Environmental Science
Entry requirements
A level
including a science subject (science subjects include Geography, Biology/Human Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Further Maths, Geology, Maths, Physics, or Statistics)
Access to HE Diploma
Award of Access to HE Diploma in a relevant subject, with 45 credits at Level 3, including 30 at Distinction (to include units in science) and 15 at Merit
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE Maths grade 4/C
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
with 5 in a Higher Level science subject (science subjects include Geography, Biology/Human Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Further Maths, Geology, Maths, Physics, or Statistics)
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
including a science subject (science subjects include Geography, Biology/Human Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Further Maths, Geology, Maths, Physics, or Statistics)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
+ B in an A Level science subject (including a science subject (science subjects include Geography, Biology/Human Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Further Maths, Geology, Maths, Physics, or Statistics)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
in a relevant subject
Scottish Advanced Higher
in a science subject + AABBB in Scottish Highers (science subjects include Geography, Biology/Human Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Further Maths, Geology, Maths, Physics, or Statistics)
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
+ AB at A Level including a science subject (science subjects include Geography, Biology/Human Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Further Maths, Geology, Maths, Physics, or Statistics)
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Environmental science is a broad and multidisciplinary subject exploring processes that impact the wide range of habitats, ecosystems and environments on Earth. The course at Sheffield was one of the first degree programmes of its kind to be established in the subject.
In recent years, awareness about the complexity of the natural environment and the impacts of human activity has accelerated. This has led to the growth of environmental science as a major international discipline helping to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our planet.
Environmental issues represent a pressing concern for global government, businesses and societies, and there is a high demand for environmental specialists in all these areas. Sheffield remains at the forefront of the subject. This is demonstrated by our graduates who are pursuing careers in industry, research, conservation, ecology and many other sectors across the world.
This course is taught jointly by the Department of Geography and the School of Biosciences. Both departments undertake international research at the frontiers of the discipline, so you'll be taught by experts in their fields.
You'll have the opportunity to tailor your degree to suit your interests and study modules that span the environmental sciences and focus on research specialisms such as global environmental change, biosciences, geoscience and environmental quality and technology.
The first year of the BSc includes modules in geography, earth science and biology. These modules explore the range of physical environments and ecosystems and provide the foundation for the rest of your course. In the second and third years, you'll build on what you've learned with more specialised study of environmental science.
Practical work and field classes are an essential part of the course. Third year students typically carry out an extended research project in the lab or in the field.
This course is accredited by the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES) and the Committee of Heads of Environmental Sciences (CHES). The IES is the leading professional body for environmental science professionals in the UK. Accreditation confirms that this course is of high quality and provide excellent standards of professional development. Students on this course are eligible to become student members of the IES - the first step toward achieving Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) status.
Tuition fees
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What students say
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Environmental sciences
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
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Environmental sciences
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Environmental sciences
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£20k
£26k
£33k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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