Program Overview

BSc Environmental Science - 2026 entry

Overview

Learn the science behind Earth’s amazing complexity and its environmental processes. Take a hands-on approach to the collection and analysis of environmental data in the field and laboratory. You will develop a wide range of practical skills to increase your employability, from working with satellite data and using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to guide real-world environmental decision-making.

Entry requirements

• Typical offer: A-Level: AAB - ABB, IB: 34/665 - 32/655, BTEC: DDD-DDM
• Contextual offers: A-Level: BBB - BBC, IB: 30/555 - 28/554, BTEC: DDM - DMM
• Required subjects: B in one of the following Science subjects: Biology/Human Biology, Chemistry, Computing, Design and Technology, Electronics, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Geography, Geology, Life and Health Sciences (Double Award only), Marine Science, Maths/Pure Maths/Further Maths, Physical Education, Physics, Psychology, Science (applied), Sport Science, Statistics
• GCSE: C or 4 in English Language
• Access to HE: 30 L3 Credits at Distinction Grade and 15 L3 credits at Merit Grade - 24 L3 Credits at Distinction Grade and 21 L3 credits at Merit Grade
• T-Level: Distinction in Design and Development for Engineering & Manufacturing, with a GCE A-Level grade B in one of the required Science subjects

Course content

• Year 1:
  • 90 credits of compulsory modules, 30 credits of optional modules
  • Compulsory modules:
    • Earth System Science
    • Global Issues in Environmental Science
    • Environmental Science Tutorials
    • Marine and Environmental Science Field Course
    • Introduction to data science
    • A Legal Foundation for Environmental Protection
  • Optional modules:
    • The Geography of Cornwall
    • Atmospheric and Oceanic Systems, Their Interactions and Importance
    • Biodiversity and its Conservation
    • Society, Environment and Energy
    • Quantitative Methods for GeoScientists
    • Key Concepts in Politics and International Relations
    • Environment, Society and Business
• Year 2:
  • 90 credits of compulsory modules, 30 credits of optional modules
  • Compulsory modules:
    • Geographical Information Science and Systems
    • Remote Sensing for Environmental Management
    • Environment and Sustainability on the Isles of Scilly
    • Second Year Tutorials
    • Research Design and Methods
    • Environmental Regulation and Redress
  • Optional modules:
    • Introduction to Ecological Consultancy
    • Landscape Evolution
    • Rural Social Issues
    • Biogeography
    • Ice Sheets: Glaciology, Climate and the Oceans
    • Waste and Society
    • Social and Cultural Geographies
    • Physical Ocean Processes
    • People and Nature
    • Green Politics in Theory and Practice
    • Climate Change: The Physical Basis of the IPCC
    • Conservation Science
    • Political Economy
    • Grand Geoenvironmental Challenges
    • Mathematics of the Environment
    • Ecological Economics
    • Green Consultants
• Year 3:
  • 45 credits of compulsory modules, 75 credits of optional modules
  • Compulsory modules:
    • Dissertation in Environmental Science
  • Optional modules:
    • Ocean Management and Conservation
    • Politics, Mining and Sustainable Development
    • Climate Change and Society
    • Quaternary Environmental Change
    • Marine Climate and Environmental Change
    • Arctic Frontiers: Can We Preserve the Arctic Environment?
    • Biological Oceanography
    • Human-Animal Interactions
    • Marine and Coastal Social-ecological systems
    • Geography, Environment and Society Field Course
    • Antarctica and the Southern Ocean
    • Transforming Energy Systems
    • Themes in Climate Change
    • Sustainable Cities
    • Business and Human Rights Law
    • Corporate Law, Theory and Governance
    • Law and Policy for Sustainable Organisations
    • Ecological Responses to Climate Change
    • Green Consultants

Course variants

• BSc Environmental Science with Professional Placement: UCAS code F753, duration 4 years, campus Penryn Campus, discipline Environmental Science
• BSc Environmental Science with Study Abroad: UCAS code F752, duration 4 years, campus Penryn Campus, discipline Environmental Science

Fees

• Tuition fees for 2025 entry: UK students £9,535 per year, International students £30,900 per year
• Year abroad: 15% of the maximum fee for that year
• Professional placement year: 20% of the maximum fee for that year

Fieldwork

• Fieldwork is an integral part of the programme, with several modules including day and residential field courses in the UK and further afield
• Field trips are embedded into modules throughout the degree to give students a first-hand understanding of the subject
• Students will develop key field skills, enable them to put them into practice and gain new research skills

Learning and teaching

• How will I learn?: Lectures, seminars, tutorials, hands-on interactive learning, field work, laboratory sessions, independent study, embedded GIS, remote sensing and data analysis
• Where will I learn?: Penryn Campus in Cornwall
• Academic support: Excellent student-to-staff ratios, small group tutorials and accessible staff
• Assessment: Assessment methods vary depending on module choice, but are likely to include exams and coursework-based assessment

Your future

• Employer-valued skills: Data gathering, information retrieval, problem solving, project planning and management, organising and communicating information, report production and presentation
• Membership of the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES): Upon graduation, students will receive a certificate stating that they have completed a course accredited by the IES
• Career paths: Environment, health, conservation, education, third sector work, culture and heritage and community work
• Recent graduates are now working as: Chartered and certified accountants, business and related research professionals, data analysts, brokers, property, housing and estate managers, marketing associate professionals, estimators, valuers and assessors, project support officers, primary and secondary education teaching professionals, information technology professionals
• Recent graduates are now working for: Babcock International, BNP Paribas, Centrica, Environment Agency, Ernst & Young, European Space Agency, NHS, Ordnance Survey, Oxborough Surveyors LLP, Skanska, UK Hydrographic Office

Related courses

• Environmental Science MSci: Penryn Campus
• Geography BA/BSc: Penryn Campus
• Global Sustainability BA/BSc: Penryn Campus
• Politics and Geography BA (Cornwall): Penryn Campus
• Marine Science BSc: Penryn Campus
• Business and Environment BSc (Cornwall): Penryn Campus