Earth and Environmental Science BSc Hons

Program Overview

The Earth and Environmental Science BSc Hons degree at Lancaster University provides a comprehensive understanding of the natural and man-made environments, equipping students with expertise in Earth science topics such as volcanology, geophysics, hydrogeology, and glaciology. The program emphasizes understanding environmental challenges and solutions, developing transferable skills in communication, data handling, and analysis. Students conduct independent research in their final year, culminating in a dissertation project.

Program Outline

Earth and Environmental Science BSc Hons (FF68) - Lancaster University

Degree Overview:

Objectives:

The Earth and Environmental Science BSc Hons degree aims to:

• equip students with a thorough understanding of both the natural and man-made environments, exploring the factors and processes influencing today's environment, its evolution, and possible future changes.
• offer expertise in Earth science, including volcanology, geophysics, hydrogeology and glaciology, providing students with diverse specialist topics to choose from.

Description:

• The first year focuses on introducing fundamental themes of Earth and environmental sciences, covering topics like geology, atmosphere, weather, and climate.
• In the second year, students begin to specialize in Earth science-focused topics, with a flexible pathway allowing them to focus on specific areas like geological hazards, soil science, environmental radioactivity, or glacial systems.
• The third year features a core module that prepares students for their dissertation project, allowing them to conduct research on a topic of their interest.
• Throughout the degree, students develop transferable skills such as communication, information technology, data handling, environmental sampling, and analysis.

Emphasis:

• Understanding the challenges and potential solutions in the areas of climate change, sustainable development, resource provision, and natural hazards.

Structure:

The degree is structured as follows:

• Year 1:
• Atmosphere, Weather & Climate
• Biogeochemical Cycles
• Environmental Processes and Systems
• Geology
• Global Environmental Challenges
• Hydrology: Water in the Environment
• Natural Hazards
• The Earth's Interior
• Year 2:
• Aquatic Biogeochemistry
• Beyond LEC?
Steps to Career Success
• Environmental Field Course
• Experimental Design and Analysis
• Geologic Mapping
• Geoscience in Practice
• Soil Science (Optional)
• Atmospheric Science (Optional)
• Year 3:
• Dissertation
• Introduction to Geophysical Techniques (Optional)
• Alpine Environmental Processes Field Course (Optional)
• Climate and Society (Optional)
• Environmental Remote Sensing and Image Processing (Optional)
• Geological Hazards (Optional)
• Glacial Systems (Optional)
• Global Change and the Earth System (Optional)
• Hydrogeology (Optional)
• Hydrological Processes Field Course (Slapton) (Optional)
• The Causes and Consequences of Environmental Radioactivity (Optional)
• Volcanic Processes Field Course (Optional)
• Water Resources Management (Optional)
• Water, Society and the Istrian Landscape (Optional)

Outline:

Year 1:

• Atmosphere, Weather & Climate: This module introduces the physical behavior of the atmosphere, including structure, meteorological theory, observation, and investigation of its role in the Earth's climate system.
Labs provide opportunities for practical measurements and interpretation of weather charts and satellite images.
• Biogeochemical Cycles: Students explore how biogeochemical processes impact the Earth's environment and climate through lectures, lab work involving chemical analysis, and field trips to assess weathering processes.
• Environmental Processes and Systems: Students discuss the physical processes that govern the Earth's global climate system and its influence on climate and environmental change, the characteristics of Earth's surface materials, fluid behavior, and soil development.
• Geology: This module focuses on the geological processes and materials that shape the natural world.
Through lectures and labs, students learn to identify rocks and minerals and investigate the geological history of the planet.
• Global Environmental Challenges: Students explore contemporary environmental challenges, researching and analyzing solutions for key issues like intensive agriculture and fossil fuel combustion.
• Hydrology: Water in the Environment: Students investigate the impact of human development on rainfall, groundwater, and rivers, including case studies and field trips.
• Natural Hazards: This module examines the distribution and hazards associated with volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes.
Students investigate underlying geological and meteorological processes and consider risk mitigation strategies.
• The Earth's Interior: Students take a journey to the center of our planet, exploring evidence for the composition and behavior of the Earth's core, mantle, crust, and their influence on volcanoes, the atmosphere, climate, and evolution of life.

Year 2:

• Aquatic Biogeochemistry: Students will learn about the chemical behavior of aquatic systems, focusing on the impact of natural and human processes on water quality.
• Beyond LEC?
Steps to Career Success: This module equips students with the knowledge and skills to navigate the graduate labor market, develop career plans, and succeed in recruitment and selection processes.
• Environmental Field Course: Students learn field techniques and apply their knowledge to assess the environmental impacts of historical mining activity on water quality.
• Experimental Design and Analysis: Students develop their scientific method skills through designing and analyzing experiments, collecting data, and presenting findings clearly.
• Geologic Mapping: This module teaches students geological mapping and field skills, providing practical experience in collecting data to create geologic maps.
• Geoscience in Practice: Students interpret the geological history of an area using rocks, minerals, and fossils.
They develop field skills and gain knowledge of geologic processes and tools.
• Soil Science: This module explores the nature, properties, role, and implications of soil in the context of environmental issues.

Year 3:

• Dissertation: Students conduct independent research on a chosen topic, developing their research and writing skills under supervision.
• Introduction to Geophysical Techniques: This module introduces students to various geophysical and remote sensing techniques used to investigate the Earth's surface.
• Alpine Environmental Processes Field Course (Optional): Students join a collaborative field trip to Switzerland to study alpine environments, focusing on themes like climate, hydrology, glacial processes, and soils.
• Climate and Society (Optional): Students explore the complex challenges of climate change, developing a critical understanding of its multifaceted problems and potential solutions.
• Environmental Remote Sensing and Image Processing (Optional): Students learn how remote sensing data is collected and processed to understand local, regional, and global environmental changes, focusing on satellite imagery analysis.
• Geological Hazards (Optional): Students explore geological hazards, their causes, forecasting, mitigation measures, and impact on human societies.
• Glacial Systems (Optional): Students gain insights into the physical dynamics and ecological interactions within glacial systems, focusing on mass balance, meltwater flow, glacial dynamics, and interactions with other environmental systems.
• Global Change and the Earth System (Optional): Students explore the Earth's system and how it shapes the climate, investigating the role of human activities and natural processes in global change.
• Hydrogeology (Optional): Students learn about groundwater resources, their role in ecosystems, management, and investigate the tools and techniques used in groundwater investigations.
• Hydrological Processes Field Course (Slapton) (Optional): Students focus on investigating nitrate eutrophication of a coastal lake, applying field

Tuition Fees and Payment Information:

Home International £9,250 £28,675