Roll up your sleeves and carry out your own geographical research with a residential trip to Cumbria! Together, we’ll look at how to design good research and explore different methods used in human and physical geography. You’ll investigate the controversial project of rewilding, thinking about the benefits and challenges of returning land to nature. You’ll use research methods from both human and physical geography to deepen your understanding. Back in Lancaster, you’ll learn different ways to analyse, visualise and communicate geographical data.

Gain the skills and knowledge needed to understand how our landscape and environment have developed, what’s happening with them now and how they might change in the future. The module starts with a field trip that teaches you how to ‘read’ the landscape, helping you identify different scales of forms and their connections across time and space. You’ll build on these insights to explore landscape evolution, starting with the underlying geology and climate. Then, we’ll look at geomorphic, biotic, pedological, sedimentary, aquatic and glacial processes. By the end of the module, you’ll be able to view landscapes and environments in a new, process-based way and interpret their features in terms of past development, current dynamics and future change.

Throughout your degree you gain a unique skills set based on your understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of sciences. In this module we develop your self-awareness of these skills and how to make the most of graduate-level employment opportunities.

We introduce you to the University’s employability resources including job search techniques and search engine use. We develop your skills in writing CVs and cover letters, and we draw on the expertise of employers and alumni. Your ability to effectively use these resources will enhance your employability skills, your communication skills and help you to develop a short-term career plan.

Explore the dynamic relationships between natural and human processes in landscapes from uplands through lowlands to coastal zones. You will examine how water, sediment and nutrients flow across landscapes, how changes in land use and climate can impact these flows and how disruptions to them can have cascading effects across space and time. You will consider how these interactions shape ecosystems and influence their health, resilience and services to humanity.

The module will emphasise the importance of this understanding for developing sustainable land-use practices and natural resource management. Integrated approaches to landscape management will be explored through case studies addressing issues such as climate change adaptation, pollution control and flood risk mitigation.

You’ll explore and gain experience in a connected set of methods for addressing environmental questions. Starting with simple observation, you’ll move on to making field measurements, carrying out field experiments, analysing field samples in the lab, simulating the environment with laboratory or computer models and working with ‘big data’ gathered by global instrument networks. The data sets generated by each approach will allow you to practise data handling and inferential statistics.

Reporting your work will also help develop your scientific report writing and communication skills. Throughout, you’ll reflect on the types of questions and challenges each method is best suited to, equipping you with the ability to design research projects and prepare for your dissertation.

The world can appear infinitely complex, but when details are represented digitally it becomes easier to draw back, take new perspectives, simplify patterns and learn more about their underlying causes. Organisations of all kinds are interested in how spatial information can drive decisions, operations and policy; and the volume and variety of information captured about people, their surroundings and the planet is increasing rapidly.

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) provide us with the environment and tools to explore and interact with socioeconomic, environmental, topographic and remotely sensed data in order to generate understanding. At the end of this module, you will be able to query and interpret spatial data from multiple sources, create and critically interpret new outputs and appreciate how to visualise data for different audiences.

Building on your earlier introduction to glacial systems, this module takes a deeper dive into how glaciers shape landscapes and interact with people and ecosystems. You’ll explore glacial processes in greater detail and begin to see how they connect across space and time. As you progress, you’ll be encouraged to critically engage with current research and understand how physical geographers interpret and contribute to this growing body of knowledge. By the end, you’ll be better equipped to identify how glaciology can inform environmental management and benefit both society and the natural environment.

Soils are one of the most important, yet often overlooked, resources on the planet. Almost all our food relies on soil - it is the largest active store of carbon. The water we drink is stored and filtered through soils and they support over half of the planet’s biodiversity. In this module you will explore how soils are formed and the underpinning chemical, physical and biological processes that support the major biogeochemical cycles and life itself. We go on to explore some of the threats to soils, including soil erosion and salinisation and what we might do to mitigate them and then consider how soils are linked to the wider environment. You will be taught through a combination of lectures, a walking field lecture, fieldwork looking at soil profiles and laboratory classes to explore this exciting world beneath our feet.

Travel to the Scottish Hebrides to broaden your understanding of sustainability as a social, economic and environmental concern. We will challenge you to think about sustainability as an interdisciplinary issue and consider the future of the planet. You will deepen your understanding of what sustainability means in an island context, learning about the culture, landscape and economy of the Scottish Hebrides. There is the opportunity to travel by ferry between Hebridean islands, considering the ways in which islanders, alongside the local authority and Scottish Government, have sought to promote sustainable practice. You will see examples of progressive and alternative approaches to issues such as energy production, manufacturing, education, healthcare and social support.

Conduct an independent research project on a specific topic within your field of study and present your findings in an extensive report. Throughout your project, you will receive one-to-one support from a member of academic staff. This is the largest piece of work that you will complete during your degree and, depending on your subject area, it will enable you to develop skills including formulating a research question; contextualising it within research literature; identifying and using appropriate research methods and techniques with which to address your question; collecting and analysing data; and interpreting your findings. Overall, the aim is to demonstrate your ability to conduct rigorous, independent academic work and communicate its outcomes clearly and effectively.

In this module we continue to develop your employability skills. We focus on your ability to communicate your scientific learning to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of your degree and empower you when it comes to job applications and interviews. This includes practice for assessment centres and associated tasks such as psychometric testing and skills testing, and 1-1 recruitment selection or panel-based interviews.

The cryosphere holds a significant portion of Earth's fresh water, yet it faces growing threats from a warming climate. In this module, you'll explore the cryosphere as part of a wider environmental system, drawing on current research to understand how these frozen regions function and why they matter. Starting with the physical processes that influence the behaviour of ice masses, such as meltwater production and its effect on ice flow, you'll then examine the cryosphere's far-reaching impacts on downstream environments. By viewing glaciers as ecosystems, you'll uncover their role in sea-level changes, ecological interactions and climate feedbacks. You'll also gain insight into how scientists study these environments, using methods including fieldwork (like ice core sampling), remote sensing and modelling to monitor change and predict future outcomes.

This module takes a critical and yet hands-on approach to exploring the role of eco-innovation as a pathway towards sustainable development. Through action-learning, you will identify and address real-world sustainability challenges by developing your own eco-innovation proposals – viable ideas with the potential to reduce human impact on the environment whilst simultaneously delivering to the economic and social ambitions of global sustainable development. You will work in small teams, while being introduced to key sustainability concepts and business planning approaches that can be combined to develop effective eco-innovations. Gain valuable transferable skills including team working, problem analysis and framing, and effective oral and written communication to professional and non-academic audiences. By the end of the module, you will have developed a deep understanding of the intersection between sustainability and innovation, along with practical skills and increased confidence to help them drive change in the real world.

Environmental pollution from metals, nutrients, radionuclides and emerging organic contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and microplastics has received a lot of attention across the media. Their effects on humans, wildlife and the environment are the subject of exciting and novel research. However, the sources of pollution and their pathways through the environment are still poorly understood. In this module, you’ll take a case study approach to explore where different pollutants come from, how they move through and impact the environment, and what this means for the world around you. But understanding the impacts is only half the story, you’ll also investigate how to monitor, manage and remediate pollution. You’ll engage with the latest approaches to reducing risk and exposure, helping you to think critically about how we can build a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future.

This field module focuses on the governance of dynamic and rapidly changing socio-ecological systems in tropical South East Asia – places often conceived as utopias. You will explore the concept of ‘utopia’ and how it relates to environment and development challenges, considering why they succeed or fail. Visit a range of sites that reflect a continuum of different management trajectories.

Through these cases, you will explore related trade-offs and approaches to natural resource management. Engage with different stakeholders (e.g., policy makers, tourists, local farmers) to explore their differing views of utopia and preferred development and conservation trajectories and their implications for society and the biophysical landscape. This multidisciplinary trip is designed for you, whether you're a natural or social science student, and will challenge you to engage with literature, concepts, methods, and assignments from areas outside your immediate degree focus.

Conservation is as much about human behaviours and values as it is about species and biological diversity. As a field, conservation science has come to recognise the complex nature of environmental challenges, requiring a blend of knowledge from various disciplines. While the foundations of conservation are still in traditional biology, the incorporation of social sciences, economics and law are increasing. This module introduces you to the increasingly holistic approach to conservation, emphasising the interplay between ecological and social systems, that recognises human behaviours, economic pressures and cultural values alongside biological factors. The need for collaboration across diverse stakeholders will be explored. Through case studies, you will learn to apply interdisciplinary frameworks to real-world scenarios, to recognise and engage with the often conflicting values and priorities. The module will prepare you for careers in conservation organisations, government agencies and research institutions, empowering you to become effective agents of environmental change.

How are we transforming the way we supply and use energy to achieve our climate targets? In this cross-disciplinary module you will look at the major changes underway within our energy system. You will examine decarbonisation pathways in electricity, transport and heat, whilst considering supply and demand dynamics and carbon removal. Investigate real-world challenges including how to govern the energy system, economics, societal engagement and energy security.

Through a combination of lecture, workshop and field-based activities, you will gain a ‘whole system view’ cutting across disciplines, enabling you to refine your critical thinking skills and ability to weigh up the opportunities and challenges associated with energy decarbonisation. You will benefit from real-world insight through understanding the university energy system and contributions to the course from energy professionals. The knowledge and skills develop will position you for further study or employment focused on a major societal challenge.

Our planet is shaped by ongoing geological, climatic and ecological processes that are increasingly dominated by mankind. Everywhere you look you will find change, but not all changes are important. To make informed decisions, we need to know how to test ideas and identify reliable trends.

This module will teach you how to overlay spatial layers to answer increasingly complex questions about when and where changes are happening, whether they are connected, what is occurring in locations with incomplete data and to predict the magnitude and distribution of impacts? As more and more data is collected and shared by networked devices, corporations and remote sensing technologies, understanding spatial relationships is crucial. The operations of most industries already depend on geospatial analysts and this module will teach you skills needed to take advantage of the digital age.

Despite delivering abundant cheap food, farmers and society have economic, environmental and social concerns about our modern resource-intensive agricultural systems. Explore the strengths and weaknesses of current intensive and proposed extensive agricultural systems by examining their food production, resource use, efficiency and environmental impacts. You’ll be introduced to key sustainability metrics such as carbon and water footprints and delve into the biological mechanisms behind a range of agronomic techniques. The module also looks at how agriculture contributes to ecosystem services. Through hands-on workshop sessions, you’ll compare microbial inoculants (bio-fertilisers) with synthetic fertilisers in a greenhouse-based plant growth trial and take part in a virtual farm management exercise to identify strategies for making UK agriculture more economically and environmentally sustainable.

Do you want to entertain and inspire children and the public in STEM? With an introduction to teaching as well as wider engagement opportunities, learn how to understand your audience and how to engage and enliven them. You will also learn how to balance this with educating them and presenting science in a way that’s appropriate to your audience. We include an introduction to pedagogy, how to inspire school pupils and how to use traditional and new media for science communication.

You will deliver an activity of your choosing to an audience. This could be a lesson at school, engaging with children at a large outreach event or delivering a public lecture. In addition, you will also reflect on your activity to discuss what you’ve learnt and what changes you would make. You can deliver this by either video, podcast or article.

Conduct an independent research project on a specific topic within your field of study and present your findings in an extensive report. Throughout your project, you will receive one-to-one support from a member of academic staff. This is the largest piece of work that you will complete during your degree and, depending on your subject area, it will enable you to develop skills including formulating a research question; contextualising it within research literature; identifying and using appropriate research methods and techniques with which to address your question; collecting and analysing data; and interpreting your findings. Overall, the aim is to demonstrate your ability to conduct rigorous, independent academic work and communicate its outcomes clearly and effectively.

Global food security means ensuring that everyone, everywhere, always has access to an affordable supply of safe and nutritious food. Today, up to a billion people remain undernourished, while many others face health issues linked to over-consumption. This interdisciplinary module explores the wide range of local and global factors that influence food availability, accessibility and utilisation. You’ll examine what makes a diet healthy and how access to key nutrients can be improved, for example through fish consumption or crop biofortification. The module also looks at how climate change affects food production, by influencing key biological processes like photosynthesis and reproductive development. You’ll explore the complex interplay between food, water and energy security, and assess the environmental footprint of the global food system, recognising the diverse needs and priorities of local communities who depend on food-producing regions.

Advances in environmental science increasingly rely on diverse data collected through a wide range of sensors and instruments. This module equips you with the skills to access, process and interpret varied digital datasets, using modern techniques and software underpinned by scientific rigour. You’ll learn how to critically assess data quality, recognise potential errors and apply methods to minimise their impact. Through real-world examples drawn from across the environmental sciences, you’ll gain confidence in working with complex, multi-source data and understand the value of integrating different data streams.

We introduce you to the fundamental principles of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing and demonstrate how these complementary technologies may be used to capture/derive, manipulate, integrate, analyse and display different forms of spatially-referenced environmental data. We blend theory-led lectures with hands-on practical sessions using state-of-the-art software. Alongside core subject knowledge, you'll build transferable skills in synthesising geographical data, developing problem-solving strategies, managing your time effectively and presenting analysis through innovative graphical formats.

Geological hazards, especially earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions, endanger lives and livelihoods – disproportionately in vulnerable areas – and cause economic losses and infrastructure damage. Effective hazard management requires detailed understanding of the underlying physical processes, use of appropriate monitoring techniques to assess hazards and rigorous policymaking. In this module you’ll learn, via numerous case studies, how the boundaries of our knowledge of geological hazards are advanced by ongoing research. You’ll gain understanding of why landslides occur and the geomechanical models underpinning slope failure analysis and why faults slip. You will look at the probabilistic models used in seismic hazard assessment and how volcanic unrest and eruption relates to physical processes in magmatic systems. You will gain employability-relevant experience of geological hazards, which integrates field, remote sensing and modelling approaches and includes a site survey of a local landslide. You will thus develop systematic and creative approaches to identifying and solving problems.

We inhabit a wafer-thin veneer that floats on a dynamic planetary interior. This module explores the structure and evolution of Earth’s interior and how volcanic systems emerge as the surface expression of the convection of the outer core and mantle. You will build a foundation on understanding of the properties and behaviour of volcanic materials gained through laboratory, theoretical and field study. The module emphasises widely applicable physical and chemical principles that underpin volcanic activity, including variations in solubility, rheology, phase, density and permeability. The interaction of volcanic processes with the biosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere are discussed including how the Earth’s interior can produce rapid surface change that alters the trajectory of evolution. These principles will also be applied to research-led insights into volcanism across the solar system.

Develop your theoretical and practical knowledge of volcanic processes by studying the evolution of a basaltic volcano. You will be part of pre-trip classroom sessions used to support the main residential fieldwork component of the module. You will cover a wide range of the complex physical volcanic processes that take place both on the surface, within and beneath volcanoes. You will explore geological evidence for constructional (eruptive and intrusive) events as well as for destructive (collapse) events. On top of that, you will also interpret field observations, over scales varying from millimetres to kilometres, in terms of their causal volcanic processes and evaluate the associated hazard. You'll use a problem-based learning approach to tackle major challenges, such as understanding the magmatic plumbing system and how it shapes modern approaches to hazard analysis and mitigation.