MEnv (Hons) Physical Geography and Environment (with a placement year)

Program Overview

The MEnv (Hons) Physical Geography and Environment program at York University combines physical geography and environmental studies, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of environmental issues and their solutions. The program emphasizes field trips, research projects, and a placement year, equipping graduates with practical skills and knowledge for careers in environmental conservation, policy analysis, and more. The program has received a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework and benefits from the Stockholm Environment Institute, offering students access to leading environmental research and industry experts.

Program Outline

Extracted Information from MEnv (Hons) Physical Geography and Environment (with a placement year)

Degree Overview

• Focus: Understanding physical geography within an environmental context
• Learning Outcomes:
• Analyzing and interpreting environmental issues like climate change and natural hazards.
• Critically evaluating information from various sources and identifying key research questions.
• Linking knowledge from various disciplines to understand the environment and its relation to society and management.
• Independently conducting advanced research in physical geography and environmental geography.
• Analyzing and interpreting data using tools like GIS and statistical packages.
• Communicating knowledge effectively to both professional and non-specialist audiences.
• Developing sustainable solutions to environmental problems.
• Working collaboratively on projects and setting achievable goals.
• Program Structure:
• 5 years full-time
• Includes a placement year in Year 3 or Year 4
• Combines core modules with optional modules
• Emphasizes field trips and research projects
• Focuses on building critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Outline

• Year 1: Introduction to the basics of physical geography and environmental geography.
• Core modules: Core Skills in Physical Geography, Environment, Development and Society, Ecological Principles, Introduction to Global Challenges, Introduction to Research Skills, Our Dynamic Earth.
• Online Academic Integrity module.
• Year 2: Develops knowledge of environmental geography through core modules and optional modules.
• Core modules: Hydrological and Coastal Processes, Glaciers, Ice Sheets and Climate Change, Engendering Change, Research Skills and Project Design.
• Optional modules: Megacities and Urbanisation, Ecosystem Management and Conservation, Food, Space, Culture and Society, Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation, Geographical Information Systems, Solving Environmental Problems with Code.
• Elective modules: One optional module can be replaced with an elective module in a complementary subject, language, or interdisciplinary topic.
• Year 3: Optional placement year.
• Students can secure work placements in various industries and focus on their desired outcomes.
• Placements last between 9 and 12 months, starting during the summer vacation.
• Students receive support from a dedicated staff member and are assigned a placement supervisor.
• Placement year is assessed as a pass/fail module and involves a 3000-word reflective report with supporting blogs.
• Elective modules: One optional module can be replaced with an elective module in a complementary subject, language, or interdisciplinary topic.
• Year 4: Advanced research training and preparation for the final year of the program.
• Core modules: Research Project, Natural Hazards and Mitigation, Sustainability Clinic.
• Optional modules: Energy Transitions and Low Carbon Futures, Atmosphere and Ocean Science, Biodiversity and Society, Pollution Monitoring Assessment and Control, Land Use Change and Management: A Global Perspective, Tackling Britain’s Environmental Challenges (field course).
• Year 5: Further advanced training and a significant independent research project.
• Core modules: MEnv Dissertation, Environmental Management in Practice.
• Optional modules: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Health, Business and the Environment, Ecosystem Services, Conservation and Protection, Monitoring and Control of Pollution, Climate Science and Policy, Spatial Analysis and Modelling for Flood Risk Management.

Assessment

• Each module uses coursework, examinations, or a combination of both for assessment.
• Coursework includes grant applications, policy briefings, practical and field work write-ups, reports, reflective exercises, oral presentations, and essays.

Teaching

• Combines field-based learning, research-led teaching, and traditional lectures, tutorials, and seminars.
• Emphasizes practical work in individual projects and groups.
• Includes residential and day field trips in Years 1 and 2.
• Dedicated staff member guides students through the placement year process.
• Provides access to superb facilities, including purpose-built labs, lecture theatres, seminar rooms, and a living wall.

Careers

• Graduates are equipped with practical and applied skills, excellent communication abilities, and numeracy skills.
• Graduates pursue careers as environmental conservationists, policy analysts, flood risk officers, environmental consultants, environmental engineers, and oil and gas analysts.
• Graduates find employment with organizations like Network Rail, the Environment Agency, Anglian Water, Atkins, the Department for International Development, WSP│Parsons Brinckerhoff Consultancy, and Defra.

Other

• The program received a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework, recognizing its outstanding teaching, learning, and student experience.
• The program benefits from the Stockholm Environment Institute, a leading environmental policy think tank in the world.
• The program features weekly seminars with academic and industry speakers discussing key environmental research areas.
• York offers free online courses, including the subject course "Tackling environmental challenges for a sustainable future."

Tuition Fees and Payment Information:

UK (home) fees: £9,250 per year International and EU fees: £28,800 per year UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status. Fees for subsequent years UK (home) fees may increase within the government fee cap in subsequent academic years. We will notify you of any increase as soon as we can. International fees are subject to increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%). More information For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding. Additional costs Field work is integral to your course and comprises both residential and day trips. In year 1 and 2 there are core residential and day field trips. The travel and accommodation costs of these trips are included in your student fees.

• Optional field trips are not paid for, and you will be asked to contribute to the cost of these.
The destination of our residential field trips are changing. In the first and third year they will be based in the UK; the second year trip will be at an international location. Previous locations include Newcastle, Whitby, Tenerife, Prague, Iceland and Austria.
• The Department covers the costs of flights up to a maximum based on typical flight costs from regional airports bought in good time
A reduced fee will be payable to the University of York for your year in industry, but you will be responsible for accommodation and travel costs for your placement.