Course summary

Threats to the environment, the foundation for all life on earth, are greater now than at any other time in human history. This course is specially designed to meet the growing demand for graduates skilled in shaping innovative solutions that have a positive impact on the environmental and sustainability issues of today, and those which may emerge in the future. KEY FEATURES OF THE COURSE:

• You'll explore major environmental threats including climate change, loss of biodiversity, sustainable living, environmental degradation and human life, and the disempowerment of people and nature.

• We blend theory with plenty of practical experience. Examples include the ‘Environmental and Ethics Legislation’ module in your second year which includes a minimum of 30 hours work placement. In your final year, the ‘Business and Sustainability’ module includes a fieldtrip where you can experience live sustainability initiatives in businesses.

• You’ll graduate with the core skills in demand; our module content has been mapped against the needs and ambitions outlined in key initiatives like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as national agendas such as the Industrial Strategy, Bioenergy Strategy, and 25 Year Environment Plan.

• This is a research-led degree, which means you'll be taught by expert staff who are conducting influential studies across a breadth of topics - examples of their specialist research areas include sustainable cities, policy analysis, renewable energy, urban green spaces, the impacts of land-use on biodiversity and ecosystems, and coastal change in Ghana. You'll also benefit from guest lectures by world-class researchers.

• Our fieldwork programme includes local and residential trips where you will be able to explore a range of environments, natural systems, and witness sustainability in action.

• You’ll have access to industry-standard specialist equipment and software including drone technology, field spectrometers, a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). You’ll work in modern laboratories and also have access to Cuckoos Tor, a site on the edge of the Peak District National Park and owned by the University of Derby that is dedicated to long-term research and ecological experiments.

• The challenges facing today’s world are complex and won’t be solved through the efforts of a single subject, so the content of this course is inter-disciplinary, connecting you with expertise from a range of subjects to give you a balanced understanding of the factors involved.

• Your first year will introduce you to themes such as global environmental issues, biodiversity, ecology, and earth materials. In your second year, modules include environmental legislation and ethics, sustainable cities, sustainable energy resources, and remote sensing and GIS. In your final year, you'll be able to choose to complete an Independent Study (dissertation) or an Industrial Project, where you can work in industry on a live brief to help solve a real problem. Modules in your final year include business and sustainability, global food security and food futures, ecological consultancy, and climate change: adaptation and mitigation perspectives.

• You'll develop skills in investigative and innovative thinking, problem-solving and being solutions-focused, commercial awareness and sustainable business, data collection and analysis, critical thinking, and project management, to name but a few. All of these skills are in high demand in the green sector of the economy, and are valued by organisations around the world where sustainable growth is a priority. This could include helping them to achieve targets such as moving to 100% renewable energy, increasing their energy production, or improving waste management strategies for example.