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Environmental Science

Entry Year: 2023

2 study options

Environmental Science BSc (Hons)

Key information

Degree
BSc (Hons)
Duration
3 years
Start
September 2023
UCAS code
F850
Institution code
Q50
Typical A-Level offer
Grades ABB at A-Level. This must include at least one of the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Geography, Geology, Psychology, Environmental Studies or Environmental Science. Excludes General Studies.
Full entry requirements
Home fees
£9,250
Overseas fees
£24,950
Funding information
Paying your fees

Environmental Science with Year Abroad BSc (Hons)

Key information

Degree
BSc (Hons)
Duration
4 years
Start
September 2023
UCAS code
F851
Institution code
Q50
Typical A-Level offer
Grades ABB at A-Level. This must include at least one of the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Geography, Geology, Psychology, Environmental Studies or Environmental Science. Excludes General Studies.
Full entry requirements
Home fees
£9,250
Overseas fees
£24,950
Funding information
Paying your fees

Year abroad cost

Finances for studying abroad on exchange

View details

Overview

Do you want to understand and help address some of the most significant threats to our natural environment and ecosystems?

Our Environmental Science BSc programme will develop your knowledge of physical and ecological processes, understanding of critical global challenges including climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation and sustainability, and allow you to explore novel management and policy interventions to mitigate environmental hazards and restore damaged ecosystems. Jointly taught by the School of Geography and School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, compulsory foundational modules are supplemented a range of exciting optional modules in each year, providing flexibility to tailor your study towards your interests and career goals. You will have opportunities to develop both subject-specific and transferable skills including laboratory analysis, statistical methods, spatial analysis and geographical information systems (GIS), effective communication and problem-solving, unlocking a wide range of employment options after graduation. You can also explore key environmental and ecological concepts through fieldwork in the UK and destinations further afield such as the Netherlands and South Africa, before designing your own research project in your final year with guidance and support from our experts.

This programme is based in the School of Geography on QMUL’s Mile End campus in the vibrant heart of east London. You will join a learning community of students and academics, drawn from over 35 countries across the world. Each student has an academic advisor who supports their studies and transition to university. Our student experience and engagement team provide further pastoral care and social opportunities outside of the classroom. The School’s dedicated Careers Consultant offers one-to-one advice and coaching meetings for students and hosts regular employer events on campus that often feature returning graduates from the School.

Structure

You can complete your Environmental Science degree in three or four years. If you choose to study abroad, this will take place in Year 3, and the Year 3 modules will instead be studied in Year 4.

Year 1

  • Ideas and Practice in Environmental Science*
  • Ecology
  • Introduction to Research Methods
  • Evolution
  • Earth Surface Science
  • Getting started in Geography and Environmental Research*
  • Geography in the World

For full details on all of our modules please go to the online module directory

*Fieldwork module. Fieldwork destinations may vary year-on-year, are subject to availability and depend on the module combinations chosen. Overseas fieldwork modules run in alternate years. Places are limited - if a module is oversubscribed, places will be allocated by ballot. Students on overseas field trips are responsible for securing their own visas, if required.

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Year 2

Compulsory

  • Research Design
  • Environmental Research Methods*
  • Ecological Interactions I
  • Ecosystem Science

 

Choose from

  • Diversity of Life
  • Ecological Interactions II*
  • Past Environmental Change
  • Geomorphology
  • Future Coasts*
  • Geospatial Science

For full details on our modules please go to the online module directory

*Fieldwork module. Fieldwork destinations may vary year-on-year, are subject to availability and depend on the module combinations chosen. Overseas fieldwork modules run in alternate years. Places are limited - if a module is oversubscribed, places will be allocated by ballot. Students on overseas field trips are responsible for securing their own visas, if required.

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Year 3

Compulsory

  • Project in Environmental Science

 

Choose from

  • Environmental Pollution
  • Climate Change and Conservation Challenges
  • Nature-based Climate Solutions
  • Climate Change and Climate Policy
  • Advanced Geospatial Science
  • Savannah Ecology and Conservation*
  • Flood Risk Management and Modelling
  • Future Coasts*
  • Volcanoes, Climate Change and Society
  • Behavioural Ecology
  • International Environmental Law

For full details on our modules please go to the online module directory

*Fieldwork module. Fieldwork destinations may vary year-on-year, are subject to availability and depend on the module combinations chosen. Overseas fieldwork modules run in alternate years. Places are limited - if a module is oversubscribed, places will be allocated by ballot. Students on overseas field trips are responsible for securing their own visas, if required.

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Study options

Apply for this degree with any of the following options. Take care to use the correct UCAS code - it may not be possible to change your selection later.

Year abroad

Go global and study abroad as part of your degree – apply for our Environmental Science BSc with a Year Abroad. Queen Mary has links with universities in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia (partnerships vary for each degree programme).

Find out more about study abroad opportunities at Queen Mary and what the progression requirements are. 

Additional Costs

Compulsory fieldwork will not cost you anything extra. Optional overseas fieldwork trips in the second and third year cost approximately £400-£1,400 (based on 2017-18 costs). On some trips you may also need to pay extra for flights.

student profile image
Testimonial

I chose QMUL as I wanted to be at the forefront of research in the environmental field, and studying environmental science in the capital city has proved to be invaluable. I enjoy being part of two Schools: this has allowed me to get to know a wide range of students and staff, as well as feeling like I am getting the best teaching in specific areas.

William Flynn, Environmental Science (2018)

Teaching

Teaching and learning

On average, you can expect to spend eight to 12 hours per week in a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops and practical classes.

You’ll also take part in small-group tutorials, receiving further guidance on the course material and developing your study skills.

In the final year, tutorials are replaced with one-to-one meetings with your tutor as you prepare for your independent research project and plan your future career.

For every hour of classes, expect to do a further four to six hours of independent study.

Assessment

Modules are assessed through a combination of coursework and examination. Coursework may include extended essays, short reports, posters, oral presentations and group work.

Students must also complete a final-year independent study project of 10,000 words, based on an original study of their choice.

 

Resources and facilities

The School offers excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:

  • undergraduate computer room
  • group study spaces
  • geography teaching laboratory
  • field equipment
  • environmental preparation laboratory
  • elemental analysis laboratory
  • river laboratory.

Full details on our laboratory facilities can be found here.

Video

What our students say

Find out what our students think about studying environmental science at Queen Mary.

Entry requirements

A-LevelGrades ABB at A-Level. This must include at least one of the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Geography, Geology, Psychology, Environmental Studies or Environmental Science. Excludes General Studies.
IBInternational Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum of 32 points overall, including 6,5,5 from three Higher Level subjects. This must include at least one of the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Geography, Geology, Psychology, Environmental Studies or Environmental Science at Higher Level.
BTECSee our detailed subject and grade requirements
Access HEWe consider applications from students with the Access to Higher Education Diploma. The minimum academic requirement is to achieve 60 credits overall, with 45 credits at Level 3, of which 15 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. Applications are considered on a case by case basis. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not make offers of study purely on the basis of meeting grade requirements.
GCSEMinimum five GCSE passes including English and Maths at grade C or 4.
EPQ

Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification.

For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq

Contextualised admissionsWe consider every application on its individual merits and will take into consideration your individual educational experiences and context. More information on how academic schools and programmes use this information as part of the admissions process, can be found on our contextualised admissions pages.
A-LevelGrades ABB at A-Level. This must include at least one of the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Geography, Geology, Psychology, Environmental Studies or Environmental Science. Excludes General Studies.
IBInternational Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum of 32 points overall, including 6,5,5 from three Higher Level subjects. This must include at least one of the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Geography, Geology, Psychology, Environmental Studies or Environmental Science at Higher Level.
BTECSee our detailed subject and grade requirements
Access HEWe consider applications from students with the Access to Higher Education Diploma. The minimum academic requirement is to achieve 60 credits overall, with 45 credits at Level 3, of which 15 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. Applications are considered on a case by case basis. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not make offers of study purely on the basis of meeting grade requirements.
GCSEMinimum five GCSE passes including English and Maths at grade C or 4.
EPQAlternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification. For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq
Contextualised admissionsWe consider every application on its individual merits and will take into consideration your individual educational experiences and context. More information on how academic schools and programmes use this information as part of the admissions process, can be found on our contextualised admissions pages.

Non-UK students

We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.

If your qualifications are not accepted for direct entry onto this degree, consider applying for a foundation programme.

English language

Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.

You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.

Further information

See our general undergraduate entry requirements.

Funding

Loans and grants

UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.

Scholarships and bursaries

Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.

Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.

Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.

Support from Queen Mary

We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.

Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:

  • additional sources of funding
  • planning your budget and cutting costs
  • part-time and vacation work
  • money for lone parents.

Careers

This programme will equip you with advanced environmental understanding and practical skills, ready for employment in the sector. Many of our graduates use their scientific knowledge directly, to inform policy or carry out analysis. Others take their transferable skills into diverse careers, from business to health.

Recent graduates have been hired by:

  • Citizens UK
  • Deloitte
  • Environment Agency
  • Jacobs
  • Ordnance Survey
  • WWF

Take a look at our guide with Unifrog exploring where an environmental science degree can take you.

Career support

Students benefit from dedicated careers support, including lectures and tutorials on career choice, getting work experience and presenting degree skills to an employer at interview. We also run an annual career options event with graduate speakers, and you will have access to a dedicated internships coordinator.

The Queen Mary careers team can also offer:

  • specialist advice on choosing a career path
  • support with finding work experience, internships and graduate jobs
  • feedback on CVs, cover letters and application forms
  • interview coaching.

Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.

Data for these courses

Environmental Science - BSc (Hons)

Environmental Science with Year Abroad - BSc (Hons)

The Discover Uni dataset (formerly Unistats)

About the School

Join us and work alongside academics who are committed to world-leading research. From climate change to development to questions of culture, identity and social justice, our research – and therefore your studies – touch upon some of society’s biggest and most pressing challenges.

The School of Geography is one of the top 100 geography departments in the world (QS World University Rankings 2020).

Thanks to our local, national and international links, you’ll have opportunities to work with community groups, environmental trusts and charities, applying your knowledge to real-world problems.

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