BSc (Hons) Plant and Soil Science Bachelor's degree at the University of Aberdeen

This course, which is prescribed for level 1 undergraduate students and articulating students who are in their first year at the University, is studied entirely online, is studied entirely online, takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across the first 4 weeks of term. Topics include University orientation overview, equality & diversity, MySkills, health, safety and cyber security, and academic integrity.

Assessment: Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Transcript as 'Achieved'.

Five themes, critical to understanding biology and life, will be explored – Developmental Biology, Microbiology and Disease, Evolution and Behaviour, Immune Systems and Environmental Physiology. Each theme is structured to provide you with core knowledge, insight into how science is practiced, an introduction to current research topics and skills that are useful for investigating, recording and analysing information.

A walk through the evolutionary tree of life, examining the amazing diversity of major groups of organisms from plants through fungi to early invertebrates. Learn about how each group of organisms arose, their characteristics, and how they achieved success. Practical activities provide hands on experience of materials demonstrating the diversity of plants and invertebrates.

This course begins with study of the physical workings of the Earth and the interactions between living organisms and their environments. We then look at the effects humans are having on the planet, potential solutions to global problems and how these are affected by politics, and thoughts on the future. Teaching is by staff with different subject specialisms who give both variety and immediacy to course material. Exposure to the problems we are facing both now and in the future will help you ma

A walk through the evolutionary tree of life, examining the amazing diversity of advanced invertebrates and vertebrates. Learn about how each group of organisms arose, their characteristics, and how they achieved success. For example what are the key evolutionary steps enabling life away from the water? How do birds fly? Practical activities provide hands on experience of materials demonstrating the features of invertebrates, amphibians, fish, birds and mammals.

Cells are the fundamental unit of life – without them life could not exist, and as such understanding how they function is crucial to our understanding of biology and medical science. This course provides theoretical knowledge in a diverse range of topics covering the fascinating world of cells, from molecules like DNA, to how different cell types function within our bodies. All practical classes are research based and will provide theoretical knowledge and skills training in many areas of molec

The course will help you develop or consolidate skills in experimental design, sampling, analysis, presentation, and interpretation of data. Each week, there are one 1-2 recorded introductory lectures to help you prepare for the computer practicals. In two 2-hour sessions per week you will work through a series of computer-based data tasks, using relevant and realistic biological and environmental themes. The course will introduce you to different types of software which can be used to analyse d

This course builds on themes from introductory ecology courses: effects of biodiversity, disturbance in natural communities, nutrient and energy cycles. herbivory, predation, competition, population dynamics, parasitism, mutualisms and foodwebs. You will develop your abilities to interpret data by applying theory discussed in classes to real-life data sets using short problem-solving exercises linked to each topic. Feedback will help you improve writing and interpretation skills. Extended proble

A course in which students explore both core and emerging issues in the plant sciences, focusing in particular on the inter-dependence of plants, people and environment. The course content is informed by two sets of published '100 Important Questions to Facing Plant Science'. Students are encouraged to develop a range of important generic and applied skills, through lectures and practicals.

Genetics and evolution are inextricably linked and provide the foundation for all other biological concepts. In this course we introduce the subject of genetics from an evolutionary perspective that is informed by genome analysis. A series of lectures and computer workshops will introduce you to the fundamental principles of evolution, genetics and molecular biology. In practical classes you will have opportunity to practise modern molecular techniques. You will also explore ethical dilemmas tha

'The Living Landscape' is a field course (7 days) based at Strathdon, Scotland. The intention is to enhance students' understanding of living component of the environment at a meaningful scale. 'The Living Landscape' is intended to help students to understand species distributions in a wider geographical and historical context. We believe that, in observing and interpreting the 'big picture', students will gain a better appreciation of the past, present and possible future of a living environmen

You will utilise a robust approach to statistical analysis, a skill highly valued by employers and researchers. Lectures provide context, background and step-by step guidance on how to conduct and interpret a selection of statistical analyses. Through a series of exercises, you learn to explore data, to specify appropriate linear models for your research question and to interpret their results. Online tests structured around the exercises and lecture content allow you to demonstrate your achieve

The emphasis of the course is on plant ecophysiological responses, mostly in relation to natural environments. Lectures, labs and an excursion provide a diverse set of learning opportunities. Coursework is based on a choice from one of the practical investigations done during the course. Coursework consists of a lab report and a linked recorded presentation. During each investigation, students are asked to design a simple experiment and sampling regime using plant material and a range of measure

Assessment: Coursework based on practical investigations; lab report and linked recorded presentation.

This non-credit bearing course will facilitate your preparation for your Honours project. Lectures will clarify expectations for project work and provide training in risk assessment, consideration of ethical issues, environmental impacts and project planning. Resources to help you define and plan your project will be made available through MyAberdeen, helping you to be confident that your project planning is sufficiently advanced by the end of your Programme Year 3.

Assessment: Submission of an agreed (with your supervisor) project outline, completed checklists and preliminary risk assessment.

The mixture of applied science and theoretical work on this course places you in a valuable position for understanding the procedures and applications in modern environmental science. A number of laboratory classes allows you to familiarise yourself with the current analytical instrumentation in environmental science. The course uses examples of environmental issues allowing you to understand the problem, how the analysis was conducted and the implications of the results. The main assessment in

Assessment: Practical write up in the style of a scientific report.

Field based course that takes you across northeast Scotland exploring an ancient tropical rainforest, hill farming in action, survey techniques and soil formation. Lectures focus on how soils form, how soils work, soil classification, soil as part of the environment, human impacts on soil, and the use of mapping and soil data to optimise the management of this fragile resource. Your assessments are geared towards developing practical skills.

Assessment: Presentation on a particular soil that requires research akin to detective work, quizzes on soil properties and classification and a critical essay on a selected topic.

This advanced soil science course provides additional teaching of physical, chemical and biological properties of soils in the context of food security and climate change. You will learn a variety of processes that affect soil productivity, accompanied by practical sessions that will teach relevant analytical methods. Plant interactions with soil, in the context of food security and land restoration, are major course topics.

Assessment: Two practical sessions with assignments, a debate and a final exam.

This course examines the role terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems play in modulating global fluxes of energy and matter.