of water and air quality. If you enjoy science or geography and have an interest in environmental issues, this course is for you.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor at UK Level 6 |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | |
| Awarding Body | Ulster University |
| NFQ Level |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor at UK Level 6 | Ulster University |
Duration
4 years full-time.
Attendance
You are on campus five days per week. The contact time average is 16 hours per week; on average 24 hours per week should be allocated to independent study including academic assessment.
Entry Requirements
Irish Leaving Certificate
104 UCAS Tariff points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at higher level) to include English and Maths at a minimum of H6 if studied at Higher Level or minimum of O4 if studied at Ordinary Level.
Careers / Further progression
Graduate employers
Graduates from this course are now working for:
DAERA Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs
AgriFood & Biosciences Institute (AFBI)
White Young and Green
Terra Quest Limited
Fugro
Loughs Agency
Causeway Geotech
Job roles
With this degree you could become:
Conservation Officer
Ecologist
Environmental Consultant
Environmental Water Management Officer
Mapping and Charting Officer
Science Educator
Scientific Officer
Career options
An Environmental Science degree offers a broad scientific training and, with transferable and subject specific skills, offers a wide range of career choices. Our graduates have found employment as environmental consultants, environmental engineers, landscape planners, tourist officers, landscape architects, countryside wardens, environmental officers, research scientists, teachers (both primary and secondary), and many others in both the private and public sectors. Additional professional and/or postgraduate training might also be necessary. Many excellent one-year postgraduate courses are available in this School and in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Further information
Start date: September 2024
Deadlines for on-time applications
2024 entry application deadlines
For courses starting in 2024 (and for deferred applications), your application should be with us at UCAS by one of these dates – depending on what courses you apply for. If your completed application – including all your personal details and your academic reference – is submitted by the deadline, it is guaranteed to be considered.
16 October 2023 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – any course at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or for most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, and dentistry. You can add choices with a different deadline later, but don’t forget you can only have five choices in total.
31 January 2024 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – for the majority of courses.
Some course providers require additional admissions tests to be taken alongside the UCAS application, and these may have a deadline. Find out more about these tests at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/admissions-tests
Check course information in the search tool to see which deadline applies to you at the application weblink below.
Apply as soon as possible: Student funding arrangements mean that as offers are made and places fill up, some courses may only have vacancies for students from certain locations. It’s therefore really important that you apply for your chosen courses by the appropriate deadlines mentioned above, as not all courses will have places for all students.
All applications received after 30 June are entered into Clearing - find out more about Clearing at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/clearing-and-results-day/what-clearing
Overview
Make a positive difference to our natural world.
Summary
Taking care of our planet for future generations is our most important responsibility.
By studying Environmental Science at Ulster you will gain the knowledge and skills to address issues such as climate change, conserving animal and plant diversity, environmental impacts of development and the management of water and air quality.
If you enjoy science or geography and have an interest in environmental issues, this course is for you.
Why do Environmental Science with us?
We are ranked third out of 70 universities in UK (first in NI) for student satisfaction for Geography and Environmental Sciences (Complete University Guide, 2021).
Our Geography and Environmental Studies research is ranked joint 1st
in the UK for societal impact (REF 2021)
100% of our students get the option to complete a placement in industry or study abroad (i.e. we offer an optional placement year).
92% of our graduates are employed or in further study within 6 months of graduating (DLHE, 2018).
Our course is accredited by the Institution of Environmental Sciences.
We are ranked 12th out of 66 universities in the UK (1st in NI) for Geography and Environmental Studies (The Guardian, 2020)
We are located on the Coleraine Campus, minutes away from the spectacular Causeway Coast. There are many natural laboratories nearby to explore including the open sea, estuaries, rivers, lakes, woodlands and uplands.
About
Each semester, students will take 2 modules in Environmental Sciences and 1 module in Education.
In Year 1 students start with a field school and then study modules related to environmental sustainability, understanding environmental systems, climate change and data analysis skills relevant to the environmental scientist.
In Year 2 students study geographic information systems and remote sensing, environmental planning, land and water ecology, atmospheric processes, freshwater systems and pollution, enterprise, business and employability and attend a residential field school.
In the final year students continue their study of geographic information systems and remote sensing. Other modules focus on environmental change, environmental challenges and management, applications of water science, remediation of pollution and a research project on a specific environmental problem.
Students also have the option to extend their academic studies by electing to study abroad for a year or by working in industry/business. This additional year spent away from Ulster University is taken in the third year.
UCAS Code F900: BSc Hons Environmental Science (3 years)
UCAS Code F901: BSc Hons Environmental Science with DPP/DIAS (4 years, including placement)
Study abroad options
You will have the opportunity to study for a year at a university abroad. Options include a range of European countries, North America and partner universities in Australia and French Polynesia. On successful completion you will be awarded an additional diploma (DIAS).
Industrial placements
The industrial placement scheme gives you the opportunity to work for 10 months within an organization developing skills and applying knowledge. On successful completion you will be awarded an additional diploma (DPP).
Modules
Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.
Year 1
Contemporary Educational Issues
Facilitating An Effective Learning Environment
EGM Skills Toolbox
Environmental Systems
The Lithosphere - Optional
The Biosphere - Optional
The Hydrosphere - Optional
Year 2
Industrial Educational Placement
Research Methods and Field School - Environmental Science
Skills for Sustainable Planning
Learning and Teaching with Technology - Optional
Physical Health and Wellbeing - Optional
Freshwater Systems - Optional
The Atmosphere - Optional
Ecology and Biogeography - Optional
Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems - Optional
Year 3
Inclusive Educational Practices
Multicultural education and language learning
Industrial placement - Diploma in Professional Practice (DPP) - Optional
Diploma in Intern'l Academic Stds (learning in a foreign language) - Optional
Diploma in International Academic Studies (Learning in English) - Optional
Year 4
Geography and Environmental Sciences Dissertation
Research and Professional Skills
Environmental Change - Optional
Water Resources Management - Optional
Advanced Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems - Optional
Environmental Conservation and Management - Optional
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
Associate awards
Diploma in Professional Practice DPP
Diploma in International Academic Studies DIAS
Work placement / study abroad
Industrial experience
You have the option to undertake a one-year work placement (in Year 3) with an industry partner leading to the award of Diploma in Professional Practice (DPP). These work placements can be at home or abroad in an organization (company, local or central government or voluntary organization), and you will work under the supervision of an Industrial Supervisor, supported by the DPP Co-ordinator and an Academic Supervisor from within the University.
Study abroad
Alternatively, students can study in one of our partner universities in Europe, in the USA (through the Study USA programme or the International Student Exchange Programme), Australia or Tahiti. All of these international opportunities are available in Year 3 of the programme and lead to the award of a Diploma in International Academic Studies (DIAS).
Ulster University,
Cromore Rd,
Coleraine
BT52 1SA
T: 02870 123 456