BSc (Hons) Climate and Environment Sciences

About this course

Climate Change is a pressing issue facing society. Rising temperatures and sea levels, near global retreat of glaciers, alterations to precipitation patterns and frequent extreme weather events, climate-induced changes in biogeographical patterns and loss of biodiversity pose threats to current and future societies.

This BSc in Climate and Environment Sciences will allow students to explore many different aspects of climate change in detail. Climate change is the most pressing issue facing today's society and our ability to understand the causes, impacts and potential mitigation strategies is vital for future populations. It is also vital to increase our capacity to communicate this to the public.

This programme has developed in direct response to this clear need for graduates with the knowledge and practical skills required to tackle climate change.

This course will provide a fully integrated study of climate change and climate science. It will cover the scientific, political, societal, economic aspects of the science, with full discussion of cutting-edge aspects of the subject.

This will provide students with ample background and practical knowledge for understanding climate change. The course will deliver extensive practical experience using Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing technologies and field-based learning.

Course details

• Duration: 4 years (full-time)
• Campus: City
• UCAS Code: SCCD
• Grades/points required: BCC-BBC (104-112)

Entry requirements

• GCSEs and equivalents: Grade 4 or grade C or above in English Language and Mathematics/Numeracy
• A levels: Minimum Number of A Levels: 2, Maximum AS UCAS Points: 20, Subject requirements: C or above in Geography or related science/social science
• BTECs: Extended Diploma: DMM
• International Baccalaureate: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications From a relevant subject
• OCR Cambridge Technical: Extended Diploma: DMM
• Irish awards: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications From a relevant subject
• T levels: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications. You need to obtain the required UCAS points from a related subject area.

International requirements

• IELTS: 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5, taken within two years of the course start date.

Tuition fees and funding

• Home: £9,535
• International: £18,250
• Placement year: £1,905 (home), £3,830 (international)

Career paths

Climate Change is a global issue affecting many environmental processes and socioeconomic aspects of life, therefore graduates will have a broad range of career prospects.

Graduates could work for environmental management companies and consultancies such as Mouchel, Amec Foster Wheeler and Applied iGeology; operational government authorities such as the Environment Agency and Natural England; in engineering and surveying roles and in the business and insurance sector.

Roles in science communication and science policy through governmental and non-governmental organisations also offer employability opportunities, as well teaching, the civil service and a range of GIS (Geographical Information Systems) related roles across various (non-environment) employment sectors.

Course modules

• Year 1: Ecology, Methods Skills and Careers 1, Earth Systems, Hazards, Environment Society and Sustainability, Methods Skills and Careers 2
• Year 2: GIS and Employability, Project Design and Management, Cryosphere, Catchments and Oceans, Responding to Climate Change, Impact of Climate Change on Biological Processes
• Year 3: Dissertation, Cold Environments: Processes and Change, Work-Based Learning, Coastal and Marine Management, Environmental Modelling and GIS, Environmental Change, Renewables and Low Carbon Futures, Catastrophic Futures

Learning experience

Teaching will include classroom, laboratory, online and field-based learning. A fully hands-on approach is taken, with emphasis on the development of practical skills across a wide range of subjects alongside substantial knowledge development. GIS and development of computer literacy is an important component.

Assessment

Assessment varies across the course and is scheduled across the semesters. The assessment types include: in-class tests; essays; scientific reports; field presentations and notebooks; poster presentations; and class presentations. Feedback will be provided following the standard university procedure and will include bespoke marking criteria for each assessment type.

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Degree Overview:

This BSc in Climate and Environment Sciences will allow students to explore many different aspects of climate change in detail. This programme has developed in direct response to this clear need for graduates with the knowledge and practical skills required to tackle climate change. This course will provide a fully integrated study of climate change and climate science. It will cover the scientific, political, societal, economic aspects of the science, with full discussion of cutting-edge aspects of the subject. This will provide students with ample background and practical knowledge for understanding climate change. The course will deliver extensive practical experience using Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing technologies and field-based learning.

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Outline:

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Level 4

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Core Modules:

• Ecology: This module provides you with a basic understanding of ecology and ecological characteristics of a range of habitats.
You will study basic concepts, such as species and succession, communities and ecosystems, biotic and abiotic elements, nutrient cycling, populations and diversity and adaptations of organisms to their environment. Part of this will be achieved through field visits to a range of habitats.
• Methods Skills and Careers 1: The aim of this module is to provide you with practical experience in the methods employed by geographers to collect, statistically analyse, present and interpret primary and secondary data.
You will develop quantitative and qualitative practical skills, as well as observational skills and be introduced to self reflection on personal and academic development.
• Earth Systems: This module will provide you with an introduction to the Earth from a geographical perspective and explores how the various global systems are linked and interact with one another.
• Hazards: This module introduces a range of natural, anthropogenic and cascading hazards, including pollution, flooding, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, wildfires, pandemics, heatwaves and human conflicts, etc.
The causes and impacts from these hazards to the physical and human environment are explored, along with the latest adaptation and mitigation strategies used.
• Environment Society and Sustainability: Within this module, you will examine the relationship between environment, society and sustainability in the context of increasing concerns about human impacts on the environment.
You will focus on issues in relationship to population, economic growth, resource use and distribution and social welfare in order to outline different scientific, technological, social and political approaches to handling 'real world' issues.
• Methods Skills and Careers 2: This module will provide you with practical skills in the methods used by geographers to collect, present and interpret primary and secondary data.
You will develop both quantitative and qualitative practical skills and field based observational skills.

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Level 5

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Core Modules:

• Project Design and Management: This module is an introduction to practical project design and management in theory and through structured learning exercises on the topic of Climate Change including project preparation.
• Cryosphere, Catchments and Oceans: This module will provide students with an appreciation of fundamental processes that operate in(and link) the cryosphere, catchments, riverine, coastal and marine environments in relation to climate change.
To equip the students with the necessary skills and techniques that are used for monitoring and comprehending these changing environments.
• Impact of Climate Change on Biological Processes: This module enables you to examine the key biological processes that are affected in plants and animals due to climate change driven biotic and abiotic stresses.
This will include examining from biochemical to organismal processes and their link to the environment.
• GIS and Employability: This module aims to inform research, inquiry and communication through development of geographical skills and provide you with increased professional and subject specific understanding.
It will also introduce you to Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and key methods of data and database management.
• Responding to Climate Change: This module will examine the social and political responses to climate change, through both mitigation and adaptation strategies, via examination of specific topics and case studies at different scales.
To highlight how climate change and responses to climate change are associated with (sustainable) development processes and challenges. It will also provide you with an appreciation of how climate change is subject to different interpretations and solutions.

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Optional Modules:

• Global Issues, Local Challenges: This module aims to provide you with a clear understand of the key issues facing the world, including geographical, biological, ecological, economic, and social threats.
• Ecology Field Skills: In this module you will examine different standardised methods used for ecological censuses and surveys in the UK.
Field experience is provided and different sampling techniques are dealt with in depth during lectures and during fieldwork, with the aim of explaining the quantitative framework on which they are based in addition to providing practical experience of their execution in the field.
• Sandwich Year - Climate Change: The aim is to provide students with an extended period of work experience at an approved partner that will complement their programme of study at LJMU.
This will give students the opportunity to develop professional skills relevant to their programme of study as well as the attitude and behaviours necessary for employment in a diverse and changing environment. This extended placement forms a key part of a sandwich degree. All placements need to be assessed and approved prior to commencement in line with the LJMU Placement Learning Code of Practice. The Code of Practice requires students to conduct themselves in a professional and responsible manner during the placement - failure to do so may lead to the placement being terminated prematurely. Placements are normally for one calendar year on a full-time basis. Split placements of a shorter duration may be permissible. There is an expectation that a minimum of 1200 hours will be spent in the workplace.

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Level 6

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Core Modules:

• Dissertation: The Dissertation provides you with the experience of investigating a research topic under the guidance of an academic tutor.
You will critically evaluate the importance of field-based observations and analyses within the context of the wider literature and develop a wide range of transferable skills in measurement technique, research design, effective communication and group work.

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Optional Modules:

• Environmental Modelling and GIS: The aim of this module is to provide you with a critical understanding of different environmental modelling techniques and to develop skills in the selection and application of appropriate models to investigate a range of environmental phenomena.
• Renewables and Low Carbon Futures: Within this module, you will examine the relationship between energy systems, society and contemporary environmental challenges and how a low-carbon energy future can be achieved.
It will also outline the key factors in moving to a 'low-carbon' energy future in a way that is socially equitable and sustainable.
• Catastrophic Futures: Visions of catastrophic future events that undermine the very basis of survival saturate the public sphere and give rise to a contemporary atmosphere of fearful anticipation: from scientists’ dire warnings about climate futures, to environmental activism, to Hollywood blockbusters.
Yet apocalyptic world endings have a history and a geography, are unevenly distributed, and intersect with other understandings of the future. In this module we will analyse multiple forms of knowing, governing, representing and resisting environmental futures.
• Work-Based Learning: This module provides relevant, stimulating and career-orientated experiential learning to encourage you to develop transferable skills relevant to the work environment and to foster initiative and independence of thought.
• Coastal and Marine Management: The aim of this module is to understand the main sustainability issues surrounding coastal and marine environments.
You will study the scientific principles necessary to the efficient and sustainable management of coastal and marine environments and their application in a wide range of local, national and international contexts. You will also be able to develop the practical skills and knowledge required by professional environmental regulators and consultants working in coastal and marine management.
• Environmental Change: Within this module, you will examine, interpret and evaluate the evidence for Quaternary environmental change using appropriate proxy techniques and dating methods.

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Assessment:

Assessment varies across the course and is scheduled across the semesters. The assessment types include: in-class tests; essays; scientific reports; field presentations and notebooks; poster presentations; and class presentations. Feedback will be provided following the standard university procedure and will include bespoke marking criteria for each assessment type.

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Teaching:

We adopt an active blended learning approach, meaning you will experience a combination of face-to-face and online learning during your time at LJMU. This enables you to experience a rich and diverse learning experience and engage fully with your studies. Teaching will include classroom, laboratory, online and field-based learning. A fully hands-on approach is taken, with emphasis on the development of practical skills across a wide range of subjects alongside substantial knowledge development. GIS and development of computer literacy is an important component.

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Careers:

Climate Change is a global issue affecting a large number of environmental processes and socioeconomic aspects of life, therefore graduates will have a broad range of career prospects. Graduates could work for environmental management companies and consultancies such as Mouchel, Amec Foster Wheeler and Applied iGeology; operational government authorities such as the Environment Agency and Natural England; in engineering and surveying roles and in the business and insurance sector. Roles in science communication and science policy through governmental and non-governmental organisations also offer employability opportunities, as well teaching, the civil service and a range of GIS (Geographical Information Systems) related roles across various (non-environment) employment sectors. Further study, including Masters programmes, will enable you to develop your research skills in more specific areas of the wider climate, life and environmental sciences or you may wish to transfer to an environmental engineering related Masters to develop a more vocational career.

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Other:

• Practical and field activities underpin all programmes in the School.
PPE is provided for all necessary practical work. Residential field trips associated with core modules are subsidised and include travel and half-board accommodation costs. Any residential field trips for optional modules will have costs involved. Locations may be subject to change and also subject to national and international travel restrictions.
• A DBS check is not required for your application, however a DBS may be required for modules where there is a work based learning placement option.
Work based learning placements that do not require a DBS check are available.
• All students are allocated a personal tutor to provide academic support and pastoral guidance throughout all years of study.
Tutor groups typically have 5-8 students, and meet for regular (fortnightly) tutorial meetings discussing course material linked to academic and transferable skills with fellow students.
• The school is fully committed to promoting a learning environment that supports a culture of equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) and has a Disability Support Coordinator, an EDI Coordinator and a School EDI Working Group.
Personal Tutors also play a vital role in promoting awareness of support services for students. You will have access to first class teaching facilities, laboratories and study areas.

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• Home full-time per year: £9,250
• International full-time per year: £18,250
• Placement year: £1,850
• Placement year international: £3,830
All figures are subject to yearly increases. Tuition fees are subject to parliamentary approval.

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Overview:

Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) is a public university located in Liverpool, England. It is a large and diverse institution with a strong focus on providing high-quality education and research opportunities.

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Services Offered:

LJMU offers a wide range of services to its students, including:

Accommodation:

On-campus and off-campus accommodation options are available for students.

Student Support:

The university provides comprehensive support services, including academic advising, career counseling, financial aid, and mental health resources.

Library:

LJMU has a well-equipped library with extensive resources and study spaces.

Student Futures:

This service helps students with career planning, job searching, and employability skills development.

International Student Support:

Dedicated support is available for international students, including visa guidance and cultural adjustment programs.

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Student Life and Campus Experience:

LJMU offers a vibrant and engaging campus experience for its students. Key aspects include:

Sports, Societies, and Lifestyle:

Students can participate in a wide range of sports clubs, societies, and social events.

Campus:

The university has multiple campuses located in Liverpool, providing a diverse and stimulating environment.

Go Abroad:

LJMU offers opportunities for students to study abroad and gain international experience.

Volunteering:

Students can engage in volunteering activities and contribute to the local community.

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Key Reasons to Study There:

Strong Academic Reputation:

LJMU is known for its high-quality teaching and research.

Diverse Programs:

The university offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs across various disciplines.

Location:

Liverpool is a vibrant and culturally rich city, providing students with a stimulating and enjoyable living experience.

Student Support:

LJMU provides comprehensive support services to ensure student success.

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Academic Programs:

LJMU offers a wide range of academic programs, including:

Undergraduate:

Bachelor's degrees in various fields, including business, law, health sciences, engineering, and the arts.

Postgraduate:

Master's degrees, PhD programs, and other postgraduate qualifications.

Degree Apprenticeships:

Programs that combine work experience with academic study.

Continuing Professional Development:

Short courses and programs for professionals seeking to enhance their skills.