Course content
Year 1 - Level C
Investigative and Reporting Skills
Providing you with the core skill set necessary for undergraduate study in a science subject, this unit will particularly develop independent learning. By the end of the unit you will have completed a simulated science-based investigation exercise, demonstrating the application of a range of core skills as an investigative scientist.
Ancient Peoples & Places
You will be introduced to the key thematic studies in archaeology concerning the evolution and development of ancient humans, changing technologies and material culture, and the organisation and development of past societies. You will be introduced to a range of archaeological, fossil, genetic and ethnographic evidence and develop core skills of analysis, interpretation, and reasoning using archaeological data.
Topics in Contemporary Science
You will be exposed to a range of contemporary themes in science, either driven by research taking place within the School or by topical science agenda. The unit is delivered by a seminar series covering all aspects of the science relevant to the School of Applied Sciences. Topical or popular issues are examined and the science that underlies them explored.
Earth, Environment & Society
Key aspects of our physical environment will be explored in this unit, building an understanding of the way in which these interact and impact the human environment. The unit provides a foundation in Earth Sciences and Physical Geography on which detailed knowledge can be built in the second and third year.
Ecological Conservation
The ecological, human societal and ethical issues which underpin conservation ecology will be considered in this unit. You will be introduced to key issues in lectures, and asked to explore them through seminar discussions and fieldwork. You will be asked to consider how these key issues integrate to affect the ecological conservation of a range of case studies.
Practical Skills
The practical and field skills necessary for undergraduate study in a science subject specifically within the fields of archaeology, environment & biological-forensic science will be covered. You will be taught through a series of short courses and self directed learning exercises designed to develop your independent learning skills.
Year 2 - Level I
Ecology & Ecosystems Management
The theoretical principles in ecology and their application to ecosystem management and protection will be explored in this unit. The importance of human prehistoric, historic and current influences on ecosystems will be explored, thus linking natural and cultural heritage.
Applied Geospatial Science
You will develop your expertise and knowledge in the area of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and geo-spatial science. The unit aims to provide you with an understanding of the principles underpinning spatial information science and its associated technology. This unit will provide you with the ability to manipulate and interrogate spatial data of various kinds whilst developing expertise in GIS and modelling. Emphasis is placed on data capture, analysis and the application of spatial information science for geographic and environmental decision making.
Environmental Pollution
This unit aims to develop knowledge and understanding of a range of polluting impacts that human activities have on the environment. It will provide you with an overview of the causes of environmental pollution, the harm caused to the environment and the strategies used to both prevent and remediate negative environmental impacts.
Field Research: Environment
By the end of this unit you will have developed your ability to carry out field based research, appropriate to this course. You will develop an understanding and ability to formulate field research problems, design appropriate research strategies, gather and analyse data methodically and appropriately, report the results and manage the process effectively.
Marine Geography
The geography of the marine environment will be covered in this unit through consideration of the key resources found in marine and coastal environments and their management frameworks, including key factors affecting marine and coastal biodiversity. An important element of this unit is the collection and interpretation of marine and coastal data.
Option units: choose one of the following:
Evolution & Wildlife Conservation
Providing you with an understanding of the factors involved in the evolution and long term conservation of species, this unit considers how natural processes and humans have interacted to determine large-scale patterns of biodiversity and evolutionary change.
Societies of Prehistoric Europe
You will be introduced to the study of early farming societies in Temperate Europe and the northern Mediterranean (c.6000-800 BC). It seeks to provide you with an opportunity to bring together evidence of settlement patterns; subsistence economies; the production, use and trade of artefacts; ritual and burial practices; and landscape change, to provide a sound understanding of how these societies inhabited and manipulated their environment.
Year 3 - Level H
Earth Surface Processes & Landforms
Geomorphological research will be introduced, using selected case studies thereby developing your ability to design and execute research projects and undertake professional practice within geomorphology.
Independent Research Project
The Independent Research Project provides you with an opportunity to gain experience of research in a topic of your choice relevant to your degree and to demonstrate your ability to report that research. Such experience is considered essential for those students interested in pursuing academic and/or professional research at a higher level of responsibility and achievement.
Option units: choose 3 of the following:
Freshwater Resource Management
The theory and practice for issues relating to the conservation and management of freshwater resources will be covered in this unit. It covers a range of aspects of freshwater resource management including sustainable development, conservation and key issues from a planning policy and decision making perspective. By providing a framework for you to actively make managerial decisions, the unit enables problems to be identified, analysed and solutions to be proposed including the promotion of sustainable communities and public participation in the planning process and environmental assessment
Later Prehistoric Britain
By the end of this unit you will have a detailed critical understanding of the archaeology of the later Bronze Age and Iron Age Britain, broadly 1500BC-AD50, in Britain in its Continental context. The unit will provide a broad knowledge of chronological and regional variations within later prehistoric Britain and also contribute to the knowledge and understanding of the development of archaeological theory.
Landscape Patterns & Processes
This unit aims to provide you with an understanding of the principles of landscape ecology, current methods of landscape assessment, and strategic and practical managerial techniques available for conserving semi-natural, working, and designed landscapes. Successful completion of the unit will enable you to recognise, assess and analyse changes in landscape pattern resulting from natural processes and human activities, and to understand how such patterns influence key processes influencing biodiversity and the provision of environmental services to people. You will also develop an understanding of the principles of managing natural resources at the landscape scale.
Marine Conservation
This unit aims to develop practical knowledge and understanding of the conservation and management of marine biodiversity, fisheries and underwater heritage resources. You will also examine the formulation of policy and the legal processes and mechanisms that are applied to the conservation of marine and coastal environments.
Remote Sensing of the Environment
The unit develops your expertise and knowledge in the area of environmental remote sensing, providing a detailed understanding of the principles of remote sensing as a source of spatial information. This unit will provide you with the ability to manipulate and interrogate remotely sensed data of various kinds whilst developing expertise in image analysis and integrated Geographical Information Systems. Emphasis is placed on data acquisition, analysis and the application of remote sensing science for environmental assessment and decision making. Indicative topic areas include land cover mapping, climate change monitoring, coastal management, landscape ecology, habitat characterisation, urban modelling, archaeological prospecting, pollution or hazard mapping.
Emergence & Extinction: Reconstructing Pliocene & Pleistocene Environments
This unit aims to provide you with an understanding of past and current theories surrounding the nature and effects of environmental change during the last 10 million years. Various lines of evidence are considered including geomorphology, palynology, ice cores, fossil flora and fauna and genetics. The course will include aspects of evolutionary theory and will consider theories relating both the emergence and extinction of species to wider environmental change. Consideration will also be given to differing approaches to understanding broad ecological changes and to competing hypotheses regarding both individual and mass extinctions.
Advanced Environmental Law & Planning
In a complex world, functioning legal rules and other governance tools are mainstays of the movement towards environmental protection, security and sustainable development. Laws on permitting, standards, compliance and enforcement mechanisms, voluntary instruments, liability regimes and citizens’ environmental rights all play a part in translating policies, goal and social objectives into reality. In this unit we aim to critically consider the dynamics of the legal and policy applications of planning and environmental law and its role in environmental protection.
