Programme Specifications

Programme summary

1. Programme Aims

The aims of the programme are to enable students to:

• acquire the necessary skills for measuring, analysing and evaluating environmental data;
• gain a sound theoretical understanding of environmental processes and systems;
• enhance their employment opportunities for the consultancy sector and government organisations, and improve their competitiveness for PhD studentships.

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

The Benchmark Statement for Geography.

3. Programme Learning Outcomes

3.1 Knowledge and Understanding

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• the range of methods, tools and techniques available to collect and analyse environmental data for practical problem solving;
• the dynamics of key environmental systems, including lakes, rivers and soils;
• how environmental data informs management of environmental systems.

3.2 Skills and other attributes

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• select, execute and evaluate research methodologies in environmental sciences;
• critically assess the theories and concepts pivotal to understanding environmental dynamics and systems;
• critically interpret data to make scientifically rigorous arguments;
• successfully complete an original piece of research on environmental dynamics, dovetailing both theoretical rigor and data analysis (dissertation).

b. Subject-specific practical skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• understand the merits and limitations of different research methods;
• deploy a variety of instruments to collect environmental data in the field;
• conduct a qualitative assessment of environmental systems through observation;
• use laboratory equipment and techniques to analyse environmental data;
• use analytical software tools (SPSS, Matlab, ERDAS);
• evaluate secondary environmental data sources, including web-based material;
• synthesise research results and, if appropriate, recommend management policy;
• interpret, write-up and present quantitative and qualitative data.

c. Key transferable skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• work effectively in individual study and in teams;
• manage time effectively;
• problem solve and analyse numerical data from a variety of sources;
• identify, retrieve, sort and exchange relevant information from conventional and on-line sources;
• cost and plan the resource allocation for a research proposal;
• evaluate the risks involved in collecting environmental data and develop mitigation strategies to reduce this risk;
• effectively assimilate and communicate material of a technical nature in written, oral and visual form;
• use IT (WWW, word-processing, spread sheets, graphics).

4. Programme structure

4.1       (i)         COMPULSORY MODULES            (total modular weight 120)

Semesters 1 & 2                                                                                            

Semester 1

Semester 2                                                                                              

2.2       (i)         FURTHER COMPULSORY MODULE

Semester 2

for the award of MSc only (total modular weight 60)                                                                                             

5. Criteria for Progression and Degree Award

In order to be eligible for the award, candidates must not only satisfy the requirements of Regulation XXI but are also required to obtain the following:

(i) PGCert – 60 credits from modules other than GYP500. 

(ii) PGDip – 100 credits from modules other than GYP500 and not less than 40% in further module(s) with a weight of 20. 

(iii) MSc – 160 credits and not less than 40% in further module(s) with a weight of 20.

With the exclusion of module GYP500 (Dissertation), provision will be made for candidates who have the right of re-assessment to undergo re-assessment in the University's Special Assessment Period (SAP).

6. Relative Weighting of Parts of the Programme for the Purposes of Final Degree Classification