Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science

General Information

Are you interested in Science? Are you concerned about the quality of our environment? Would you like a career helping to make improvements to our environment for the benefit of this and future generations? Do you want a challenging career and one tailored to meet the needs of a wide spectrum of employers? Then perhaps you should study Environmental Science at UL. Students will be provided with a strong foundation in biology, chemistry and ecology, and with an in-depth knowledge in environmental technology, environmental management, conservation, and waste management.

Maintaining both the quality of life and a clean and healthy environment is now a major concern of Government, employers, non-governmental organisations and citizens.The European Union has now a very comprehensive environmental policy, and as a Member State, Ireland is obliged to act in accordance with this policy.The Irish Government, for its part, has been to the forefront in implementing relevant EU legislation on a national basis and has taken many initiatives in progressing the environmental agenda in recent years. More stringent environmental requirements are being placed on industry and community in areas such as energy usage, waste minimisation, waste management, recycling, water and air quality. Consequently, there is a strong demand for graduates with a scientific understanding of environmental and health and safety issues, together with a full understanding of technological and management methods available to help improve the quality of our environment.

What makes Environmental Science at the University of Limerick distinctive is its relevance to industry and business, through a focus on environmental technology, environmental management and health & safety in the workplace.Our graduates,with a sound, scientific understanding of the environment, are employed as environmental professionals across a range of industrial sectors.

The main areas of study will include

• Environmental Science - the application of the fundamental sciences to environmental issues
• Environmental Management - how strategies can be developed and implemented in protecting all aspects of the environment
• CleanTechnology - the use of cleaner technologies and processes to minimise the negative impacts of technology on the environment
• Waste Management - study of the physical methodologies and techniques for dealing with increasing levels of waste generated by the manufacturer and consumer
• Health & Safety - a complementary area to environmental science which specifically deals with significant health and safety issues both in the workplace and in outdoor environments.

Course Structure

The degree programme is four years in duration. Early modules are concerned with building up students' understanding of science relevant to the environment (biology, ecology, chemistry, computing, maths and physics).The basic concepts used in these subjects are applied to specific environmental science applications. Later modules in the programme focus on the areas of environmental management, environmental technology, environmental impact assessment, waste management, environmental monitoring and health & safety.

In the third year, the University organises Cooperative Education for all students.This is a period of approximately eight months of paid employment for the student in a position which is relevant to environmental science.This placement benefits you in a number of ways in that it

• Facilitates you in applying understanding, techniques and knowledge acquired in the University to the workplace environment.
• Provides you with significant environmental experience which may be advantageous when seeking a position on graduation at the end of the B.Sc. Environmental Science programme.
• Allows you to gain an understanding of the social context of the workplace environment.

In the final year of the programme students undertake a research project in some aspect of environmental science.The project is supervised by a faculty member with specific expertise in the area and the project runs over both semesters.

For further details, log on to www.ul.ie/~ces

Entry Requirements

Applicants are required to hold at the time of enrolment the established Leaving Certificate (or an approved equivalent) with at least Grade C3 in two Higher Level subjects and Grade D3 in four Ordinary or Higher Level subjects (including Mathematics; Irish or another language; and English).

In addition applicants are required to hold at least the following in the Leaving Certificate or an approved equivalent: Grade C3 in Higher Level Mathematics and a Grade D3 in a Higher or Ordinary Level paper in any one of the following: Physics,Chemistry, Physics with Chemistry, Engineering,Technical Drawing/Design & Communication Graphics, Technology, Agricultural Science, Biology.
OR Grade B3 in Ordinary Level Mathematics (Grade D3 in Higher Level Mathematics also suffices) and Grade C3 in one of the following Higher Level papers:Applied Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Physics with Chemistry, Biology,Agricultural Science.

Students can also enter this programme of study via the Science Choice degree LM117.A Special Mathematics Examination will be offered at UL following the Leaving Certificate results for those students who did not achieve the Mathematics requirement.

Career Prospects

There is a strong demand for B.Sc. Environmental Science graduates in industry, state agencies, consultancy companies and local authorities.These environmental professional positions entail, for example, managing waste, implementing environmental management systems, developing new and cleaner technologies, monitoring pollutant levels, environmental impact assessment in relation to new developments and management of health & safety in the work environment.There are smaller numbers of jobs available in conservation.One specific advantage of the B.Sc. Environmental Science qualification is that the graduate is equipped with the skills and environmental knowledge to gain employment across a range of industrial sectors along with consultancy groups, local authorities and other organisations.

Graduates are employed in

• Chemical & Biotechnology based industry
• Energy generation
• Electronics manufacture
• Environmental Protection industries
• Transport Sector
• Construction / Mining industries
• Environmental Consultancy companies
• Local Authorities
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Teaching (H.Dip.Ed. required)

A number of our graduates have pursued taught M.Sc. programmes and Ph.D.s by research in various aspects of environmental science.