BSc

Ecology (with integrated year in industry)

Ecology (with integrated year in industry) Code C181 Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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You are viewing this course for September start 2022

Key Facts

C181

  • UCAS Tariff

    120 - 104

  • Course duration

    4 years

Further details on entry requirements

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Kick start and enhance your career prospects with our degree in Ecology with integrated year in industry. This course is engineered to give you the competitive edge in the environmental jobs market. It responds to employer expectations that you will have some relevant work / field experience before engaging in full time employment. Upon successful completion of this degree, you will have developed the knowledge, skills and an awareness that employers will want. Ecology focuses on the interactions between organisms and their environment. Knowledge of these interactions underpins our understanding of how wildlife will respond to current and future environmental threats, including pollution, climate change, invasive species and habitat destruction. Our mission is to train you the next generation that will respond to these issues, identifying solutions and conserving biodiversity into the future.   

Course Overview

Royal Society of Biology Accredited Degree Why study Ecology with Year in Industry at Aberystwyth?

  • The syllabus includes an integrated year in industry in addition to identical content from the three-year sister course BSc Ecology (C180).
  • The option to pursue paid or voluntary work.
  • All students will receive guidance and advice from our Director for Employability on how you will find relevant work for a period of up to twelve months.
  • You have the option to transfer to the three-year BSc Ecology C180 course if you do not find an opportunity that suits you.
  • During your year in work experience, you will pay a discounted tuition fee of which the information can be found here.
  • You will be taught and mentored by friendly and knowledgeable teaching staff that are also internationally recognised researchers in Ecology.
  • Learn and Live in an exceptional environment of Cardigan Bay where you will be surrounded by a great diversity of beautiful environments, including marine, moorland, mountain, waterways, grassland and coast.
  • Study in an internationally recognised centre of excellence and award-winning department- Queen’s anniversary prize for Higher and Further Education to name a few.
  • The Ynys Hir RSPB reserve (as seen on Springwatch) and Dyfi National Nature reserve are on our doorstep.
  • Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire and the Brecon Beacon National Parks are within driving distance.
  • The Cambrian mountains as a backdrop and just a stone throw away from Cardigan Bay and its bottle-nose dolphins.
Our Staff

The majority of teaching staff at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences are qualified to PhD level and are research active. Vocational courses also have staff whose background lies within industry.  The Institute has a large number of research only staff with whom students may have contact.

Modules September start - 2022

Please note: The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery during the next academic year and may be subject to change. They are included here to give an indication of how the course is structured.

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Ecology BR13510 10
Microbial Diversity BR12110 10
Study and Communication Skills BR12410 10
The Development and Management of British Habitats BR10810 10
The Green Planet BR13610 10
Comparative Animal Physiology BR14110 10
Evolution and the Diversity of Life BR14310 10
Exploring Genetics BR14410 10
Introduction to Conservation BR10110 10
Climate and Climate Change BR16620 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Introduction to Palaeobiology BR16510 10
The Biosphere BR13210 10
Soils and their Management BR14910 10

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
An Introduction to Landscape Ecology and Geographic Information Systems BR25520 20
Climate Change: Plants, Animals and Ecosystems BR21120 20
Ecological Surveying BR21420 20
Research Methods BR27520 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Environmental Microbiology and Monitoring BR26020 20
Freshwater Biology BR22020 20
Invertebrate Zoology BR25420 20
Marine Biology BR22620 20
Tropical Rainforest Ecology and Conservation BR24020 20
Vertebrate Zoology BR26820 20

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Integrated Year in Industry BRS0060 60

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

Your year in industry:

Make no mistake, you will develop confidence and gaining experience in the industry will stimulate your enthusiasm for the subject.

Completing a year in industry will allow you to:

  • Apply the learning from your course to the work environment
  • Make industry contacts
  • Develop practical skills related to your area of study
  • Apply your practical skills and technical knowledge after returning to study
  • Enhance your CV and better prepare yourself for a job after graduating.

Students on this scheme should note that the department institute does not have automatic placements for every applicant. You will be responsible for finding securing the work experience, however, you will have the assistance of our institute Work Experience Coordinator and our dedicated careers advisor (James Cuffe, jpc11@aber.ac.uk). If you fail to find work experience you will be able to convert your course to the three-year version of your subject.

This degree will prepare you for a career in the following:

  • Wildlife and Conservation officer
  • Biodiversity assessor and Habitat surveyor
  • Site Manager
  • Education and public engagement
  • Environmental Consultancy
  • Ecological Research graduate position
  • PhD researcher.

Course Content

What will I learn?

The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the four year degree scheme.

Your first year will provide a broad grounding in biology, and training in the skills needed to succeed in your studies. Subject areas covered will include:

  • The Biosphere
  • Ecology
  • Animal Physiology
  • Diversity of Microbial Life
  • Plant Biology
  • Conservation of wildlife
  • The study and management of habitats
  • The study and management of habitats.

In your second you will be offered specialist modules including:

  • Climate change impacts on ecosystems
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Freshwater Biology
  • Bird biodiversity
  • Habitat assessment and organism ID (UK and international)
  • Vertebrates
  • Understanding invertebrates
  • Ecological Monitoring.

In your third year you will undertake your work experience in an industry that is relative to this degree BSc Ecology.

In your final year, subject areas offered include:

  • Population and Community ecology
  • Wildlife conservation
  • Habitat assessment and organism ID (International)
  • Environmental Protection and Law
  • Sustainability
  • Ecological Monitoring
  • Environmental Consultancy
  • Independent research in a topic of your choice.

How will I be taught?

The course will be delivered through lectures, workshops, tutorials and practicals. You will be assessed through:

  • Essays
  • Practical exercises
  • Oral presentations
  • Worksheets
  • Reports
  • Statistical exercises
  • Dossiers
  • Posters
  • Portfolios
  • Wikis
  • Reflective diaries
  • Literature reviews
  • Magazine articles
  • Field notebooks
  • Exams.

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 104

A Levels BBB-BCC with B in Biology

GCSE requirements (minimum grade C/4):
English or Welsh and Mathematics

BTEC National Diploma:
DDD-DDM in a specified subject

International Baccalaureate:
30-28 with 5 points in Biology at Higher Level

European Baccalaureate:
75%-65% overall with 7 in Biology

English Language Requirements:
See our Undergraduate English Language Requirements for this course. Pre-sessional English Programmes are also available for students who do not meet our English Language Requirements.

Country Specific Entry Requirements:
International students whose qualification is not listed on this page, can check our Country Specific Entry Requirements for further information.

The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma or T-level qualifications, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas or T-levels as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.
Our inclusive admissions policy values breadth as well as depth of study. Applicants are selected on their own individual merits and offers can vary. If you would like to check the eligibility of your qualifications before submitting an application, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for advice and guidance.

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