Collaborative Organisation and Form of Collaboration
Qualification and Programme Title
B.Sc. Environmental and Engineering Geoscience with Placement Year Full-time
Programme Code
725G
Delivery Location
Campus
Language of Study
English
Length of Programme
4 Year(s)
Accreditations
Geological Society of London
Aims of the Programme
The programme aims to prepare a new generation of environmentally aware students for graduate employment within the rapidly evolving field of applied geoscience. The wide scope of the programme and focus on applied themes will allow students to engage with topics across the Earth sciences, as well as environmental science and engineering. Graduates from the programme will therefore have a broad-based knowledge and will be in strong positions to contribute to addressing the challenges our planet and society face in the coming decades.
Within the programme there will be a focus on developing practical skills in observation, critical evaluation, deduction and reporting, directly relevant to a broad range of geoscience industries, and a habit of maintaining personal competence through study. Students will be trained as scientific researchers with experience in setting hypotheses that are practical and relevant to industry. The programme will have strong links with the current Earth Sciences programme portfolio, which will provide a foundation in understanding of Earth's material composition, history and processes. The programme will also incorporate its own bespoke modules and content, relevant environmentally-based modules from other GEES programmes, a module and content from the School of Engineering, and placements with external partners.
Birmingham Earth Sciences now forms part of a large interdisciplinary School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences. The proposed programme will bring an added dimension to the School through its practically-focused scope, which will have strong relevance to links with external partners and employability. No previous knowledge of geology is assumed. Fieldwork forms a major and integral part of this programme and would include bespoke industry-relevant content. The modular nature of the programme allows individuals to develop an academic profile most suited to their particular interests and aptitudes; in particular optional modules will provide students with distinct pathways towards more engineering- or environmentally-focused degrees. Independent project work will comprise a major part of the programme and forms the basis for more than a third of the final BSc classification.
Given its applied focus, this programme will provide a route directly into a broad range of geoscience industries (across the environmental, hydrogeological, geotechnical, engineering, energy, minerals and resources sectors), providing academic content and direct experience directly relevant to the roles played by geoscientists within these industries. Students may also undertake further, more specialised MSc programmes that follow directly on from this course, such as the Hydrogeology and Geotechnical Engineering MSc programmes at the University of Birmingham.
Programme Outcomes
Students are expected to have Knowledge and Understanding of:
Which will be gained through the following Teaching and Learning methods:
and assessed using the following methods:
1. The conceptual framework of geological enquiry, and the development of major Earth science paradigms. (This LO is partially met at exit level C (CertHE) and I (DipHE))
2. Methods of geological and environmental observation and analysis. (This LO is partially met at exit level C (CertHE) and I (DipHE))
3. Earth structure and composition, and the geological and environmental processes governing the distribution and recycling of Earth materials. (This LO is partially met at exit level C (CertHE) and I (DipHE))
4. The composition, nomenclature and classification of geological materials, and their properties and behaviour. (This LO is partially met at exit level C (CertHE) and I (DipHE))
5. The geoenvironmental implications of construction and resource extraction (This LO is partially met at exit level C (CertHE) and I (DipHE))
6. Cutting edge, sustainable approaches in engineering geology (This LO is partially met at exit level C (CertHE) and I (DipHE))
7. The interconnectivity of Earth processes, climate and human activity (This LO is partially met at exit level C (CertHE) and I (DipHE))
8. The availability of natural resources; their utilisation and conservation. (This LO is partially met at exit level C (CertHE) and I (DipHE))
All our learning and teaching methods are involved in helping students to achieve one or more of the programme outcomes. Numbers in parentheses below are used to highlight methods considered to be particularly important in achieving the outcomes specified.
Lectures (1-8), practical classes (1-8), fieldwork (1-8), coursework (1-8), tutorials (1-4), projects (1-3, 5-8) and directed independent study (1-8). Apart from specific learning outcomes, fieldwork has important general relevance as a reinforcement and demonstrating mechanism.
Each method of assessment is aimed at evaluating the level to which students have achieved one or more of the programme outcomes. Numbers in parentheses below are used to highlight methods considered to be particularly important in assessing the outcomes specified.
Unseen examinations (1-8), class tests (1-8), laboratory notebooks (2, 4-6), essays (1-8), project work (1-3, 5-8), presentations, group work (1-2, 5-8).
Students are expected to have attained the following Skills and other Attributes:
Which will be gained through the following Teaching and Learning methods:
and assessed using the following methods:
1. To identify geological materials and collect, record, process and integrate quantitative and qualitative data from a variety of sources using appropriate techniques. (This LO is partially met at exit level C (CertHE) and I (DipHE))
2. To notice, establish and interpret the connections between diverse data sets of their own and of others. (This LO is partially met at exit level C (CertHE) and I (DipHE))
3. To think across varying scales of space and time. (This LO is partially met at exit level C (CertHE) and I (DipHE))
4. To plan, conduct and complete problem-solving and review investigations flexibly, critically, safely, and on time. (This LO is partially met at exit level C (CertHE) and I (DipHE))
5. To work effectively and efficiently, both individually and as one of a team. (This LO is partially met at exit level C (CertHE) and I (DipHE))
6. To report the results of such investigations to a professional standard through a variety of media. (This LO is partially met at exit level C (CertHE) and I (DipHE))
7. To use computers in information gathering, processing, presentation and communications. (This LO is partially met at exit level C (CertHE) and I (DipHE))
8. To work effectively in a professional setting. (This LO is partially met at exit level C (CertHE) and I (DipHE))
All our learning and teaching methods are involved in helping students to achieve one or more of the programme outcomes. Specific skills are imparted by instruction, demonstration, and supervised and unsupervised practice, in the context of particular items of work. More general transferable skills develop from this context-based experience. Numbers in parentheses below are used to highlight methods considered to be particularly important in achieving the outcomes specified.
Lectures (1-3), practical classes (1-3, 5, 7), fieldwork (1-7), coursework (1-7), projects (1-7), directed independent study (1-3, 5) and placements (8). Apart from specific learning outcomes, fieldwork has important general relevance as a reinforcement and demonstrating mechanism.
Project work and directed independent study become increasingly important as the programme progresses.
Each method of assessment is aimed at evaluating the level to which students have achieved one or more of the programme outcomes. Assessment methods are chosen to develop and evaluate the skills appropriate to the learning outcomes of the programme. Where appropriate, assessments also provide opportunities to give feedback to students to help them refine their skills. Numbers in parentheses below are used to highlight methods considered to be particularly important in assessing the outcomes specified.
Unseen examinations (1-3), class tests (1-3), laboratory notebooks (1-5), essays (1-3, 6), project work (1-8), presentations (1-2, 5, 6), group work (1-8).
