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Environmental Science at LEC

Environmental Science Students

Environmental Science combines aspects of geography, geology, chemistry and physics, providing you with a unique set of skills to investigate environmental processes and understand complex environmental systems.

Environmental scientists are at the forefront of work to address key natural and man-made challenges facing society. These challenges include mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change, protecting water resources from pollution, reducing the risks associated with flooding and geological hazards, and achieving sustainable management of natural resources. Central to our Environmental Science degrees is application of knowledge to real-world issues through extensive fieldwork and laboratory training.

The Environmental Science department at Lancaster was one of the first established in the UK, and has been refining the subject regularly over the last 45 years. The strengths of our degrees include:

  • Recognition of the high quality of our degrees by employers. In the last three years, the National Student Survey has placed Lancaster in the top 10 Physical Geography and Environmental Science institutions (out of 93 nationwide) for the percentage of employed graduates using their degree level capabilities. Graduates in Environmental Science have a wide range of career options, including higher degrees (MSc or PhD) and posts within the water and energy industries, the small and medium business sector, environmental consultancy, local authorities, the education sector, the Environment Agency and the Meteorological Office.
  • Highly dedicated and experienced staff, teaching exceptionally well structured and integrated courses. The latest assessment of teaching in Environmental Science was completed in May 2009 and gave the Department the highest rating of 'Full Confidence', complementing us for the support given to students and the quality of our teaching materials.
  • Recognition of the high quality of our degrees in league tables. The Guardian University Guide 2011 placed Environmental Sciences at Lancaster 3rd of 33 institutions for Earth and Marine Sciences. The Times Good University Guide 2011 placed Environmental Sciences at Lancaster 8th of 76 institutions for Geography and Environmental Sciences. The 2012 QS World University Rankings name Lancaster as the 4th best place in the UK to study Environmental Science, and the 23rd best worldwide.
  • Strong links between our teaching and research, meaning that our students gain skills, experience and knowledge at the cutting-edge of our subject area. The latest assessment of research was completed in 2008 and placed LEC 12th in the UK in the "Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences" grouping, whilst Lancaster was ranked 9th out of 117 universities in the UK for research.
  • Flexible degree programmes, offering you the potential to develop a wide range of skills that equip you for a career in multi-disciplinary working environments. We also offer the opportunity to study abroad, gaining experience of teaching and research in different countries and environments.

More Information

Details of our Environmental Science degree schemes, plus information on admission procedures, the colleges and general facilities are in the Lancaster University Prospectus, which you can order online.

For more information about Environmental Science at LEC and the courses we offer, contact us directly:

Elaine Stokes
Admissions Secretary
Lancaster Environment Centre
Lancaster University
Lancaster LA1 4YQ

Tel: (01524) 510 286
Fax: (01524) 510 269
E-mail: lec.ug@lancaster.ac.uk

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Our course handbooks provide practical details about how we run our courses:

For further information about individual modules you may study on a particular degree scheme, please follow the link to the Online Courses Handbook on the page for the degree scheme you are interested in. Please note that the Courses Handbook lists core modules, but does not provide a complete listing of all optional modules that may be taken.