Managing our environments in a sustainable way will help balance these concerns with our social and economic problems. Environmental conservationists and scientists have the knowledge that is required to meet the many challenges our environment faces; this knowledge helps enhance societies by assisting decision makers to make the right choices. These Environmental Sciences’ programmes provide for this growing need, by delivering programmes that addresses environmental sciences in both a practical and holistic way, which is supported by geographical and governance academic knowledge, while also delivering a platform from which this knowledge can be disseminated to interested parties. Candidates are welcomed from all social and educational backgrounds. Applicants will normally be expected to have two subjects at A level including geography and preferably a science (12 units) or equivalent Advanced Subsidiary level, supported by passes in five subjects at GCSE Grade A, B or C, which will normally include Mathematics, Science and English, or BTEC National Certificate or Diploma, or Vocational A level (12 units), or Successful completion of an appropriate Access Course. Mature students will be considered if vocational experience, relevant to the course, has been acquired, even if no formal education has been achieved. The School of the Built and Natural Environment has delivered a BSc Environmental Conservation programme for some sixteen years. Such a programme has many similarities to the proposed programmes offered here, particularly within environmental science.

These programmes combine academic study with the application of professional skills and competencies. The student will acquire the highest transferable employment skills, which include: oral and visual presentations, environmental assessments, information dissemination, data analysis, species identification, habitat surveying, identification of environmental stressors, and the ability to write reports. Students are particularly well suited to the increasingly important skills associated with awareness raising and public participation forums. The Go Wales programme provides quality work experience for undergraduates to make students more attractive to potential employers. There is an optional ten week paid placement with local companies and a short term ‘work taster’ to help clarify student career choices. The scheme also provides a job shop for students seeking to work part-time to financially support their studies. A recent student survey showed that 53% of undergraduates worked part-time. The programmes do not have an in-course placement but students are encouraged to find summer work placements which will provide experience and an opportunity to collect ‘live’ data for their Dissertation. Organisations contributing to the Industrial Liaison Committee, e.g. Natural Resources Wales also provide opportunities for work placement and have supported Welsh language speakers from three of the current undergraduate cohorts, providing financial support and work placements. In addition, students are offered summer placements on the School’s research projects. One in particular, reclamation of mining spoils provides many opportunities in data collection and soil analysis. Other opportunities have been made available with City and County of Swansea, where students have volunteered in collecting and interpreting waste data from surveys.