Environmental Science with Foundation Year
Environmental science is the interdisciplinary study of the natural world and the human pressures upon it. It draws on chemistry, biology, physics, geography, and the social sciences to examine how ecosystems function, how pollutants move through the environment, how climate change is altering physical and biological systems, and what interventions might address the major environmental challenges of our time. The discipline is distinctive in its breadth, requiring you to think across scientific boundaries and to connect scientific understanding to policy and practice.
At the University of Plymouth, this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, providing a structured and supported entry into the scientific content of the degree for students who are building towards degree-level study. The foundation year develops the independent study habits, scientific writing skills, mathematical foundations, and time management approaches that enable success in the main programme. You will then move through core environmental science content, gaining understanding of major global environmental challenges and the scientific frameworks needed to analyse them.
Plymouth's coastal location in south-west England gives the programme a strong connection to marine and coastal environmental science alongside broader terrestrial and atmospheric topics.
You will develop laboratory and field skills, data analysis and interpretation, scientific writing, and the ability to evaluate evidence and communicate findings to different audiences. The programme emphasises self-managed, reflective learning from the outset.
Graduates from environmental science programmes pursue careers in environmental consultancy, government agencies, conservation organisations, local authorities, water management, air quality monitoring, research, teaching, and international development. The ability to understand complex environmental systems and to communicate scientific evidence to non-specialist audiences is valued across many public and private sector employers. Postgraduate study in environmental science, ecology, or a related discipline is a natural next step.