* subject to final UWE Bristol approval
This course is open for applications.
Page last updated 15 November 2024
Join a university that’s been awarded Institution of the Year by the Green Gown Awards for its work towards sustainable futures. Gain a strong grounding for an environmentally focused career and learn essential skills for the future, from environmental systems to the human impacts on them.
Environmental challenges, such as climate change and plastic waste, are big on the global agenda. The urgency surrounding these issues means there’s now a growing need for competent, qualified environmental and sustainability professionals.
Government bodies, organisations and communities emphasise sustainability and ‘green skills.’ This degree will enable you to work across subjects and showcase a broad professional skillset, preparing you for a wide range of environmentally and sustainability focused careers.
BSc(Hons) Environment and Sustainability will appeal to you if you're passionate about the environment and want to make a difference in the world. You’ll explore environmental factors affecting the world as well as the relationships, impact and responses this has on people and society.
At UWE Bristol, you’ll be part of a university that’s recognised for its commitment to environmentally sustainable futures. You’ll study in Bristol, a city renowned for its global leadership in sustainability and its pioneering environmental efforts and initiatives.
Drawing on our strong links with employers, you'll benefit from placements, live project briefs, site visits and guest lectures throughout your course. You’ll connect with internal and external experts and future employers, engage with the department's research centres and go on field trips to link your learning to real life experiences.
This course will give you a diverse skillset, including data analysis, project management, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), environmental reporting and working with diverse communities. These skills are well suited to careers in the environmental sector, such as roles in environment and sustainability focused careers.
You could also go onto work with businesses, technology companies, charities, NGOs or local or national government, or pursue postgraduate study.
The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.
You'll study:
All pathways
You'll study:
All Pathways
Biodiversity Pathway
Climate Change Pathway
Rivers and Coasts Pathway
Sustainability Pathway
If you study on the four year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work placement after year two. You'll also complete a placement learning module.
See the Placements and Fees sections for more information.
You'll study:
All Pathways
Plus:
*If you complete the placement year you won't study these modules.
Biodiversity Pathway
Climate Change Pathway
Rivers and Coasts Pathway
Sustainability Pathway
One of the following optional modules:
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.
With experiential learning and problem-solving at its core, the course includes plenty of interactive sessions, practical content and exercises built into the modules.
Gain essential knowledge and skills for working in the environmental field. These include using information from academic research and policy to inform future environmental practices and conducting environmental assessments and consultancy.
You’ll also handle environmental data, make recommendations about issues such as energy and resource management, champion participation and inclusion and develop your communication.
Learn to use a wide variety of research, management and assessment tools, including those designed to make business and development activity more sustainable.
As well as networking events and live client briefs, you'll study professional development modules to build your knowledge and skills and engage with future employers.
Peer support and learning is encouraged, and you'll have many opportunities to collaborate with other students from your course.
See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.
You'll spend at least 12 hours in scheduled contact time a week, as well as time with your personal tutor.
The Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme is also available, offering you extra support from students in the year above.
We want you to build, and be able to, showcase a wide range of skills. This is why we use varied assessments, including blogs, podcasts, reports, presentations and working on real-life environmental, case-based problems.
Much of the work has an applied focus, so you’ll be working on the kind of tasks demanded of you in practice.
Learn more about assessments.
This course is accredited by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) and the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM).
Students who get work experience tend to graduate with better degrees. Experience also hones your skills, industry knowledge and professional network, making you a sought-after graduate.
If you choose the four-year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work or study abroad placement after Year two.
We also offer summer internships through our many links with Bristol's well-established environmental sector.
You'll get help to find your placement and support throughout from department staff and our award-winning careers service.
Field trips are an important part of this course. You'll go on two residential trips, one in the UK in Year one, and another in Europe in Year two.
The trips offer a fantastic opportunity to understand the nature of environmental challenges in different locations, and to see first-hand the mitigation and management tools applied in response to them.
Learn in modern teaching rooms, labs and computer facilities with a range of industry-standard software, supported by large-format printers and scanners and expert technical support staff.
You’ll also have access to four specialist laboratories: Earth sciences, Environmental change, Surveying technology, and Spatial analysis, all complete with the latest equipment. This allows you to test water quality and soil mechanics, investigate historic environments, carry out level surveys and much more.
Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.
Take a personalised virtual tour of Geography and Environmental Management and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.
An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.
A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.
There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.
We provide support in the way you need it.
Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.
On our BSc(Hons) Environment and Sustainability degree, you’ll unpick the science that lies behind the core environmental challenges affecting the world today. These include the impacts of climate change, rapid urbanisation and insecurities and risks surrounding water, waste management and energy.
Explore the competing demands placed on global environments and trace the growth of environmentalism and green politics. You’ll learn about broad interventions, including policy and legislation, including those designed to make business activity more sustainable.
The course incorporates the emerging disciplines of science communication and environmental psychology. This means you'll look closely at how peoples' attitudes, relationships and behaviour can help, or act to frustrate, environmental action. You’ll also identify the stakeholders, tools and techniques needed for brokering and delivering positive, lasting change.
Build strong transferable skills in research, data analysis, geographical information systems, project management, presentations and report writing, preparing you to pursue your career after you graduate.
These skills are well suited to many positions within the environmental sector, such as roles in sustainability or energy management. You’ll also have the transferable skills to find roles in businesses, technology companies, charities, NGOs or local government.
For those keen to take their studies further, postgraduate study is another option. As a graduate from our BSc(Hons) Environment and Sustainability, you’ll be eligible to apply for our MSc Environmental Management, MSc Environmental Consultancy or MSc Sustainable Development in Practice.
Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and help to find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.
We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.
Visit our employability pages to learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.
*The UK Government recently proposed that tuition fees for Home students will increase by 3.1% to £9,535 from 1st August 2025. This increase is subject to Parliamentary approval and the vote is expected to take place later this year.
Any tuition fee which is impacted by this change will be updated following approval.
Please see GOV.UK for further information.
Your overall entitlement to funding is based on how long the course is that you're registered on.
Standard funding is allocated based on the standard number of years that your course lasts, plus one additional year.
You'll apply for funding each year that you study and Student Finance will take into account how long the course is in each year that you apply. So if you register for the four year course and then transfer to the three year course, the number of years you can apply for funding will change. Student Finance will reassess your funding based on how many years you have been in study, not just those years for which you received student finance.
Always seek advice before taking any action that may have implications for your funding.
This refers to items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee.
These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.
International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Please visit our English language requirements page.
For country specific entry requirements please find your country on the country information pages. If you are an international student and do not meet the academic requirements to study this course, you can qualify by completing preparatory study at our International College.
If you are applying to study at UWE Bristol and require additional support to meet our English language requirements, you may be able to attend one of our pre-sessional English courses. Read more about our pre-sessional English Programme.
Read more about entry requirements.
Read more about undergraduate applications.
Read more about international applications and key international deadline dates.