Description
This qualification is only available until 31 December 2017.
To claim this qualification, you must complete the required 360 credits by this date.
If you have any questions about your eligibility for this qualification, please contact the Centre for Qualifications and Ceremonies on +44 (0)1908 653003 or by email.
Environmental change affects us all, and the challenge of how human society can – and should – respond to environmental problems is likely to be one of the most pressing issues of the twenty-first century. The BA/BSc (Hons) Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary degree course that provides a lively and engaging treatment of a broad range of environmental issues. It integrates the social sciences with technology and sciences to help you develop a comprehensive understanding of the environment. While studying towards this degree course you’ll learn about the political, economic, social and scientific conflicts that are at the heart of important contemporary environmental problems and debates. You’ll gain analytical and interpretive skills needed to explore subjects such as climate change; air pollution; waste management; genetically modified food; over-fishing; renewable fuels; sustainability; and global trade.
Planning your studies
You should note limitations on individual modules as mentioned below.
You should also note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 120 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you (with the exception of an undergraduate-level qualification of less than 120 credits). If you have graduated with an OU BA/BSc degree without honours and are continuing your studies on to honours, this minimum requirement is reduced to 60 credits. Before being awarded any intermediate qualifications on the way to your OU honours degree, we advise you to check that you’ll have sufficient new credits to qualify for your degree.
Career relevance and employability
Through studying this degree course you’ll gain a portfolio of skills including the ability to:
- analyse the natural and social causes and consequences of environmental change
- critically examine potential, sometimes competing, responses to environmental problems
- analyse and evaluate evidence and arguments from a range of sources
- debate the moral and ethical dimensions associated with environmental issues
- collect, record and analyse data using a range of techniques.
These skills will provide you with exciting, interesting and satisfying career options, in public, voluntary and private sector occupations. Today many businesses and employers contribute in some way to environmental change – making the BA/BSc (Honours) Environmental Studies relevant to a wide range of professions including environmental management; environmental health; environmental policy; teaching; journalism; and information systems. It may help you to gain recognition from a professional body. See the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) website for further information.
Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.
Modules
For this 360-credit honours degree you require:
60 credits from the following optional modules:
Level 1 optional modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- Environment: journeys through a changing world (U116)
|
60 |
|
- Introducing the social sciences (DD102)
|
60 |
|
- You and your money: personal finance in context (DB123)
|
30 |
|
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules DD100, DD101, DD121, DD122, DD131, DD132, S103, S104, T172
60 credits from the following compulsory module:
Level 2 compulsory module |
Credits |
Next start |
- Environment: sharing a dynamic planet (DST206)
|
60 |
|
Or the discontinued module U216
And at least 60 credits from the following optional modules:
Level 2 optional modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- Energy and sustainability (T213)
|
30 |
|
- Environmental management 1 (T219)
|
30 |
|
- Environmental science (S206)
|
60 |
|
- International development: making sense of a changing world (TD223)
|
60 |
|
- Living in a globalised world (DD205)
|
60 |
|
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules S216, S250, S268, S269, S278, S279, ST240, T205, T206, T210, T214, U213
And 60 credits from one of the following compulsory module:
Level 3 compulsory module |
Credits |
Next start |
- Earth in crisis: environmental policy in an international context (DU311)
|
60 |
|
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued module U316
And at least 60 credits from the following optional modules:
Level 3 optional modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- Doing economics: people, markets and policy (DD309)
|
60 |
|
- Earth in crisis: environmental policy in an international context (DU311)*
|
60 |
|
- Ecosystems (S396)
|
30 |
|
- Environmental management 2 (T319)
|
30 |
|
- Renewable energy (T313)
|
30 |
|
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules DU310, S328, S330, S369, SXR369, T306, T307, T308, U316*
*Only if not already studied as the compulsory Level 3 module
And a maximum of 60 credits of free choice from any OU Level 1, 2 or 3 modules to bring your total number of credits to 360. Within the total, you must ensure that you have at least the required minimum number of credits at each level and no more than 30 from Openings modules or the discontinued Short module S154.
For those of you with an interest in science, we recommend the 10-credit short module: Volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis (S186).
The modules listed can count towards this degree after we have stopped presenting them for a maximum of twenty years for Level 1 modules and ten years for Level 2 and 3 modules. Please see module descriptions for future availability.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
Credit for previous study elsewhere
If you have already completed some successful study at higher education level at another institution we may be able to give you credit for this study that you can count towards this Open University qualification. You can find out more on our Credit Transfer site. If you make a successful claim for transferred credit it may affect your choice of modules so you are advised to investigate this option as soon as possible.
Classification of your degree
On successful completion of the required number and type of modules you will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science (Honours) Environmental Studies degree. Your honours degree will be classified either as first-class honours, upper second-class honours, lower second-class honours or third-class honours. The class of degree is determined by the best grades you achieve in 240 credits from the modules above Level 1 listed above. At least 120 of those credits must come from modules at Level 3.
You will have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
How to register
If you want to study for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of
our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the
module you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that module.
During the registration procedure you will be asked to declare which qualification you are studying towards.
See a full list of modules available for this qualification