Environmental Management with Foundation Year

Environmental management is concerned with understanding and addressing the human impact on natural systems and with finding practical approaches to making that impact more sustainable. It brings together ecology, environmental science, policy, planning and management, asking how organisations, communities and governments can make decisions that protect the environment while meeting human needs. As climate change, resource depletion and biodiversity loss move from background concerns to immediate challenges, the demand for people with these skills has grown substantially.

At the University of Salford, the four-year full-time programme begins with a foundation year, which builds the scientific grounding and study skills needed to succeed on the full BSc degree. You will learn to understand environmental systems, assess environmental impacts, navigate the regulatory frameworks that govern environmental management in the UK and internationally, and develop the project management and communication skills that professional practice requires. The degree includes a sandwich year and a work placement, giving you direct experience of working in relevant professional environments before graduation.

Salford's location in Greater Manchester places you within a major urban region that provides real examples of the environmental management challenges the degree addresses, from urban greening and air quality to flood risk and brownfield regeneration. The city's size and complexity make it an interesting laboratory for environmental management in practice.

Graduates work in environmental consultancy, local authorities, the Environment Agency, natural resource companies, water utilities, planning departments, the third sector and international development organisations. Environmental impact assessment, sustainability management, ecological surveying and environmental policy are among the roles graduates enter. Postgraduate study in environmental management, environmental law, sustainability or a related field is a common route for those who want to specialise.