Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Environmental Science and Geography with International or Placement Year

at Keele University United Kingdom

Throughout your studies you will:

• follow a full research training programme leading to the completion of an original dissertation in a topic of your choosing;
• take core modules designed to deepen your understanding of methodologies appropriate to the study of literature from the Renaissance to the present;
• choose an optional module from a variety of disciplines, including English or American Literature, Creative Writing or Film, or you can choose to take a Work Placement module;
• work with a research-active supervisor to develop and pursue your dissertation, and participate in the academic life of the School of Humanities more generally;

The Sociology course involves a mix of compulsory and research-led modules to enable you to think independently, critically, and imaginatively about the issues that shape our everyday lives and our futures. Through a mix of lectures, seminars, and workshops you will study societies, social problems, and how they impact upon the lives of individuals.

We will consider how our lives are shaped by relationships with other people, institutions, habits, and ways of thinking that make up the complex societies in which we live. You will be encouraged to develop sociological explanations for the wide-ranging changes taking place in the contemporary world and think about potential solutions to social problems. In the final year of your studies, you will receive individual supervision to carry out your own piece of social research.

On this course, you will integrate understanding of our physiology with the holistic and behavioural approach of psychology. You'll cover a broad range of topics which may include health and disease, social, cognitive and biological psychology and research methods. Human Biology provides a broad understanding of the physiology of the body’s major systems as well as human health and disease and the relationship between the human body with the environment.

You will be challenged with exciting ideas and findings from psychology and human biology. In Psychology, you will deal with social and developmental psychology, cognitive and biological psychology and research methods. You will explore issues that relate to our ever changing lifestyles and will be taught through a multidisciplinary approach that is supported by input from experts in their field. You’ll benefit from a supportive environment as well as fantastic lab facilities and equipment.

For the Neuroscience element of the course, you will explore a range of topics which may include the mystery of the human brain, the central nervous system, the impact of drugs upon it, and the molecular biology of diseases and disorders of the brain.

Studying Neuroscience, you’ll discover how we learn and remember, how the brain controls the body, and how the brain can be targeted by disease but in some instances can repair itself. Within the course are interesting related disciplines such as neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology and neuropathology.

Working in diverse ways, including in our well-equipped labs, you’ll develop your independent research skills as you learn to acquire, interpret and analyse data from multiple sources. You’ll also understand how neuroscience can help us understand medical problems and improve the quality of life.

For the Psychology element of this course, you will be taught by staff who are actively engaged in research with specialisms in social psychology, developmental psychology, cognition and neuropsychology, biological psychology health and wellbeing and a range of applied areas. The emphasis of the course is on understanding how psychology impacts on everyday life; from developing a sense of self and negotiating personal relationships to influencing judgments about matters of global significance, such as climate change. At Keele we aim to produce psychology graduates who are ready to use their psychology skills and knowledge to make a real difference. The psychology modules on this course are accredited by the British Psychological Society.

You will be challenged with exciting ideas and findings from psychology and neuroscience. In Psychology, you will study a range of topics which may include social and developmental psychology, cognitive and biological psychology and research methods. In Neuroscience you learn about the nervous system, its various components and how they work, and how they are affected by disease. You’ll benefit from a supportive environment as well as fantastic lab facilities and equipment.

As a History and International Relations student you will develop an understanding of the different approaches to both disciplines and the range of theories and methods used. The programme encompasses a broad range of topics, from societies in the very distant past to contemporary migration, conflict, gender, security, and the EU, in order to understand how social and political organisation today comes from that of yesterday.

The History element of the degree will carry you chronologically from the medieval period to the present, and span the globe. You will be introduced to a wide range of history – from political, social, economic and cultural history to the history of gender, health, sexuality and religion. Throughout your first year, you may engage in modules that encourage you to explore topics such as how European rulers tried to strengthen their authority with the increase of military power between the late fifteenth and late seventeenth centuries, or some of the key defining moments in History which may include the 1720 South Sea Bubble in Britain, the 1791 Haitian Revolution or the 1933 Bauhaus movement.  

Additionally, throughout the International Relations element of the programme, you will study more than just current events - you will explore how history, structures, ideas, power, people and politics all come together to shape and direct the world that we live in. International Relations is everywhere around us, from what we see on the nightly news to the films we watch. It is an interdisciplinary subject that draws on an almost inexhaustable list of disciplines, such as history, politics, sociology, cultural studies, regional studies, anthropology, economics, business, philosophy and gender studies.