BSc Environmental Science with Professional Experience
Reading, United Kingdom
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Apr 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 29,950 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* new international students: £29,950 | new UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,535 per year for 2025/26
Key Summary
Scholarships
Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies
Introduction
Study the environment from a scientific perspective, and discover how to solve some of the most critical challenges facing planet Earth, with our accredited BSc Environmental Science with Professional Experience.
You’ll explore Earth’s natural systems – its physical, chemical and biological interactions – and use this knowledge to develop strategies for tackling major environmental issues such as climate change and pollution.
This three-year degree has a strong scientific focus. Your learning will span from the single cells and atoms that form the building blocks of our world to the cycling of matter and flows of energy into, between, and within the:
- solid Earth and its surface
- hydrosphere
- atmosphere
- biosphere.
Gain essential skills needed by today’s professional environmental scientists. Our balance of practical and theoretical learning enables you to gain experience in the field and enhance your specialist subject knowledge with real-life experience – preparing you for a career, or further research, in the environmental sector.
BSc Environmental Science with Professional Experience placement year
A key component of this degree is a year-long professional placement, which occurs between your second and final year.
Working with a local company or organisation, you will:
- deepen your knowledge and put your learning into practice
- develop your research, survey, data analysis and presentation skills
- build your professional network
- gain insight into the sector and potential career options.
Some of our students choose to complete their dissertation in conjunction with an outside agency, engaging in research for major organisations such as Natural England and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Curriculum
Compulsory modules
Year 1
- Skills in Geography and Environmental Science: Discover the expected academic standards and integrity at the undergraduate level, while being introduced to the Geography and Environmental Science discipline. Through real-world examples and data, learn essential skills for research.
- Global Challenges: Introduce yourself to the interrelated global challenges facing the planet and humanity today. You’ll become familiar with academic debates and human geography, physical geography and environmental science perspectives surrounding several key challenges and develop skills to use academic literature to support critical discussions.
- Earth Lab: Learn about the interrelated global challenges that the planet and humanity face today. You'll gain familiarity with academic debates, human geography, physical geography, and environmental science perspectives related to several key challenges. You'll also develop skills to use academic literature to support critical discussions.
- Data Environment: Explore the application of mathematics and statistics in environmental science. You’ll learn selected statistical packages, their advantages and disadvantages, and make good charts to understand and present the data collected.
Year 2
- Skills Training and Project Design: Develop professional skills, including research approaches, project management, career awareness and employability. Work closely with an academic mentor to carry out carefully planned and highly professional research, act as consultants, designing, executing and reporting on a research project.
- Field Class: Put into practice key concepts in Human Geography through field research in a real-world setting through experiential learning and using a range of contemporary field techniques. Explore economic and social change in an urban context and how this relates to globalisation and other global processes.
Year 3
- Professional Placement Year
Year 4
- Dissertation: Work on an independent dissertation project under the guidance of a supervisor. You’ll identify the research question, critically evaluate the relevant literature, apply theoretical frameworks and research methods to your research questions, and learn to analyse and synthesise the research findings.
These are the modules that we currently offer for 2024/25 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.
You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.
Career Opportunities
Your BSc Environmental Science with Professional Experience degree will equip you with a wide variety of skills – from teamwork writing and presenting, to the ability to adapt to changing circumstances – highly desirable to a range of employers.
You’ll be well placed to enter a variety of technical and scientific roles in areas such as:
- environmental protection
- renewable energy
- sustainable transport
- water
- environmental consultancy.
Recent students have gone on to work for a range of organisations, including:
- Evoke Transport
- Ministry of Defence
- Mott MacDonald
- Ridge and Partners
- RPS Group
- Rural Planning Services
- South Northamptonshire Council
- Syngenta
- WSP
- Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
Your degree also offers a route into postgraduate study, research or teacher training.