Environmental Management with Agriculture BSc (Hons)

About the course

First year

You will develop an understanding of agro-ecosystem biology and agro-ecology. You’ll also develop knowledge in areas of biodiversity and how ecosystems function in the light of climate change.

you will focus on developing your research skills using geographic information systems, data analysis, surveying and map work.

Our field course, a week-long residential currently held in the English Lake District, forms a central part of your first year studies.

Second Year

You’ll visit the Swiss Alps at the start of your second year, developing your research skills.

You will go on to develop your knowledge of sustainable agriculture and horticultural management as well as ecology and environmental quality.

Final Year

Your individual research project will be the key focus of your final year studies. This is complemented by core modules focused on habitat management and monitoring. Areas of optional study include biological conservation, the management of environmental problems and the green economy, countryside management, and geospatial information

Why choose this course?

Our environmental management with agriculture degree is designed to develop your understanding of environmental processes, their measurement, and the associated management techniques within the context of agriculture. The degree is underpinned by a strong tradition of practical and fieldwork learning that is supported by our own specialist field station, dedicated laboratories, and facilities for geographical information analysis.

Study routes

• Part Time,
• Sandwich,

Locations

• University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Careers

Our graduates have found successful careers within the following sectors:

• Local government
• Town and country planning
• Recreational and habitat management
• Environmental resources management
• Teaching 
• Private environmental consultancies
• Broader graduate recruitment schemes
• Postgraduate study

Teaching methods

You will develop your independent study and interpersonal skills on this course. There is an emphasis on structured research, well-prepared written and verbal presentations and computer literacy.

You will experience a wide variety of teaching styles on the programme including:

• standard lectures
• seminars
• tutorials
• laboratories
• case studies
• individual and group projects

In your final year you will normally have the opportunity to hone your independent study and interpersonal skills by undertaking a major project or dissertation

Work Placement

Work placement/Study abroad

You have the opportunity to take a work placement or study abroad for a year before your final year. These optional placements will enhance your future career prospects. Successful completion of your placement may also lead to a Licentiateship of the City and Guilds Institute.

Structure

Year 1

Core Modules

• Sustainable Futures

  Topics that may be covered include: environmental concern and the green movement; the environmental spectrum; concepts of sustainable development; Agenda 21 and Local Agenda 21; industrial development and sustainability, sustainable development and waste, sustainable development and water; sustainable development and energy; sustainable development and agriculture; sustainable development and the developing world; and the cost of going green.

• Graduate and Professional Skills 1 - GE

  Students will complete assignments, within their discipline of choice, that include opportunities for development of their personal transferable skills. They will reflect on their development with the assistance of a personal tutor and will produce a portfolio of evidence based on the set assignments and wider experience such as from the work place or other areas of responsibility. Skills assessed are: autonomy and taking responsibility for themselves (A); group working (GW), oral and written communication (COM), information management (IM), problem solving (PS), numeracy (NUM), self evaluation and reflective practice (SERP).

• Ecosystems and Environmental Change

  *ecological processes and climate/vegetation patterns *structure and functioning of selected ecosystems (UK focus) e.g. woodlands , grasslands, agro-ecosystems, aquatic ecosystems *human influences on ecosystems,including examples of management *selected approaches to conservation of ecosystems and species *handling of ecological data, descriptive statistics

• Investigative Skills and Techniques

  The course introduces the basic approaches and methods used in a range of scientific studies, including data handling/presentation and data analysis. Students will undertake a range of appropriate practical sessions enabling practical skills to be developed. Topics that may be covered include: research approaches, experimental design, hypothesis-testing, mapping, data analysis (eg. Data transformation, relationships between variables, probability and confidence limits, data analysis with non-normally distributed data); social survey techniques; techniques for assessment of environmental impacts.

• Exploring Planet Earth

  This module provides students with an opportunity to explore the Earth s systems. The module provides an account of the history of the Earth, and then considers each of the major environmental systems in turn, focussing on the features and processes that define each system. Students will be able to develop an understanding of how the different systems interact and the importance of these interactions for shaping the surface of the Earth and its biological communities. The implication of environmental change on human activities is a central theme throughout the module.

• Dynamic Earth

  The aims of this module are to enable students to understand the dynamic processes that produce rocks and geological structures, and be able to recognise them in the laboratory and in the field. The evolution of the Earth and the importance of plate tectonics in the formation of rocks and geological structures will be studied, together with introductory igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic petrology. The module will also consider weathering, erosion, transport and deposition of Earth surface materials and the dynamic endogenic and exogenic processes that impact on anthropogenic activities.

• Introduction to Field Research

  This module includes a residential field course to a UK location. The module will cover a range of topics that may include cultural geography, biodiversity, geology, geomorphology, ecology, climate change and tourism impacts. Underpinning theory and linkage to wider research contexts are introduced in the lectures. Staff-led and student-led data collection methods are introduced and undertaken in the field. Students are then introduced to the analysis and synthesis of this field information through class and IT-lab sessions both during and after the field course.

• Agro-ecosystems Biology

  This module introduces students to fundamental ecological principles such as trophic hierarchies and energy flow in respect to primary and secondary production systems. It then explores these principles in the context of agricultural systems. Students will study plant anatomy in the context of crop plants and this will introduce students to crop diversity through plant architecture and how this plays an important role in plant nutrition.

• Functional Agro-ecology

  This module builds on the first semester module Agro-ecosystems Biology and introduces students to the idea of functional ecology and the diversity of organisms that play a key role in agricultural production systems. Students will be made aware of different methods of measuring biodiversity and the role pests, diseases and weeds play in the productivity of agricultural production systems. They will also be introduced to the functional role microbes play in nutrient cycling.

Optional

Fees & funding

Discounts are available for International students if payment is made in full at registration

View detailed information about tuition fees

Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

How to apply