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Master of Environmental Science - Learning outcomes

Educational aims

This qualification aims to:

  • develop your knowledge, critical analysis and analytical skills in environmental science
  • improve your understanding of how these skills can be applied to the management of natural resources
  • prepare you for a wide range of careers in the environmental sector or to pursue other graduate opportunities
  • develop your transferable skills through teamwork, problem solving, and field skills and fieldwork.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

On completion of this qualification, you’ll have knowledge and understanding of:

  • terms, classification systems, conventions, and units of measurement appropriate to environmental science, with a foundation in the disciplines of biology, chemistry, earth sciences, physics and environmental management
  • appropriate methods of acquiring, interpreting and analysing scientific data and information
  • the contribution of environmental science to inform debate about environmental issues and help drive innovation
  • an ability to recognise and evaluate different lines of evidence and appreciate the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of current scientific knowledge.

Cognitive skills

On completion of this qualification, you’ll be able to:

  • use and apply knowledge and understanding of essential facts, concepts, principles and theories relating to environmental science
  • apply such scientific knowledge and understanding to address familiar and unfamiliar situations, and to plan and carry out project work
  • work with scientific data and information and comment on aspects of current research
  • evaluate information from a range of sources and engage with some of the current developments in environmental science, including applications and the philosophical and ethical issues involved
  • use conceptual models to understand, develop and apply scientific principles.

Practical and/or professional skills

On completion of this qualification, you’ll be able to:

  • conduct practical and investigative work in a responsible, safe and ethical manner, and be aware of risk assessment and relevant health and safety regulations
  • initiate, design, conduct and report on investigations that may involve primary or secondary data
  • obtain, record, collate and analyse data derived from laboratory and/or field investigation, and interpret and report their significance in the light of underlying theory, practical issues and relevant information from other sources
  • plan your own learning, and become more adept at time management and organisational skills so that you can work independently in a way appropriate for continuing personal and professional development.

Key skills

On completion of this qualification, you’ll will be able to:

  • locate, deal with and respond to a variety of information sources (e.g. textual, numerical, graphical and computer-based) including reviews and primary sources
  • communicate scientific information accurately and effectively using written, visual and numerical forms in a style that suits purpose and audience
  • cite and reference works in an appropriate manner
  • prepare, process, interpret and present data using appropriate qualitative and quantitative techniques, including use of statistics
  • appreciate issues of quality and quantity during the recording and analysis of data and design of experiments, including accuracy, precision, uncertainty, sampling, replication and repeatability
  • use ICT for enhancing your own learning, data analysis and communicating scientific information to others
  • work with others to explore aspects of environmental science
  • improve your own learning and performance.