Course content

For society to tackle the environmental and sustainability problems we now face, we need people who can grapple with both the scientific and human aspects of those issues. That’s why this innovative course is taught across three different faculties, integrating a range of disciplines including the geo and environmental sciences, life sciences, chemical sciences, politics and international relations, management, and health amongst others. There is a strong emphasis on the development and application of skills, including practical fieldwork and engagement with professionals working in the environment and sustainability sector through work placement opportunities.

This course is accredited by the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES), meaning students can gain free membership of the IES to support their personal and professional development in the environmental sector. This programme is also accredited by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA). Students on IEMA accredited programmes can apply for free Student Membership of the IEMA which provides a range of benefits.

Other Related Courses You May Be Interested In:

• Environmental Science Single Honours
  
• Environmental Science Combined Honours

For more information, please see our Environmental Science and Sustainability Undergraduate brochure.

Course structure

Our degree courses are organised into modules. Each module is usually a self-contained unit of study and each is usually assessed separately with the award of credits on the basis of 1 credit = 10 hours of student effort. An outline of the structure of the programme is provided in the tables below.

There are three types of module delivered as part of this programme. They are:

• Compulsory modules: a module that you are required to study on this course;
• Optional modules: these allow you some limited choice of what to study from a list of modules;
• Elective modules: a free choice of modules that count towards the overall credit requirement but not the number of subject-related credits.

A summary of the credit requirements per year is as follows, with a minimum of 90 subject credits (compulsory plus optional) required for each year.

Year	Compulsory	Optional		Electives
		Min	Max	Min	Max
1	105	0	15	0	15
2	90	15	30	0	15
3	60	30	60	0	30

Year 1 (Level 4)

In the first year students study 105 credits of compulsory Environment and Sustainability modules and have a choice of one option module from those suggested or one elective offered elsewhere in the University, giving students the opportunity to develop additional skills such as learning a language.

Compulsory modules	Credits	Optional modules	Credits
Studying the Environment	15	Fundamentals of Physical Geography	15
Introductory Geology for the Environmental Sciences	15	Introductory Environmental Chemistry	15
Biodiversity, Ecology and Environment	30	Global Warming or a New Ice Age	15
The Politics of Sustainability	15	Environmental Ethics	15
Greening Business: Employability and Sustainability	15
People and the Environment	15

 

Field courses
Studying the Environment (local area)	Introductory field day to explore the different aspects of environmental science and sustainability at a local field site (1 day).
Studying the Environment (Centre for Alternative Technology)	A residential weekend to the Centre for Alternative Technology, exploring renewable energy, sustainable living and building, and the geology and physical landscape of the local area.
Studying the Environment (North Wales)*	Residential field course in North Wales, looking at the ecology of marine and terrestrial environments and the environmental impacts of historical mining activities, includes a day of lab work at Keele (5 days).

*Note about field courses: these may change depending on factors such as staff availability, staff changes, staff expertise, costs, student numbers, other factors outside of our control (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions etc.). Locations of 'local area' field days change on a year by year basis.

Year 2 (Level 5)

In the second year students take 90 credits of compulsory Environment and Sustainability modules, and have 30 credits of module choice, at least 15-credits of which must come from a choice of two politics-based modules (see below).  The final 15-credit module choice can be from the remaining politics-based module, from the list of optional modules below or from any available University elective.  Students studying abroad for one semester do not take the 30-credit module Environmental and Sustainability Impact Assessment and Research Planning, and instead take 15-credits of this module during the semester that they remain at Keele (either Environmental and Sustainability Impact Assessment or Research and Fieldwork Planning).

Compulsory modules	Credits	Optional modules	Credits
Human Impacts on the Environment: Scientific Perspectives	15	Environmental Politics and Policy*	15
Work Placement module	15	Sustainable Chemistry	15
Health and the Environment	15	Environmental Analytical Methods	15
Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility	15	Reconstructing Past Environments	15
Environmental  and Sustainability Impact Assessment and Research Planning	30	Dynamic Geographies	15
		Geoscience and Society	15
		Research and Analytical Skills	15
		Regional Landsystems	15
		Living Together: Behaviour, Co-operation and Conflict	15

* At least one of these modules must be selected

Field courses
Environmental and Sustainability Impact Assessment and Research Planning (local)	Based in a local country park, students work in project groups to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).  (1 day)
Environmental and Sustainability Impact Assessment and Research Planning (residential)	A residential field course investigating issues of environmental science and management (6-8 days depending on dates of Easter vacation).   In 2016/17 options were the Lake District, UK or Bordeaux, France.

*Note about field courses: these may change depending on factors such as staff availability, staff changes, staff expertise, costs, student numbers, other factors outside of our control (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions etc.). Locations of 'local area' field days change on a year by year basis.

Work Placement Year

Students taking the 4-year with ‘work placement year’ undertake their work placement between Year-2 and Year-3 of their degree programme.  During the work placement year, students undertake a work placement (minimum 30 weeks full time (1,050 hours) or equivalent) with an environmentally-focussed company or organisation. Students take the year-long, non-credit bearing module:

Core modules	Credits
Work Placement Year	n/a

International Year

Information relevant to students taking the International Year is available in Annex A.

Year 3 (Level 6)

In the final year of Environment and Sustainability students study 3 compulsory modules (worth 60 credits in total) and choose four other modules (60 credits) with a maximum of 30 credits of elective modules offered across the University.

Compulsory modules	Credits	Optional modules	Credits
Dissertation	30	Economic Development and Environmental Transformation	15
Clean Technology	15	Trees in their Environment	15
EITHER Local case studies in Environment & Sustainability* OR Environment and Sustainability Case Study*	15   15	Applied Insect Ecology	15
		Applied Fish Biology	15
		Conservation Biology	15
		Natural Hazards	15
		Global Environmental Change	15
		Applied GIS	15
		Coastal Environments	15
		Water Resources	15
		Glaciers and Glacial Geomorphology	15
		Contemporary topics in environmental science	15
		Environmental Politics in the US	15
		Animals and Society	15
		Happiness and Wellbeing	15
		Environmental Crime	15
		Environmental Public Policy	15
		Education for Global Citizenship	15

* Students may not take both Environment and Sustainability Case Study AND Local case studies in Environment & Sustainability

Field courses: any field courses undertaken during the third year will depend on the modules chosen. It should be noted that for many students their Dissertation research is likely to include a significant amount of fieldwork.

For further information on the content of modules currently offered, including the list of elective modules, please visit: www.keele.ac.uk/recordsandexams/az

The module details given above are indicative and will give you a good idea of the range of subjects that we teach. We regularly review our teaching to ensure that the modules we offer are up-to-date; therefore, the modules available to study are liable to change.

Entry requirements

The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the likely offer or range of offers which would be made to candidates along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate’s application. Read more about our undergraduate entry requirements for United Kingdom, European Union and International students.

A Level requirements

• A Level requirement BBC
  

GCSE requirements

• Maths and Science at C (or 4)
• English at C (or 4)

BTEC

• BTEC requirements DMM

International Baccalaureate

• 30 points

Access to HE Diploma requirements

• Obtain Access to Higher Education Diploma with 112 UCAS Tariff points including a minimum of 15 Level 3 credits at Distinction. 

PREPARATION PROGRAMMES FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

International students who do not meet the direct entry requirements for this course have the opportunity to study an International Foundation Year programme.

These courses are designed to prepare international students to enter into Keele University undergraduate degrees.

Fees and funding

Going to university can be a daunting as well as an exciting experience. It can be difficult to understand the true costs of being a student, as well as the financial support that is available to help you meet those costs.

We can help you to manage your funds, create a budget and ensure that you receive any funding for which you may be eligible. We also offer financial support such as the Keele University Hardship Fund and emergency loans.

For more information visit our money, advice and guidance section.

Career prospects

96% of Keele graduates were in a job or further study within six months of graduating (DLHE, 2017)

Keele’s Environment and Sustainability programme is a leader in its field in the UK, offering an exciting way to look at a subject of major relevance to today’s society and to put it into different global contexts. Graduates in Environment and Sustainability might go on to further study, or enter careers in a wide range of disciplines and organisations – perhaps in business or industry where sustainability concerns are becoming ever more part of core business, or with a non-governmental organisation; charity; local, regional or central government; environmental consultancy; or an environmental regulatory body.

All organisations, from private business to local government, increasingly need to engage with environmental and sustainability issues; hence this is one of the fastest growing areas of employment with a wide range of employment opportunities. Previous students have progressed to careers in environmental and sustainability consultancy and regulation, conservation, science writing, national government policy, environmental charities, teaching, transport planning, environmental education and environmental health. This course also provides excellent training for postgraduate study and research. 

To make sure you’re prepared for a range of work, you’ll carry out a work placement and engage with environmental professionals and real world case studies including environmental impact assessments and technical reports, mimicking work in different areas of environmental employment. You also have the opportunity to complete a work placement year to develop further experience as part of your degree.

Jobs that a graduate of this course could go on to do:

• Waste Management Officer
• Recycling Officer
• Nature Conservation Officer
• Environmental Education Officer
• Logistics & Distribution
• Environmental Health Manager Practitioner
• Local Government Officer
• Primary Teacher
• Trading Standards Officer
• Town Planner

Regardless of which career you pursue after Keele, employers will want evidence of the range of skills and personal qualities you possess and which are required for the job. Your degree is clearly important in this respect but don’t forget the extra-curricular activities, positions of responsibility, jobs and voluntary work you may have been engaged in while studying at Keele. These activities allow you to demonstrate the skills and personal qualities required by employers and will be vital in your attempts to secure graduate employment.

It is estimated that 60% of jobs are open to graduates of any discipline. This demonstrates the flexibility of many graduate employers when setting out their academic requirements and that students are not necessarily restricted to careers related to their degree.

Field trips

Field courses are a vital and very enjoyable part of our environment degree programmes, as they provide ideal settings for focused training, skills development and practise. And, importantly, all our compulsory field courses have no additional costs to students.

Through these field courses students gain skills and experience in environmental survey design, plant and invertebrate identification, water quality assessment, soil assessment, sample collection and preservation, and social science research techniques. Our field courses also facilitate interaction between students and environmental experts outside of the university, providing further insight into the world of employment and careers.

One-day field trips and associated outdoor field work feature in multiple modules across all of our environment programmes and residential field courses (e.g. 5-8 days) are held in each of the first and second year. The first year residential fieldcourse is held in north Wales (Snowdonia and Parys Mountain), while for year two the options are for a UK (e.g. Lake District) or overseas (e.g. south of France) location.