Environmental science
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Environmental science integrates multiple scientific disciplines to understand Earth’s interconnected systems. Through this module, you’ll investigate the processes shaping our oceans, atmosphere, freshwater, soil and land ecosystems – and examine how human activity affects them. Using innovative online materials and interactive practical work, you’ll develop a thorough understanding of how environmental processes, interactions and feedback mechanisms work. You’ll learn to design, conduct, analyse and communicate the results of investigations at both local and global scales, gaining the knowledge and practical abilities needed for a career in environmental science.
What you will study
Block 1: Oceans
You’ll begin your journey exploring Earth’s oceans, which cover much of our planet’s surface. You’ll learn how they play a vital role in regulating global temperature and carbon dioxide, as well as providing crucial food resources. Alongside building your knowledge of ocean systems, you’ll begin developing a new skill: using geographic information systems (GIS) to map ocean characteristics.
Block 2: Air
Next, you’ll investigate the atmosphere’s critical role in supporting life on Earth and shaping both weather and climate. You’ll examine how its composition determines Earth’s temperature and explore how human activities are changing atmospheric processes. Through your studies, you’ll gain insight into changing patterns of air pollution and their impacts.
Block 3: Freshwater
The third block looks at freshwater. Though freshwater makes up a small fraction of Earth’s liquid water, it’s essential to life. You’ll explore the water cycle, discovering how water moves through soil, rivers, lakes and back to the atmosphere. You’ll use GIS to study flooding patterns and examine water pollution, connecting your learning to real-world challenges through United Nations’ Sustainability Goal 6, ‘the right to clean water and sanitation’.
Block 4: Soil
This penultimate block introduces the soil. You’ll delve into the often overlooked but vital role of soil in Earth’s systems. You’ll discover how soil stores vast amounts of carbon, regulates water availability, and recycles nutrients – underpinning both terrestrial ecosystems and most food production. Through practical work with a virtual microscope and local soil data collection, you’ll study soil formation, structure, composition and the diverse organisms that make it function.
Block 5: Life on land
In your final block, you’ll investigate the ecological processes that create and maintain biodiversity. You’ll explore how these processes work at different scales, from your local area to regional and global perspectives.
Practical work
The module has a strong practical thread with three specific elements: fieldwork (virtual and physical), data skills, and geographic information systems (GIS).
Practical week 1
The first practical week introduces our Open Living Lab, an innovative outdoor laboratory on the OU campus based around an area of regenerating and replanted riverside woodland fitted with various environmental sensors.
Practical week 2
In the second practical week, you’ll use GIS to explore a variety of landscapes across the world, such as mountains, rivers and glaciers.
Practical week 3
In the third practical week, you’ll participate in an intensive field school with both residential and virtual options available.
Entry requirements
There are no formal entry requirements for this module.
At 快猫视频, we believe education should be open to all, so we provide high-quality university education to anyone who wishes to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential.
Even though there are no entry requirements, you’ll need appropriate knowledge of science and basic mathematics to study the module successfully.
What's included
You’ll have access to a module website, which includes:
- a week-by-week study planner
- course-specific module materials
- audio and video content
- assessment details and submission section
- online tutorial access
- access to the leading web-GIS platform ArcGIS Online
- research-grade data analysis software through the Open Computing Lab.
Computing requirements
- Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer. It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
- Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
- Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
- Operating systems – Windows 11 or latest supported macOS. Microsoft will no longer support Windows 10 as of 14 October 2025.
- Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
- Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended. Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.