BSc (Hons) Environmental Science and Sustainability Bachelor's degree at the University of Derby

The modern concept of sustainability is still young and our understanding of the idea and how to put it into practice is evolving. Working in this context requires a skillset to address complex problems, working with a variety of people and contemplating alternative futures. This module will introduce the concept of sustainability and examine the interconnectedness of humans and the environment. Students will be supported to develop key competencies for sustainability, as identified by UNESCO, notably systems thinking, understanding and evaluation of multiple futures, normative competencies (including reflective practice) and collaboration. Sustainability is an inherently interdisciplinary u

Assessment: Coursework

This module will introduce the current environmental issues that provide the greatest challenges to today’s global society. Environmental Geography deals explicitly with the relationships between people and the Natural Environment. The module will cover several key themes including the impact of population growth on the environment, the conflicts between population growth/land use/conservation programmes, the competition for food and water, the environmental impact of climate change, the potential loss of biodiversity, and the impact of pollution on the human population. The module will also include field visits that will illustrate some of these issues.

Assessment: Coursework, Exam

Ecology is the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings. This module develops a basic understanding of the fundamental ideas and concepts that have been used to understand these interactions and the consequential distribution and abundance of species. The module will explore these aspects at different levels ranging from a focus on the individual up to full communities. The practical side of the module will introduce students to field techniques useful for both practical and scientific ecological investigations. The module will therefore form a sound basis of knowledge for studying ecological topics in the second and third

Assessment: Coursework, Exam

The aim of this module is to introduce the concepts of reserves and resources. As our society develops and expands, there is an increasing demand for both geological and energy resources. The occurrence of geological resources, such as metalliferous deposits, industrial minerals, and construction materials, shall be discussed to their importance within our expanding urban centres, infrastructure links, and green technology production. This module is delivered mainly via lectures and associated practicals, in addition to a site visit. Assessment is 100% coursework, comprising a group research project and personal portfolio.

Assessment: Coursework

During this module, students will gain an understanding of the complex processes and interactions within and between Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. Starting from first principals, students shall learn how internal and external processes and feedbacks, at a range of scales, control the redistribution of solar energy around the globe. Natural climate variability will be studied at timescales from geological to annual. Having established the history and controls on natural climatic variations, students will progress to consider the impacts of anthropogenically driven climate change. In this phase of the module, students will study decadal scale and regional climatic oscillations such as El Niño

Assessment: Coursework, Exam

This module studies the 4.6-billion-year evolution of Earth. Starting with Earth’s formation, the module adopts an Earth systems approach, drawing on multiple lines of evidence to document the geological, earth surface and biological processes that have formed the planet we see today. Our journey pauses at key events in Earth’s evolution, employing case-studies to examine and understand the underlying driving mechanisms of change. Students will consider the story of life from its origin, through the rise and fall of the dinosaurs, and concluding with recent human evolution. The co-evolution and co-dependence of environments and life requires that students utilise sedimentology and palaeontol

Assessment: Coursework, Exam

This module introduces students to the range of biodiversity on the planet, including lower and higher plants, insects and spiders, fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. In addition to covering the classification and biology of these groups, wider evolutionary topics will be covered. These will include co-evolution of plants and animals and the causes of extinction, as well as fundamental anatomical and physiological concepts. Students will learn about systematic processes, identification skills and some aspects of the biology and ecology of the animals and plants that they study. This module forms a useful base for other modules as well as providing fundamental knowledge and skills that a

Assessment: Coursework, Exam

In this module, students will learn to evaluate data types and sources in the social, natural, and physical sciences. The module focuses on both quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Students are introduced to analysis approaches of qualitative data (verbal and non-verbal), and to descriptive and inferential statistical tests for quantitative data. Students develop skills in applying these analytical methods and interpreting and presenting the outputs. Analysis methods are linked to scientific study designs and data collection methods addressed in other modules, to support effective project planning. Data sources will be discussed, including primary, secondary and big data sources. Stu

Assessment: Coursework

This module will give students an overview of the theory, principles, and application of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and remote sensing. This module will include sessions on the basic principles of GIS and will give students the opportunity to learn and practice using GIS software. It will also include sessions on the basic principles of remote sensing and will give students the opportunity to interpret and process remote sensing data. The module will also include working on a live brief provided by an external company. This will require students to apply their learnt skills to a real-world application.

Assessment: Coursework

All human activity has an environmental impact, and as awareness of the negative impact of anthropogenic change has grown, so has national and international legislation, accreditation and ethical paradigm. This module will cover the principles upon which legislation is based, and methods of compliance and monitoring. Alongside the legal responsibilities, the benefits to businesses in engaging with accreditation and ethical schemes such as Forest Stewardship Council, Fairtrade and the UN Sustainable Development Goals will be explored. The module will range from local to international approaches, in tune with global business and the rise in supporting local enterprises.

Assessment: Coursework

This module will introduce current discussions of sustainable cities highlighting the challenges and opportunities of the rapidly urbanisation taking place all across the world. The module will provide understandings of the complex systems of people, resources and environment within urban areas. It will look at several themes pertaining to water, housing, energy, infrastructure, food, and economic, municipal and social planning systems. Learning and critically evaluating contemporary debates about sustainable urban spaces, with a specific focus on the human and physical processes shaping urban ecologies and environments. To help understand the concepts of smart cities, going beyond technolog

Assessment: Coursework

The diversity of terrestrial and aquatic life can be divided into several large, distinct regions, biomes that are characterised by their plant and animal life. This module will consider this diversity, explore the underlying reasons for it and how plants and animals are adapted life in different biomes. The interactions of organisms within biomes will be considered. The module aims to develop an understanding of the impact of abiotic/biotic factors on the characteristics of life in different biomes. This is contextualised in terms of the impact of human activities and resilience of natural systems to unsustainable practices.

Assessment: Coursework

Over the last 20 years, land management has moved in a new direction, where nature is quantitatively valued for the benefits it provides to people. These benefits are called ‘ecosystem services’. This way of thinking about the natural world allows nature to be integrated with economic, political and social considerations that inform land management at large and small scales. Ecosystem service assessment is still a fairly new and rapidly developing field in policy and research. The module will explain the origins of the ecosystem services approach, the disciplines involved, and the practical application in research and in current policy and land management. Different approaches to valuation o

Assessment: Coursework

This module reviews energy provision in the UK and globally. For each mode of energy provision, case studies, at a range of scales, are employed to assess the environmental, societal, security and financial implications of energy production. Current UK Energy Policy is reviewed and the issue of energy poverty is addressed. Carbon mitigation and energy storage strategies are considered as integrated components of a secure, sustainable, energy mix. A field site visit to view and assess how renewable energy can be successfully used to meet our energy needs.

Assessment: Coursework

This module develops a holistic and transdisciplinary approach to understanding water resources and water transfer processes along hydrological pathways linking the vadose (surface) and phreatic (subsurface) zones. Understanding water transfer processes and pathways is critical in developing sustainable water utilisation and management strategies against a backdrop of competing supply, demand and water quality issues, in both the urban and rural domains. The pivotal roles played by geology, climate and human agency is also considered in the context of an increasing need to maintain potable supplies of water, address water quality issues and develop sustainable wastewater strategies across co

Assessment: Coursework

This module will expand upon geological resources that can be utilised to help ensure a sustainable future for our planet and society. Topics that shall be covered in this module include metals needed for production of green technologies, geothermal energy, carbon sequestration, alternative energy sources, and soil. Understanding how to explore for these geological resources, how we use or extract them, and the potential environmental impacts is important for responsible extraction. As a result, extraction methods, environmental impacts, monitoring, and remediation shall be discussed in addition to sustainability concepts, such as circular economy and materials stewardship.

Assessment: Coursework

This module forms part of the placement year typically completed between the second and final stage of a degree programme. The module provides a framework for the development of reflective skills appropriate to all areas of professional practice including for example aspects of problem solving such as objective setting, planning, negotiating, demonstrating, and reflecting. The emphasis in this module is on the analysis and evaluation of work completed within the organisation and future employability planning. During the module students will develop a reflective portfolio where they record the skills, knowledge and experience developed during the placement experience and evaluate how this wil

Assessment: Coursework

This module provides an opportunity for students to put their learning into practice within a professional environment through undertaking an industrial based project. Students will work with recognised organisations on appropriate sustainability projects that are relevant to business and/or society. Students will be mentored by a University supervisor and a key contact within the professional organisation. Projects may form part of a larger initiative but will be discrete enough to allow students to demonstrate their ability to take a project through from start to finish. The assessment requires students to produce a range of relevant outputs (such as a blog, reports, posters, executive sum

Assessment: Coursework

This module represents an opportunity for students to exercise initiative, creative thinking, time management and organisational skills in the pursuit of an independent (but tutor supported) piece of research work of their own choosing (subject to approval on academic, safety and ethical grounds). It is a continuation of the process of Personal Development Planning (PDP) initiated in level 4 and 5, to develop an advanced skill-set which will enhance the ‘graduateness’ and employability of students. Central to the research study will be a degree of problem solving, the formulation and testing of hypotheses and the critical evaluation of relevant theory. The research can, if required, be under

Assessment: Coursework

The business world is now grappling with the need to embrace environmental sustainability. Legislation and changes in consumer priorities are driving this direction of travel. This can be seen in the rebranding of fossil fuel companies to energy, the accelerated development of electric cars, the discussions around carbon footprint of food and the use of charismatic mega fauna and iconic landscapes in promoting business goods and services. Underneath the surface, what are businesses doing, and what is the potential for reducing and mitigating environmental impact and perhaps even becoming environmentally positive in impact? This module will look at the current practices and opportunities for

Assessment: Coursework

The overall aim of this module is to explore theoretical arguments and analysis of food security within the context of (a) historical inequalities and power relations between richer and poorer nations; (b) global agri-food systems that shape world food production, consumption and distribution; (c) entitlement to food at an individual and at a household level; and (d) global food futures and sustainability within emerging knowledge of water shortages, environmental degradation, climate change. Whilst students will gain insights into global behaviour regarding food relations, the module will specifically draw on case studies from global south countries to illustrate any of the above. This modu

Assessment: Coursework

This module aims to develop a sound understanding of the nature and causes of climate change. By way of introduction, attention is focussed upon the nature and causes of climate change over the past 11,000 years, with consideration given to the mid-Holocene climatic optimum, the Little Ice Age, Medieval warm period, and the post-Industrial Revolution period. Attention then focuses on the late twentieth/early twenty-first-century climate. The role of various internal and external forcing mechanisms is considered. A critical analysis of the range of adaptation strategies that society might adopt is provided To develop an understanding of the relationships between climate change, its impacts an

Assessment: Coursework

Ever increasing pressures are being placed on the natural environment whilst at the same time there is a necessity to maintain global biodiversity. It will only be possible to achieve both in a crowded world by carefully managing selected areas for their wildlife. Such management, if carried out scientifically, has the potential not only to maintain or enhance biodiversity but to restore it. This module looks at the ecological principles behind the management of habitats for their biodiversity. It takes a scientific evidence-based approach to habitat management, translating ecological theory into hands-on practical management.

Assessment: Coursework

This module introduces the learner to the role of an ecological consultant, a relevant and established career path for graduates with ecological specialisms and growth sector for jobs. Building on skills learned at level 4 and 5 the module will examine key elements and skills required to start a career in the discipline. Students will be introduced to a series of survey techniques including phase 1 habitat surveys and survey techniques for a range of species and taxonomic groups. This content will be complemented by site assessment and report writing skills designed to ensure that learners can meet the exacting requirements of a professional report. The delivery will consist of a range of le

Assessment: Coursework

The imminent transition to a global net-zero carbon energy sector is critical if we wish to avoid debilitating climate change for our planet. This level L6 module aims to teach students the critical skills required to be a part of the solution to climate change. Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of exploring and modelling low-carbon and carbon-negative energy systems (e.g. geothermal, and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)). The module will teach students about subsurface characteristics and processes critical to net-zero Earth energy systems (e.g. heat flow, CO2-rock interactions), as well as provide students with a rare opportunity to gain highly employable skills in making and

Assessment: Coursework

This module aims to provide a route for individual learners to undertake an activity or range of activities that allow them to achieve specific learning goals. The module allows students to take responsibility for their own learning needs, effectively building on their existing skills and experiences as a basis for engagement in more in-depth learning relevant to their degree, personal development and future career plans. Student learners will be paired with an advisor (and sometimes a mentor) and will negotiate a learning contract that identifies what they want to achieve and how they will be assessed (subject to the requirements and standards of the University and the QAA). As such the mod

Assessment: Coursework

This module aims to build understanding of geo/environmental hazards through historical and contemporary case studies. Examples will also be investigated through fieldwork. Students will assess the primary and secondary effects of geo/environmental hazards on the environment and society to understand the concepts of risk, vulnerability, and resilience. Students will evaluate methods of hazard assessment, monitoring, management, mitigation, and communication. As geo-environmental hazards lie at the interface of society and the natural environment, students will develop an interdisciplinary approach spanning the social and natural sciences. With staff guidance, students will select an appropri

Assessment: Coursework