About this course
- Entry year: 2012/13
- Course code: K2K3
- Level: Undergraduate
- Tariff points: 260
- Department: Construction and Property
- Campus: Frenchay
- Duration: Three years full-time, four years sandwich
- Delivery: Part-time, full-time, sandwich
- Study Abroad: No
- Programme leader: Milica Vernon BA, PGCE, MA
Introduction
The BSc(Hons) Built and Natural Environments degree course is open to students of all ages and backgrounds, who;
- Wish to undertake degree level studies
- Are interested in the built and natural environments in which we live
- Are keen to design their own course to reflect their areas of interest, by choosing for themselves the subjects which they study
- Wish to control the rate at which they progress through the course.
The built and natural environments
The built and natural environments are the world around you, the cities and towns, villages and countryside, rivers and coasts.
The built environment is the urban and rural landscapes as a whole, and all the buildings and structures within them, from design and construction, how they are used, and their eventual removal or preservation. The natural environment includes the physical geography and habitats of the world, and the management and understanding of the impact that man has upon it.
Many different disciplines and professions help create and shape the built and natural environments, determining how they are developed and managed.
Student's view
Interview with a graduate
"I was attracted to the course because I was able to choose modules from any course within the School of Built and Natural Environment. My course is geared towards environmental issues, but you could move towards property or construction."
Claudia Sartori, final year student
Structure
Content
This three year course enables you to select topics from the full breadth of the Faculty's undergraduate programme, which covers the following disciplines and professions: Architecture, Civil engineering, Conservation, Construction, Design technology, Environmental management, Housing, Human geography, Tourism and leisure, Physical geography, Planning, Property development, Real estate, Regeneration, Surveying, Sustainability and Transport.
You have the freedom to design a course that focuses on two or three subjects or disciplines, or you could dip into a wide range of subjects.
If you are studying full-time, you would choose six modules (or equivalent half modules) in each year of the course - making a total of 18 modules over three years.
If you are studying part-time, you can choose as many modules as you wish to study each year. If you take four modules each year, you would complete the degree in five years. Your timetable would obviously depend on when the modules are scheduled.
The course includes a number of modules designed to enhance your skills and prepare you for your career search and subsequent employment.
Year 1 includes a field study team project, while Years 2 and 3 include the modules that cover career development and professional development.
Some modules may count towards the academic qualifications required for membership of some professional bodies, so if you later wanted to join one of these professional bodies, you may be able to top up your qualification to meet their requirements.
If you wish to complete an Honours degree, you will do the dissertation, which will also involve you developing research skills.
Teaching and learning
Teaching methods are varied depending on the module; lectures, project work and tutorials all have a part. Assessment is achieved through a balance of coursework and examinations. Examinations are held in either January or May. Coursework will be a variety of essays, reports, surveys, design projects, teamwork or progress tests.
The teaching staff provide a friendly, enabling environment for learning. They are also actively engaged in research or professional practice, ensuring that you learn directly from the latest academic and business developments.
Assessment
Assessment includes coursework and examinations, although the balance will depend on your choice of modules.
Special Features
Placements
You may spend your third year in a placement to gain practical experience, and to qualify for a 'sandwich' degree. The integration of a placement into courses is highly favoured by employers, and you will normally be paid by your placement employer.
A placement connects university with work, allowing you to consolidate your knowledge and skills by applying them in a professional situation in the real world. This experience will also enrich and focus your final year studies. A year's income is also useful to many students. We offer support and guidance to help you find a placement, and you will be visited by a tutor who will also be available if you have any problems.
Study facilities
A range of specialist facilities are provided by the suite of computer rooms supports software for word processing, data analysis and spatial enquiry. They provide access to e-mail and internet, including Faculty and University websites which enable you to use a vast number of specialist electronic journals and publications, and resources provided by lecturers to support their modules. A Project Room provides space for you to work on individual and group assignments, together with a range of materials and equipment. An audio-visual group provides support for photography, digital imaging, filming and sound recording.
Depending on which modules you choose, you may also use the well equipped laboratories for concrete and environmental services, environmental physics, earth sciences, and surveying technology, each with specialist technicians supporting both teaching and research.
The Department is based in a large modern building, to which a new set of studios and teaching rooms (designed by a member of the Department) have recently been added.
Student representatives sit on a wide range of committees University and Faculty level, where they can influence discussions and decisions which affect your learning experience.
Careers/further study
Graduates find employment in a wide range of organisations and agencies. Recent graduates have included a Geography teacher, a housing officer, an assistant managing director, and employers include the Environment Agency, Legal & General, United Housing Association and local government.
Entry
Typical offers
- Tariff points: 260
- GCSE: Maths and English Language at grade C or above required.
- Specific subjects: None specified
- Access: Achievement of the Access to HE Diploma; achievement of level 2 credits in Maths and English Language
Advice on typical offers
In addition to the 'typical offer' given here, please read the general information about entry requirements.
Fees
For information on fees please visit our fees and funding pages
How to apply
Please see the general information about applications.
Students who successfully complete the Built and Natural Environments Foundation course may be permitted to transfer onto the first year of this degree course.
We welcome applications from students without the conventional entrance requirements but who do have substantial relevant work or other experience and whose motivation and skills would enable them to succeed on the course.
Students with disabilities
We welcome applications from people with disabilities.
Following is some information about the types of activities that the course may involve: the activities will vary according to the modules that you choose. We are committed to supporting students with disabilities, and wherever possible we will make reasonable adjustments to these activities to enable students with disabilities to successfully complete the course. We encourage applicants to disclose any disabilities or support needs in their applications forms, so that we can offer information, advice and support. There is a Disability Service at UWE Bristol and a Disability Support Co-ordinator in the Department.
- Use a computer
- Read and produce drawings, plans and maps
- Visually inspect buildings and locations, including physical movement around and through buildings and locations
- Visually inspect construction sites, including physical movement around and through construction sites
- Participate in field courses or activities away from the University
- Measure distances and sizes of buildings, materials or sites
- Team working and negotiation
- Laboratory work involving observations and physical manipulation
- Take part in discussions and presentations
Open days
We run open days throughout the year, when you can meet lecturers and current students, see the facilities and resources that we offer, and visit the student accommodation. Please ask for details. For further information regarding the course, you are welcome to contact:Milica Vernon (Course Leader) M.Vernon@uwe.ac.uk or Julian Spicer (Admissions) fet.admissions@uwe.ac.uk, +44 (0)117 32 83000
For further information
Page last updated 14 December 2011