Environmental Management and Sustainability

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Why Study Environmental Management and Sustainability?
About The Course
Awards Available
Course Content
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Student Experiences

Why Study Environmental Management and Sustainability ?

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Environmental issues are now becoming increasingly important, not only in the actual effects we see around us, but also in terms of the need for suitably qualified people to tackle these issues. As environmental impacts and problems are not limited to any one location or industry, there is a need for people trained across several different disciplines, and who can bring a holistic and flexible approach to identifying, monitoring, and dealing with environmental issues.

The Environmental Management & Sustainability course aims to develop student’s understanding across a range of subjects, which include biological, scientific, geographical and social science subjects. This wide range of subjects is necessary so that students can see the connections between different areas, and can appreciate how environmental issues and problems cross many boundaries. It is therefore necessary to cross those boundaries to come up with integrated solutions to problems, and course gives students a broad but applied education across many areas. In the second year, through a choice of two ‘streams’, students can focus on environmental impacts and mitigation, or on human-environment relations. However, both streams include elements from across many disciplines.

The Environmental Protection (EP) stream has a focus on pollution and the scientific and technical principles relevant to Environmental Protection. The EP stream runs at the Edinburgh and Ayr campus. The Sustainable Environmental Management (SEM) stream looks at the complexities of sustainable development and human impact on the environment. The SEM stream runs at all three campuses: Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Ayr.

This course can be studied full-time or part-time. The latter option allows students to maintain a mix of study and work or family commitments, whilst progressing towards a qualification. In addition, the first year of the course (HNC) can be taken as a distance learning course. Study through this option is mainly online and self-study, supplemented with three study weekends through the year.

A course leaflet can be downloaded from the right of this page.

About The Course

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Environmental Management and Sustainability is a broad-based course that aims to equip students with a sound understanding across many disciplines. Some of these focus on technical understanding and techniques, such as in waste and pollution control, ecology/habitat management, and environmental sciences. However, this course also covers the mechanisms and drivers of implementation, such as societal pressures, legislation and policy, and economic issues. Content covered includes not only theory, but also the practical application of appropriate techniques in environmental monitoring and protection, sustainable development, and in environmental and resource management.

Students can select from a variety of optional studies focusing on specific environmental issues, environmental sciences, ecology, economics, environmental policy and business management.

The course has close links with the environmental sector, and students benefit from visits to a range of sites and establishments illustrating important environmental issues and/or sustainable management. These visits, combined with specialist guest speakers and lecturers, ensure that students keep up to date with the latest developments in the sector.

In the second year of this course, one of two optional ‘streams’ may be followed – these are Environmental Protection (EP) or Sustainable Environmental Management (SEM). Both streams share a common core of subjects in second year, but both also have additional compulsory subject, reflecting the different emphasis in each stream. The EP stream focuses on environmental monitoring, pollution, energy generation, analytical techniques, whilst the SEM stream has emphasis on ecology and habitat management, and human-environment interactions. However, the compulsory subject from one stream may be available as electives for the other, so it is possible to take a mix of subjects. Further details are given on the Course Content pages.

The course normally comprises one year of full-time study for HNC Countryside and Environmental Management, and two years for HND Environmental Management & Sustainability. For all students, the first year consists of the HNC year common to all our environmental degrees. The HND Environmental Management & Sustainability is taken in year two, with students following either the EP or SEM stream as described above and on the course content pages.

Flexible progression routes mean that direct entry into year 2 of the HND for students with appropriate higher national qualifications is welcomed.

Awards Available

Click on a course title for further details

HND Environmental Management and Sustainability

HNC Countryside and Environmental Management by Flexible Learning

HNC Countryside and Environmental Management

Course Content

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Further information is available in SAC's undergraduate prospectus and in our course leaflet, which can be downloaded from this page. Please contact us for further information.

The course is delivered using a mixture of lectures, site and fieldwork visits, laboratory classes, computing sessions, tutorials, seminars and group discussions. Modules are assessed using a combination of techniques, including written assessments (reports, essays, reviews), tests and exams, and seminars or group work.

This course is available in two streams in second year, Environmental Protection (EP and Sustainable Environmental Management (SEM), but both streams share a common core of subjects.

Year 1:

The first year provides a foundation in the environment and sustainability in general, as well as in biology, human impacts and geography and associated sciences. A broad range of topics are covered, including environmental awareness, pollution and waste management, planning and land use, ecology and biodiversity. Basic academic and core skills are also developed. Elective choices include business management, transportation studies, and soil management.

Year 2: Common Subjects

Both streams available take certain core subjects, including environmental management, environmental science, waste and pollution control, data handling, resource economics, and managing freshwater environments. These core subjects ensure that all students gain knowledge and understanding in vital areas.

Year 2: EP Stream

Additional core subjects for the EP stream focus on environmental measurement and monitoring, laboratory and analysis skills, and energy and pollution.

Year 2: SEM Stream

Additional core subjects for the SEM stream focus on ecosystems and habitat management, education and countryside access, and tourism.

Students in both streams have a range of electives to choose from, including many of the subjects mentioned in the other stream above. For example, EP stream students may choose electives in areas such as education, habitat management, ecological surveying, tourism, or rural development. SEM stream students may choose subjects such as land reclamation, energy and the environment, marine environments, ecological surveying or rural development.

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Environmental Management and Sustainability