BSc Hons Environmental Science

What you’ll study
This multidisciplinary course includes the scientific study of the physical, chemical and biological processes operating on and within the Earth. You’ll develop awareness and understanding of global and local earth systems.

Year 1

Principles of Environmental Science
Gain an introduction to key laboratory and field techniques associated with environmental scientific procedures and research.

 

Principles of Ecology
Study the interaction of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors in relation to the distribution of populations and communities within ecosystems.

 

Biodiversity Conservation
Explore the biological diversity on Earth, focusing on the abundance and distribution of species. Investigate the theories of evolution, causes of mass extinctions, and conservation of species.

 

Global Environmental Issues
Study contemporary global environmental issues and their underlying causes, including how humans impact the environment and how the natural environment impacts human society.

 

Earth Systems
Learn about the Earth’s surface systems,  processes and geology and develop your understanding of how the physical landscape is shaped.

 

Atmosphere, Weather and Climate
Explore the Earth's climate system, weather patterns and the ways in which these are being altered by human activity to cause the global climate emergency.

 

Year 2

Experimental Design and Analysis
Cultivate an understanding of research methodology, hypothesis testing, statistical analysis, and data presentation.

 

Law and Policy
Investigate the development, implementation and impact of environmental policies and laws. Explore the important theme of protecting the environment via environmental politics and policies, and the ever-increasing issue of securing sustainability.

 

Environmental Monitoring and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
Study the mapping and analytical techniques used in GIS. Explore the applications of technology across a wide range of topic areas.

 

Technical Skills
Gain a grounding in the principles, methods and applications of modern analytical laboratory and field techniques. This module also includes a residential overseas field trip currently to Spain.

 

Sustainability
Appraise the contrasting theories, explanations of, and approaches to sustainability. Review the barriers between the theory and the practice of sustainable development.

 

Global Climate Emergency
Study the science of climate change, consider the ethical conflict, analyse political arguments, and apply reasoning to the resolution of this pressing environmental problem.

 

Year 3

Placement year for students on the four-year course.

 

Year 4

Dissertation

Undertake independent research, under supervision. Focus on your own area of interest within environmental science.

 

Frontiers in Environmental Biogeochemistry

Learn about the latest developments and applications in biochemistry within the secondary environmental, including its effects on, and implications for, humans.

 

Energy for a Low Carbon Future

Investigate how to harness and distribute safe, clean energy from sources that do not deplete with use. Consider the depletion of fossil fuels and the increasing demand for energy and evaluate the choices available for the future.

 

Natural Resource Management

Explore the principles underlying the exploitation of natural resources, and cultivate a critical awareness of the social, economic and political importance of natural resource management. You will also evaluate the complex nature of managing natural resources.

 

Optional modules (choose one of the following):

Water Resources

Study the process by which water and solutes move through a drainage basin, alongside basin management, land use management, and water quality issues. You’ll also look at sustainable drainage basin management for supplying drinking water, covering current national and international concerns in water resources.

 

Applications of Remote Sensing

This module will build on your knowledge of managing geographical information learnt in your first and second year. You’ll learn how to process, analyse and interpret information from a range of existing remote sensing techniques. You'll also obtain information for mapping and spatial analysis using data from both historical and the very latest high resolution sensors.

 

Marine and Freshwater Ecology

You will be introduced to the structure and function of different marine and freshwater habitats, particularly the organisms that inhabit them, and their ecological interactions.

 

 

What are we looking for?

• A-levels – BBC, including a Science subject; or
• BTEC Extended Diploma – DMM, including relevant Science modules; or
• 112 UCAS Tariff points from three A-levels or equivalent qualifications, including an A-level equivalent in a Science subject; and
• GCSEs – English and Maths grade C / 4.

For this course we accept the following Science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Human Biology and Physics.

 

Applicants without A-levels will have their applications assessed for subject compatibility.

 

English Language Requirements

If English isn’t your first language, studying in the UK can be very challenging. That's why we make sure you have the language skills you need to succeed right from the start. We’ve listed our English language entry requirements here and the qualifications we accept. You'll also find information about Pre-sessional English courses on this page.

IELTS

We accept a range of English language qualifications, including IELTS.

You’ll need to achieve the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS.

Please note there are different types of IELTS test available, and it is important that you take the correct one.

Please note we do not currently accept ‘IELTS Indicator’ or 'IELTS Online' test scores.


We've listed IELTS academic test grade needed for all courses in the table below.

NTU School (or course)	Undergraduate (Bachelors) IELTS academic test grade	Postgraduate (Masters) IELTS academic test grade
School of Art & Design All undergraduate practice-based courses School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences	6.0 with minimum of 5.5 in each component This requirement is for Year One entry only. If you're starting in Year Two or final year you'll need a higher grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component	6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component
School of Science and Technology	6.0 with minimum of 5.5 in each component This requirement is for Year One entry only. If you're starting in Year Two or final year you'll need a higher grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component.	6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component
Nottingham Business School	6.5 with minimum of 5.5 in each component	For 1-year Masters you'll need a 6.5 grade overall with minimum of 5.5 in each component. For 2-year Masters you'll need a 6.5 grade overall with a minimum of 6.0 in speaking and listening, and 5.5 in reading and writing.
School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment School of Arts and Humanities (see below for Centre for Broadcasting & Journalism) Nottingham Institute of Education Nottingham Law School (see below for BTC) School of Social Sciences (see below for BA (Hons) and MA Social Work, and BSc (Hons) Nursing). School of Art & Design All postgraduate courses, and: BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing and Branding BA (Hons) Fashion Communication and Promotion BA (Hons) Fashion Management BA (Hons) International Fashion Business	6.5 with minimum of 5.5 in each component	6.5 with minimum of 5.5 in each component
Centre for Broadcasting & Journalism	7.0 with a minimum of 6.0 in reading and writing, and 5.5 in speaking and listening
Barristers Training Courses For the BTC we accept the IELTS, Pearson Test of English (Academic), and TOEFL iBT. We do not accept any other English language test.		IELTS: 7.5 with a minimum of 7.5 in each component Pearson: 73 overall with 73 in each component. TOEFL iBT: 107 overall with at least 27 in Reading,  27 in Listening,  24 in Speaking and 29 in Writing
BA (Hons) and MA Social Work	7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component
BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult) and BSc (Hons) Nursing (Mental Health)	IELTS: 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in Speaking & Writing, and 5.5 in Listening and Reading
All postgraduate research degrees		6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component (or equivalent).
Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (PEAP)	There are entry requirements for PEAP courses so that we can decide how many weeks you need to complete. To comply with Tier 4 visa regulations you must have an IELTS academic test taken at an approved UKVI testing centre.

**Please note that the date of your IELTS academic test result must be within two years of your degree course start date.**

Alternative English language tests accepted by the University

We accept any of the qualifications listed here as an alternative to IELTS.

In most cases the grades specified are acceptable for courses requiring an IELTS 6.5 (with 5.5 in each component) unless otherwise stated.

Please note that we do not accept the Duolingo English test.

Tuition fees for September 2022 entry

 

Mode of study	International tuition fee
Full-time	£15,600
Full-time with placement	£15,600 + £1,385 (placement year)

 

 

Tuition fees are payable for each year that you are at the University. The level of tuition fees for the second and subsequent years of your undergraduate course may increase in line with inflation and as specified by the UK government.

 

Scholarships

We offer scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for your scholarship when you have an offer to study at NTU.

Your future career
As one of our graduates, you will possess a wide range of academic and transferable skills, including research methodology, problem-solving and attention to detail, in addition to the specific knowledge and skills relevant to an Environmental Science degree.

 

The skills and knowledge acquired will equip you to pursue a career within organisations concerned with sustainable energy use and generation, the protection of natural resources, and environmental conservation.

 

Our graduates have gone on to work for many different employers such as:

• Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
• Environment Agency
• local government
• environmental consultancies
• conservation agencies
• private companies.
• You could also progress on to postgraduate study.

 

Placement opportunities
You can choose to take an optional placement year in industry at the end of your second year of study. This work experience will enable you to develop your skills and put your knowledge into practice in a working environment. This experience is highly valued by future employers.

 

Previous students have undertaken placements in organisations such as:

• Environment Agency
• Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
• Severn Trent Water
• British Geological Survey
• Wildlife Trusts.