BSc (Hons)
Environmental Science
Understanding how the planet functions
Course Overview
Why take this course?
The Government is putting sustainability at the heart of all its policies. With the continuing depletion of natural resources and other major problems posing a threat to our planet – environmental science is our solution.
You’ll examine the physical and social aspects of environmental issues, as well as develop the practical skills to carry out your own environmental research.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
- Use our state-of-the-art environmental labs for practical work, including our harbourside marine teaching and research facility
- Get the chance to visit the tropical forests of Belize to study terrestrial, watershed and marine ecology
- Carry out a field project in Malta to learn about the country’s coastal ecology
What opportunities might it lead to?
This course is accredited by the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES). It’s the first step towards professional certification which is increasingly required for chartered career progression and for environmental scientists to work in the UK and throughout the EU.
Job opportunities are on the rise in areas such as recycling, waste management and contaminated land specialisms.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
- environmental consultancies
- sustainability specialists
- underwater exploration
- conservation
I liked that the course is very multi-disicplinary. The lecturers are very helpful and most are still active in their own areas of expertise, providing up-to-date information and support.
Anita Carey, BSc (Hons) Environmental Science student 2013
Key Facts
- UCAS Course Code:
- F900
- Duration
- 3 years full time, 6 years part time
- Entry
240-300 points to include 2 A Levels or equivalent, with 80 points from a science subject (biology, chemistry, geology, mathematics, environmental science/studies or physics).
Other qualifications- Fees
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man full-time students: £8,750 p/a*
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man part-time students: £3,000 p/a*
International full-time students: £11,900 p/a*
International part-time students: £5,950 p/a*
*Please note that all fees are subject to annual increase.- Contact
- sci.admissions@port.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 9284 5550 - Department
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Subject:
Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Find out what our students say about studying at Portsmouth, including:
- Fieldtrips in the UK and abroad providing invaluable practical skills
- The open-door approach of the lecturers, many of whom have industry experience
- Superb careers advice and support that is part of your course
Visit us at our open day
Wed 10 Jul
Structure & Teaching
Year one
In the first year of your studies, you will be introduced to a wide range of environmental topics and issues. You’ll also have the option to transfer to the BSc (Hons) Marine Environmental Science after your first year.
Core units in this year include:
- Science for Earth Systems
- Environmental Systems
- Quantitative Methods
- Planet Earth
- Introduction to Oceanography
- Marine and Terrestrial Ecology
Year two
The second year allows you to focus upon particular areas of interest as topics become more specialised.
Core units in this year include:
- Environmental Fieldwork and Analysis
- Environmental Geochemistry and Analytical Techniques
Options to choose from in this year include:
- Oceanography
- Coastal Environments
- Energy Resources
- Hydrology and Freshwater Ecosystems
- Flood Hazards
- Environmental Forensics
- Climate Change
- Scientific and Technical Diving Techniques (PADI-accredited course)
Year three
Your third year will give you another selection of specialised units, as well as enabling you to develop environmental assessment techniques. This is also the year of your final project and there are plenty of opportunities for you to gain valuable research experience.
Core units in this year include:
- Environmental Auditing Assessment
- Environmental Science Project
Options to choose from in this year include:
- Waste Management and Environmental Pollution
- Climate Change
- Contaminated Land and Groundwater Management
- Groundwater Protection
- Applied Coastal Geomorphology
- Environmental Science Study Tour
Teaching and Assessment
The course provides a balanced structure of lectures, tutorials and laboratory work. You will generally be taught in small classes, providing an informal, friendly and supportive atmosphere for your studies.
How are you assessed?
Assessment is a mix of coursework and exams. However, your coursework can take a variety of forms including:
- field work or lab notebook recordings
- reports
- site surveys
- computer-based exercises
- environmental data analysis
- posters
- projects
- presentations
Visit us open day
Facilities & Features
Specialist Software and Equipment
We offer fully equipped environmental labs for the analysis of a wide range of environmental samples
The Marine Station
Home to the internationally-renowned Institute of Marine Sciences
Field Trips
Fieldwork is an important part of our courses
University Library
Our library offers a wealth of information
Specialist Software and Equipment
We offer fully equipped environmental labs for the analysis of a wide range of environmental samples. Brimming with ultra-modern equipment, you’ll have access to our facilities for project work and interpreting field data. Here’s a taste of what you have to work with:
- atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS)
- x-ray fluorescence and diffraction systems
- electron and atomic force microscopes
- plasma mass spectrometers (ICPMS)
The Marine Station
This is the home of the internationally-renowned Institute of Marine Sciences. You will have access to the highest-quality resources and facilities, including a new Home Office-licensed aquarium facility, quarantine and animal holding rooms, research laboratories, boats and harbour facilities for marine excursions as well as diving equipment for PADI courses.
Field Trips
Fieldwork is an important part of our courses. Our trips give you plenty of opportunities to put your sampling and surveying techniques into practice. Some of our previous trips have included:
- Somerset
- Isle of Wight
- Malta
- Cyprus
- Belize
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
Careers & Opportunities
Career prospects
There is a growing shortage of skilled people who can translate environmental knowledge into actions that can make a positive difference to the changing world we live in. This means that your job market is increasing annually and there is a wide variety of exciting roles within the environmental arena.
The majority of roles appear within environmental, engineering and ecological consultancies or regulatory authorities and government agencies. A significant proportion of graduates also go on to postgraduate study.
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- geographical information scientist
- environmental consultant
- spatial analyst
- coastal process scientist
Work experience
As well as many fieldtrips embedded throughout the course, we have exchange links with a number of universities in Europe and beyond, so you can take up the opportunity to study abroad for a few months. Current links include the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain), Universite du Havre, (Le Havre, France) and Adam Mickiewicz University (Poznan, Poland).
Not only will it be a fun and challenging experience, but you will also develop skills in languages, adaptability, resilience and the ability to communicate with a range of people. These qualities will undoubtedly stand you apart to future employers.
The opportunity also exists to undertake your final-year project at a location of your choice, either in the UK or overseas. In previous years, students have been to places further afield to complete exciting projects including Brazil, Canada, USA, Romania, Ukraine, Tenerife, Singapore, Hong Kong, Cyprus, Costa Rica, Zakynthos and Iceland.
Career planning
6.04 minutes
Finding a job is a competitive business, but the statistics show that 89 per cent of our 2011graduates went into employment, further study or training within six months of finishing their degrees.
To make sure you take the right steps on your career path, we’re here to give you help, support and advice throughout your study. Even after you’ve graduated, we continue to give you support for up to five years.
Employers tell us that they want graduates to be able to demonstrate certain skills when they come out of university. Our courses take account of this. We make sure we prepare you for employment through work-related learning, projects, placements and working in simulated environments that are designed to prepare you for the working world.
Open Day
Our next open day is Wed 10 July
VISIT US! Have a look around and get a feel for what it’s like to live and study here. We’ll be on hand to talk to you about your course interests and show you all of our amazing facilities. You’ll also get to meet tutors and other students…
Application, Fees and Funding — find out more