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BSc and MSci Environmental Science

BSc Environmental Science (F900)
BSc Environmental Science with Certificate in European Studies (F8R9)
MSci Environmental Science (F750)
MSci Environmental Science with Certificate in European Studies (F751)

 

 

Interested? Click on any of the links below to find out more:-

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What makes this course special?

Teaching quality

• We were ranked 'excellent' (23/24) at the last Government assessment. Each module is formally reviewed and evaluated every year by students, academics and external examiners.  

Research quality

• The School of Biosciences (jointly with the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science) came TOP in the UK under the 'Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science' category (Research Assessment Exercise, December 2008).
• Each Environmental Science academic is a specialist in their own field, successful in winning external research funding with many peer-reviewed publications.
• Particular strengths include environmental modelling, remediation of contaminated land, ecology, soil hydrology and geochemistry.

 

 

Career opportunities and profiles  

Nottingham graduates are widely regarded as being well-trained and of high quality, and are in an excellent position to obtain rewarding and well paid jobs. We have graduates working in environmentally related fields all over the world !

Latest available data (for 2010) show that over 79% of School of Biosciences graduates are in full time paid employment six months after graduation or have gone on to further study. 

Graduates in environmental science are ideally suited for employment in environmental consultancies, local authorities, government agencies and industry. Graduates often go on to research degrees in environmentally-related areas.

Career Profile:-

After graduating from the BSc in Environmental Sciences in 1999, Rupert Hough continued at Nottingham to undertake a PhD aimed at assessing the health risks associated with living on contaminated land. After completing this project in 2002, his interest in health assessment led him to the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine where he worked as part of the co-ordination team for a large European Union funded project assessing cancer risk due to arsenic in drinking water. In 2005, Rupert was appointed by Cranfield University as Project Manager for a UK-based consortium investigating bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated land and risk assessment. Rupert is now a researcher at the Macauley Land Use institute in Aberdeen. Rupert has found that his Nottingham degrees provide him with the skills and confidence to tackle his own research agenda. 

 

Entry information  

The School welcomes applications from prospective students of all ages and from all countries. Candidates should have at least two science subjects at A level (can include maths and geography, but not psychology or economics), or equivalent. (Access courses, BTEC, HND, International or European Baccalaureates or Scottish Highers/Scottish Qualifications Certificate).

International & EU students: English Language requirements: IELTS score of 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in each element, or equivalent.

For the European studies degree, a minimum of a second modern language to grade B at GCSE or equivalent in the language of the host institution, is normally required.

Course structure

• Our degree structure offers an excellent balance of the core disciplines of environmental science as identified by the Government subject benchmarking statements.
• Students can choose to specialise further in several different areas (e.g. environmental chemistry, ecology etc.) depending on their own interests.
• The course is very flexible - after gaining core skills students can specialise by choosing modules that suit their interests.

In addition to providing a solid academic and practical grounding, our emphasis is on teaching realistic and transferable skills; for example, students gain experience in writing research papers, reports, and public speaking.

Fieldwork is an essential part of the training, and as such, we provide many opportunities for fieldwork both as components within individual modules and as residential field courses to a variety of locations in the UK including Scotland, Devon, Sweden and the Czech Republic.

Core and optional modules commonly taken by Environmental Science students over the duration of the course are shown below; more information about each module is available in the University Module Catalogue -  just choose 'Biosciences' in the 'Select an administering School' search box to see a full list; click on the module code for details. 

 

The research project  

BSc Final Year Project: During the final year of the BSc students work closely with an academic supervisor to develop a research project which is often linked to current environmental research programmes. The project encourages critical thinking and involves a detailed literature survey, data collection, analysis and interpretation.

Recent Research Projects include:

• Phytoremediation of contaminated soil
• The effect of phosphogypsum on soil development
• Reduction of atmospheric pollutant concentrations by hedgerows
• Hazard assessment of heavy metal uptake to plants
• Ecological impacts of veterinary drugs
• Environmental impacts of renewable energy sources
• The link between global warming and malaria
• Predicting invasion of non-native plant species

Read BURN our Biosciences Undergraduate Research web site to find out more about research projects.

Fourth Year of MSci Programme : The MSci 4th year covers a theoretical and practical understanding of advanced research methods relevant to environmental science.We teach skills including project design and management, communication to scientific audiences, and advanced research methods. Students undertake a substantial research project under the supervision of an academic member of staff. This degree is designed for students who would like to gain advanced skills, a Masters level qualification and/or wish to pursue a research career in industry, a research institute or in academia.

 

Industry Placement  

You have the option of taking a year out in industry as a paid employee, and our Placement Officer will help you to set up this placement. Read students' experiences

  

International Study Options  

• Combining these courses with the Certificate in European Studies offers the additional advantages of providing science graduates with language skills and experience of European culture. Students spend their third year studying Environmental Science at a partner European university in another language. The placement in mainland Europe encourages personal development through first-hand experience of cultural, social and political issues in the European Union.
• The University of Nottingham is a member of the prestigious Universitas 21 group. Each year students can apply to spend a semester studying at an overseas university, including institutions in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA & China!
• You can also spend a year or a semester studying Environmental Science at our Malaysia Campus.
• Fancy a year out in the UK? Students can apply for working placements with employers such as the Environment Agency.

Further details 

 

Location and facilities  

This course is taught mainly at the University Park Campus . As one of the largest and most attractive campuses in the UK, University Park features contemporary teaching facilities, halls of residence, a conference and exhibition centre, and an award-winning main library.

The hub of student life is the newly extended Portland Building, housing the Students Union, the International Students Bureau and a number of shops, banks, bars and restaurants. All this is just a short bus or bike ride from the city centre.

 

Financial information  

See this link for up-to-date financial advice and information  

 

Contact us  

The School welcomes applications from prospective students of all ages and from all countries.

If you would like further information about any aspects of this course, or have a specific enquiry, please contact the admissions tutor directly:-

Dr Liz Bailey
Environmental Sciences, School of Biosciences

The University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, LE12 5RD 

Tel: +44 (0) 115 951 6255
Fax: +44 (0) 115 951 6261
E-mail: liz.bailey@nottingham.ac.uk

 

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