Starting an Enviromental degree

[dan_boi]

Hi,

I've been considering starting a degree in environmental sciences and live in the South West. Can anyone recommend any good courses or Unis? 

[studiot]

19 hours ago, dan_boi said:

Hi,

I've been considering starting a degree in environmental sciences and live in the South West. Can anyone recommend any good courses or Unis? 

There is no right answer to this and no wrong answer either.

 

It depends both on where you are coming from and where you are going to.

 

Environmental Science is a second tier science in that it rests on and draws from all of the basic sciences of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology as well as in some courses Economics and Sociology.

Being such a broad discipline it specialises into areas of interest.

 

So Bath Spa University leans towards the economic and social aspects.

Plymouth, The University of Wales (Aberistwyth) and Southampton are very hard science oriented and are all home to marine science laboratories.
But here you would need to consider would you lean towards Physical, Chemiical or Biological aspects ?

Exeter is home to the Met office and I believe there is a tie up concerning atmouspheric and climate science.

So where you are going to depends upon both your immediate and long term goals.  Robert Gorden University in Aberdden also has a good reputation for a hard science course and much energy industry backing. So in the short term how far are you prepared to travel ?

In the long term you will need to narrow down your plans as already indicated and do some research on the net, there are over 250 'environmental' courses in the UK.

The long term will also be coloured by what you are doing now. That is what courses you are currently taking and what grades you might expect.

Queen Mary College, London for instance sets the bar high

Quote

Grades ABB at A-Level. This must include at least one of the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Geography, Geology, Psychology, Environmental Studies or Environmental Science. Excludes General Studies.

Others have lower entry requirements.

[dan_boi]

Thank you so much for replying. After reading what you put I think I'd be leaning maybe more towards Plymouth Uni. Partially because it would be more science based but also because of the Met office being in Exeter. 

Although I can drive so travel wouldn't necessarily be an issue going forward.

[Bufofrog]

I would recommend you get a degree in environmental engineering .  The pay is higher and the work is more interesting.

Edited October 31, 2023 by Bufofrog

[studiot]

1 hour ago, Bufofrog said:

I would recommend you get a degree in environmental engineering .  The pay is higher and the work is more interesting.

When I did the environmental engineering modules in my course at university it was all about the built environment.

Heating and ventilation, illumination, water and wastewater.

Mind that was in the 1970s

 

Edited October 31, 2023 by studiot

[dan_boi]

So I've had a look and University of Plymouth seem to have a few courses and are local to me. When I did a bit of digging apparently the coastal monitoring for us in the South West is based there called Plymouth Coastal observatory. Although in some places its called SWCM (South West Coastal Monitoring). Has anyone heard of them? And are they worth reaching out to about environmental science?