BSc (Hons)

Geography and Environmental Science

Teaching & Learning

 

What you'll learn

Gain an understanding of how to apply principles of sustainability to cities and the other urban places we live in, learning how cities are dealing with the threat of climate change. You will take a field trip to a European city to examine how the city has incorporated aspects of best practice in its attempt to adopt elements of sustainable urbanism.
Through case studies of a series of contemporary events and media prominent in the public domain, you will learn the importance of the geographical discipline in understanding the world we live in.
Learn, practice, and explore some of the fundamental study skills that you will be using on a daily basis during your time at Leeds Beckett. You will build employability skills which will continue to be developed through your year two placement module, ensuring you are in the best possible position to embark on a successful professional career when you graduate.
Gain an understanding of the origins of the earth, and of key environmental systems, such as the atmosphere. You will study concepts of geomorphology to understand the origins of the earth’s landforms and how landscapes evolve in the context of long-term environmental change.
This module provides an introduction to environmental science and global environmental issues, with particular reference to the science underpinning the control of air, noise and water pollution.
Examine the impact of global, national and local urban policies on the development of cities and how they are shaped both physically and environmentally.
This is an applied project-based module. You will build on some of the core geographical and planning content from Semester 1 and learn to apply this knowledge in the context of two fieldwork projects.
Gain an understanding of how to apply principles of sustainability to cities and the other urban places we live in, learning how cities are dealing with the threat of climate change. You will take a field trip to a European city to examine how the city has incorporated aspects of best practice in its attempt to adopt elements of sustainable urbanism.
Through case studies of a series of contemporary events and media prominent in the public domain, you will learn the importance of the geographical discipline in understanding the world we live in.
Learn, practice, and explore some of the fundamental study skills that you will be using on a daily basis during your time at Leeds Beckett. You will build employability skills which will continue to be developed through your year two placement module, ensuring you are in the best possible position to embark on a successful professional career when you graduate.
Gain an understanding of the origins of the earth, and of key environmental systems, such as the atmosphere. You will study concepts of geomorphology to understand the origins of the earth’s landforms and how landscapes evolve in the context of long-term environmental change.
This module provides an introduction to environmental science and global environmental issues, with particular reference to the science underpinning the control of air, noise and water pollution.
Examine the impact of global, national and local urban policies on the development of cities and how they are shaped both physically and environmentally.
This is an applied project-based module. You will build on some of the core geographical and planning content from Semester 1 and learn to apply this knowledge in the context of two fieldwork projects.

What you'll learn

Develop your employability skills through a ten-week work placement supported by a series of taught sessions. You will build subject specific, graduate employability and intellectual and cognitive skills, develop your professional skills and learn how to reflect on what transferable skills you need for your chosen career.
With increased population, human activities and other natural impacts such as climate change transforming the environment, it is important to understand the factors that determine the abundance and distribution of species and their interactions in their environment. This module covers a range of fundamental topics in ecology, focusing on processes at different scales (individual, population, community and ecosystem). You will examine case studies which employ ecological principles to global challenges such as food security and biodiversity loss.
Develop an understanding of the theoretical background to the carrying out of research and foster the practical skills to be able to carry out research in the social sciences using a number of different research methods.
Building on the knowledge you have gained during the Sustainable Places and City & Society modules; you will explore how changing complex urban problems are addressed in the UK and internationally through policy and practical responses.
This module provides an introduction to remote sensing and the types of data generated, with consideration given to digital image acquisition, land observation satellites such as Landsat and the use of LIDAR for terrain mapping. You will cover data import into Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and consider the range of geographical and environmental applications to which it can be put.
Explore the causes of natural hazard vulnerability (e.g. in relation to flood risk), conducting fieldwork and gathering evidence to evaluate key strategies in natural hazard management. You will be introduced to key theories and frameworks and use these to evaluate a range of alternative pathways to climate change adaption.
Develop your employability skills through a ten-week work placement supported by a series of taught sessions. You will build subject specific, graduate employability and intellectual and cognitive skills, develop your professional skills and learn how to reflect on what transferable skills you need for your chosen career.
With increased population, human activities and other natural impacts such as climate change transforming the environment, it is important to understand the factors that determine the abundance and distribution of species and their interactions in their environment. This module covers a range of fundamental topics in ecology, focusing on processes at different scales (individual, population, community and ecosystem). You will examine case studies which employ ecological principles to global challenges such as food security and biodiversity loss.
Develop an understanding of the theoretical background to the carrying out of research and foster the practical skills to be able to carry out research in the social sciences using a number of different research methods.
Building on the knowledge you have gained during the Sustainable Places and City & Society modules; you will explore how changing complex urban problems are addressed in the UK and internationally through policy and practical responses.
This module provides an introduction to remote sensing and the types of data generated, with consideration given to digital image acquisition, land observation satellites such as Landsat and the use of LIDAR for terrain mapping. You will cover data import into Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and consider the range of geographical and environmental applications to which it can be put.
Explore the causes of natural hazard vulnerability (e.g. in relation to flood risk), conducting fieldwork and gathering evidence to evaluate key strategies in natural hazard management. You will be introduced to key theories and frameworks and use these to evaluate a range of alternative pathways to climate change adaption.

Option modules may include

Study the tools available for environmental evaluation, policy and regulation, and the different contexts in which they operate, evaluating the impact of policies for the economy, society and the natural environment. You will assess the need for greater environmental protection, the source of concerns and the nature and efficacy of different approaches to environmental policy and regulation at international, national and local levels.
This module builds on the year one Introduction to Physical Geography module to examine earth surface processes and geomorphology in more detail. You will cover key geomorphological concepts and look at the relationship between earth surface processes and landforms. You will also gain hands-on experience of a number of earth surface processes as you carry out a small-scale field-based research project.
Study the tools available for environmental evaluation, policy and regulation, and the different contexts in which they operate, evaluating the impact of policies for the economy, society and the natural environment. You will assess the need for greater environmental protection, the source of concerns and the nature and efficacy of different approaches to environmental policy and regulation at international, national and local levels.
This module builds on the year one Introduction to Physical Geography module to examine earth surface processes and geomorphology in more detail. You will cover key geomorphological concepts and look at the relationship between earth surface processes and landforms. You will also gain hands-on experience of a number of earth surface processes as you carry out a small-scale field-based research project.

What you'll learn

Working as a client in a multi-disciplinary research team, you will engage in real-world projects at both theoretical and applied levels. Projects include investigating methods for measuring the thermal performance of buildings, how retrofits can improve the energy efficiency of homes in the UK, energy monitoring and thermal comfort and urban heat islands, to name a few.
Use the research methods, techniques and skills you have gained during your degree to carry out a sustained piece of research that examines current issues or problems in the fields of human geography and/or planning.
Develop a critical understanding of the theoretical, technical and legal principles underpinning policies and strategies for controlling the impact of pollution on the environment and public health.
Working as a client in a multi-disciplinary research team, you will engage in real-world projects at both theoretical and applied levels. Projects include investigating methods for measuring the thermal performance of buildings, how retrofits can improve the energy efficiency of homes in the UK, energy monitoring and thermal comfort and urban heat islands, to name a few.
Use the research methods, techniques and skills you have gained during your degree to carry out a sustained piece of research that examines current issues or problems in the fields of human geography and/or planning.
Develop a critical understanding of the theoretical, technical and legal principles underpinning policies and strategies for controlling the impact of pollution on the environment and public health.

Option modules may include

Examine the emerging policy debates about the ways cities are and should be evolving. You will focus on key dynamics, including the urban form of cities and the pressures of population growth, sustainability, governance and the search for global competitiveness.
Explore the different spaces and geographies of consumption, in terms of place identity, networks of retail and consumption, and commodity chains on a local, national and international level.
Examine the main trends and challenges facing cities, as well as the range of alternative practices which are being discussed within academic literature and experimented with directly by urban inhabitants.
Study the scale and impact of biodiversity loss, conservation theory, and approaches for measuring and monitoring ecosystem changes. You'll examine different environmental organisations and the roles they play in conserving and mitigating against biodiversity loss.
Develop your critical understanding and knowledge of heritage conservation theory and practice and its relation to urban regeneration and renaissance in the UK.
Examine the relationship between women and the built environment, thinking about women as designers, planners and builders. You will also look at the spaces inhabited by women, those designed for them, and those adopted by them.
Develop a critical understanding of the theoretical, technical and legal principles underpinning policies and strategies for controlling the impact of pollution on the environment and public health.
Examine some of the key global challenges that governments face in an increasingly borderless world. You'll focus on three key areas: the threats of cross-border conflicts, the vulnerabilities of the existing global economy that exploits cheap labour and poverty, and the growing health concern of transmission of disease across borders.
Water is crucial for human civilisation. The supply and use of water are threatened by climate change and human use. The supply and distribution of water as a sustainable resource is changing rapidly; you will explore both the threats to water management and some of the projects and solutions that offer sustainable management strategies at local and global levels.
Study our frozen planet and consider how it is changing in response to a warming climate. The cryosphere plays an important role in the Earth system by driving, as well as responding to, global-scale changes. This module will address contemporary distributions of snow cover, sea ice, glaciers, and ice sheets. You'll explore the primary processes that control changes within the cryosphere, identify feedback mechanisms and engage with current research debates. Your numerical modelling skills will be developed to assess changes within the cryosphere and forecast its future evolution. A critical examination of this data will lead you to an understanding of the uncertainty in predictions of glacier extents, water resources and sea level rise.
Examine the emerging policy debates about the ways cities are and should be evolving. You will focus on key dynamics, including the urban form of cities and the pressures of population growth, sustainability, governance and the search for global competitiveness.
Explore the different spaces and geographies of consumption, in terms of place identity, networks of retail and consumption, and commodity chains on a local, national and international level.
Examine the main trends and challenges facing cities, as well as the range of alternative practices which are being discussed within academic literature and experimented with directly by urban inhabitants.
Study the scale and impact of biodiversity loss, conservation theory, and approaches for measuring and monitoring ecosystem changes. You'll examine different environmental organisations and the roles they play in conserving and mitigating against biodiversity loss.
Develop your critical understanding and knowledge of heritage conservation theory and practice and its relation to urban regeneration and renaissance in the UK.
Examine the relationship between women and the built environment, thinking about women as designers, planners and builders. You will also look at the spaces inhabited by women, those designed for them, and those adopted by them.
Develop a critical understanding of the theoretical, technical and legal principles underpinning policies and strategies for controlling the impact of pollution on the environment and public health.
Examine some of the key global challenges that governments face in an increasingly borderless world. You'll focus on three key areas: the threats of cross-border conflicts, the vulnerabilities of the existing global economy that exploits cheap labour and poverty, and the growing health concern of transmission of disease across borders.
Water is crucial for human civilisation. The supply and use of water are threatened by climate change and human use. The supply and distribution of water as a sustainable resource is changing rapidly; you will explore both the threats to water management and some of the projects and solutions that offer sustainable management strategies at local and global levels.
Study our frozen planet and consider how it is changing in response to a warming climate. The cryosphere plays an important role in the Earth system by driving, as well as responding to, global-scale changes. This module will address contemporary distributions of snow cover, sea ice, glaciers, and ice sheets. You'll explore the primary processes that control changes within the cryosphere, identify feedback mechanisms and engage with current research debates. Your numerical modelling skills will be developed to assess changes within the cryosphere and forecast its future evolution. A critical examination of this data will lead you to an understanding of the uncertainty in predictions of glacier extents, water resources and sea level rise.