Environmental Science

Environmental science draws on biology, chemistry, geography, and earth science to understand the natural world and the ways in which human activity is transforming it. The discipline is driven by some of the most urgent questions of our time: how ecosystems function and why they are declining, what drives pollution and how it can be reduced, how climate change is reshaping landscapes and communities, and what evidence-based approaches to conservation and sustainability look like in practice. Environmental scientists are needed in every sector that interacts with the natural world, and that is a very large part of the economy.

At the University of Cumbria, the location is itself a teaching resource. The Lake District and the broader Cumbrian landscape offer one of the richest natural environments in England for ecological fieldwork, landscape analysis, and the study of environmental change, and the university's relationship with that landscape is embedded in how the programme is delivered. Over three years of full-time study, you will develop a grounding in ecology, earth systems, environmental chemistry, geographical information systems, and environmental policy, alongside strong practical fieldwork skills.

You will learn to collect and analyse environmental data, write technical reports, and communicate scientific findings to different audiences.

The programme equips you to engage with real environmental problems rather than purely theoretical ones, developing the applied competence that employers in environmental consultancy, conservation, and policy need.

Graduates work in environmental consultancy, ecological surveying, conservation organisations, government agencies such as the Environment Agency and Natural England, local authorities, and the energy sector. Some graduates go on to postgraduate study in ecology, environmental management, climate science, or conservation, deepening their expertise for research or senior professional roles. The practical and scientific skills the degree develops are also relevant in international development, water management, and sustainability roles across many industries.