Climate Science, BSc (Hons)

The BSc in Climate Science offers a comprehensive approach to understanding climate change, encompassing its historical, current, and future impacts on Earth and human systems. This flexible program equips students with foundational knowledge in climate science, allowing specialization in areas like geological processes, isotopes, and environmental geochemistry. In the first year, core modules cover environmental Earth science, introduction to climate change, data science, and sustainability. Subsequent years explore topics such as the carbon cycle, past climate variations, and Earth systems, culminating in a research dissertation.Assessment combines coursework, tests, and examinations, with the final-year dissertation comprising a significant portion of marks. This method evaluates climate-specific knowledge alongside transferable skills in scientific analysis, writing, and project management, preparing graduates to address global climate challenges.

Year 1 Core modules: Environmental Earth Science covers the Earth’s water cycle in terms of both quantity and quality. You will learn about the composition and materials of the Earth, the mode of formation, distribution and extraction of the Earth's resources and energy. Introduction to Climate Change introduces you to contemporary climate change, incorporating the physical science underpinning our understanding of past, present and future climate change. It also explores some of the most serious impacts and competing perspectives around major climate change controversies. Introductory Data Science introduces the fundamentals of data acquisition and analysis in a geoscientific context. You will learn how to apply computational tools to manipulate and visualise a range of scientific and geospatial data. Sustainability introduces global issues and concepts around sustainability, with an emphasis on aspects most relevant to Earth Sciences such as water, climate, energy and mineral resources, food resources, and natural hazards, and is thematically taught around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In recent years, optional modules have included: Field Studies Mathematical Methods in Geosciences Further Mathematics for Geoscientists Understanding Earth Sciences Planet under Pressure.