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BA (Honours) Environmental Studies - Learning outcomes

Educational aims

This broad-based degree in environmental studies combines an interdisciplinary foundation in environmental change with a distinctive social science approach to environmental issues. Your studies will:

  • introduce you to the key concerns and tools of study in contemporary environmental studies 
  • increase your knowledge and understanding of a wide range of environmental processes and issues
  • enable you to develop the skills and confidence necessary to make critical, informed decisions and judgements about various proposals and options for responding to environmental issues   
  • provide you with the materials, support, guidance, and opportunities you need to develop as an independent and autonomous learner
  • equip you with a range of practical, professional, and key skills that can be applied to further learning and the world of work.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

On completion of this degree, you will have knowledge and understanding of:

  • the complex interrelationships between societal (social, political, economic, cultural and ethical) and biophysical aspects of environmental issues
  • the contribution of social science concepts and theories to an interdisciplinary understanding of environmental issues
  • the spatial and temporal dimensions of environmental issues including the distributed causes and uneven consequences of environmental change, and the different scales at which responses to environmental issues take place
  • the societal challenges of responding to the uncertainties of and different perspectives on environmental change.

Cognitive skills

On completion of this degree, you will be able to:

  • interpret, analyse, and critically evaluate evidence of and arguments about environmental issues from a range of relevant sources, including recognising the possible limitations of those sources
  • demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key environmental studies theories, concepts, and principles
  • deploy a conceptual understanding of environmental studies in order to appropriately solve a range of problems and to devise and sustain appropriate arguments
  • select and apply appropriate methods and techniques to review, consolidate, and extend knowledge and understanding of environmental issues.

Practical and/or professional skills

On completion of this degree, you will be able to:

  • recognise and critically evaluate personal views and engage the views of others with respect
  • demonstrate the skills of autonomous learning
  • reflect on the process of learning to evaluate personal strengths and weaknesses
  • identify and work towards targets for personal, academic, and career development.

Key skills

On completion of this degree, you will be able to demonstrate the following skills:

  • accurately and effectively communicate, formally and informally, information about environmental issues to a variety of audiences
  • select, assess, and exploit a wide range of digital practices (including tools and resources) to find, use, create and share data relevant to environmental issues
  • plan, conduct, and present a supervised independent investigation of an environmental issue.
  • work effectively with others in group situations to achieve joint outcomes.

Teaching, learning and assessment methods

You will learn independently, using the following types of study material, provided by us:

  • printed teaching materials 
  • online materials (including textual, multimedia assets, and interactive resources)

We will support your learning with:

  • self-assessment questions and exercises, included in the teaching texts and online materials
  • feedback and guidance from a tutor 
  • tutorials, revision and day-schools
  • email and online discussion forums
  • online study guides
  • tailored support for each form of assessment, via a combination of the above methods.

We will assess your learning with:

  • tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
  • interactive computer-marked assignments (iCMAs)
  • formal examinations
  • end-of-module assessments (EMAs).