FdSc Environment and Sustainable Energy

Program Overview

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Introduction

Love nature? Care about the future? Concerned about the fate of the Earth and humanity? Interested in sustainability? Want to know more about renewable energy? Want to gain practical employability skills? If you answered yes to any of these, this is the course for you.

Climate, energy, resource and ecological uncertainty define the beginning of the 21st century. The FdSc in Environment and Sustainable Energy is a unique and multi-disciplinary programme aimed at individuals with an strong interest in the environment, conservation and sustainability science, but with a desire to investigate and understand the carbon economy, climate change, non-carbon and renewable technologies, and the interactions and impacts these have on the climate, ecosystems, ecology, wildlife and human populations.

Furthermore the course offers students the opportunity to develop the employability skill-sets not normally available until higher level study; including GIS (Geographic Information Systems and Science), Data Analysis and Statistics, NGO practice and management in a unique collaboration with the World Land Trust and the opportunity to investigate the feasibility of non-carbon alternatives to meet current and future energy needs. Furthermore we are offering the chance to obtain industry skills like rope access and sea survival, which are transferable across the environmental and energy sectors.

No other programme in the UK at this level is likely to offer this blend of subjects and practical skills. The course was designed with the view to producing graduates that are multi-skilled and employable from the moment they complete the course, but with the knowledge to move onto higher level study, with the flexibility to allow a focusing of specialism and to keep pace with an ever changing employability market.

Program Outline

Course modules

Full downloadable information regarding all University of Suffolk courses, including Key Facts, Course Aims, Course Structure and Assessment, is available in the Definitive Course Record.

Year 1

Year 2

Work-based Learning and Personal Development

Students will engage with local employers in the environmental and or sustainability/energy sector to complete 50 hours of work based learning, personal development and evaluative practice.

Introduction to NGO Management

A unique collaboration with the Suffolk based Non-Governmental Organisation the World Land Trust. Students will gain industry leading tuition from staff operating on the front line of global conservation efforts.

Wildlife and Climate Change

Students will explore the science and impacts of climate change from ecosystems to individual species investigating the mitigation strategies employed by conservation bodies to combat climate mediated decline with particular emphasis on British habitats and species.

Introduction to Energy Systems: Present and Future

Students will compare and contrast the traditional carbon based energy systems with newer renewable sources investigating the costs and benefits of these systems environmentally and socio-economically.

Introduction to GIS and Data Analysis

Students will receive a thorough introduction to two highly sought after, cross industry skillsets. Learning to manipulate and analyse both numeric and spatial data sets utilising free open source software.

Investigating Sustainability

The scope of sustainability is vast. After initial broad ranging lectures introducing the myriad aspects of this fascinating and highly relevant filed, students will be given the opportunity to complete an investigative project in an area of their own choosing.

Restoration Ecology and Ecotourism

Forming a natural progression from level 4 ‘Wildlife and Climate Change’ This module evaluates traditional methods of habitat creation and restoration along with the growing concept of rewilding in all its forms whilst considering the impacts of ecotourism on a shrinking natural world.

Introduction to Ecosystem Services

An ecosystem service is any positive benefit that wildlife or ecosystems provide to people. Students will evaluate the four facets of ecosystem services, Provisioning, Regulating, Cultural and Supporting gaining a true sense of ‘what nature does for us’.

Legal, Regulatory and Security Aspects of Energy Systems

This module will provide learners with the ability to assess and evaluate the relevant national and internal standards as well as legislation and regulatory requirements across the energy sector with emphasis on the environmental regulatory framework.

Intermediate GIS and Data Analysis

This module develops and builds on the skills gained at level 4 and introduces students to higher level statistical and spatial analysis utilising industry sought after programming languages including R and Python. Students completing this module will be competent spatial and data analysts.

Renewable Energy Technology and the Environment

Building on the introductory elements of the level 4 module ‘Introduction to Energy Systems: Present and Future’. This module concentrates on the renewable energy sources investigating their feasibility to meet present and future energy demand and their impacts on the environment.

Work-based Research Project

The culmination of the 2 year programme students will produce a research proposal that addresses an area of their personal interest including a full literature review, experimental design, methodology and proposed analysis, risk assessment and ethical evaluation. This module acts as an introductory gateway to level 6 research practice.

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Career opportunities

The unique and multi-disciplinary nature of this programme ensures that applicants completing the course will be able to access a multitude of career pathways within the environmental, sustainability and energy/environment interface both in the UK and Overseas depending upon their particular interest.

Examples include but are not limited to, Conservation Charities and Trusts, Environmental, Socioeconomic, Ethical and Activist NGOs, Entry level Data analytics and GIS roles in any industry. Environmental, Social and Energy Education Charities and Trusts, Entry level Offshore Environmental Surveying. Environmental/Energy Research, Sustainability, Social and Environmental Justice Bodies and Charities, Environment Agency, Local Council (Environment, Energy and Social), Teaching.