Programme Specifications

With Integrated Year in Industry

Biosciences with consideration of Environmental Sciences

August 2024

The course will provide students with the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge underpinning the broad field of wildlife conservation and management. Core modules will ensure that students have a firm grounding in conservation biology, including aspects of policy and habitat management, but focused primarily on ecology / whole-organism biology. Optional modules will offer students the chance to specialize in specific areas of wildlife conservation. The scheme will equip students to develop further their creativity in the field of wildlife conservation.

Subject specific skills

To provide students with knowledge of the importance of Planet Earth as the background to biodiversity and conservation. Students will gain an understanding of the geological and evolutionary processes that have shaped key habitats and the interactions between these habitats and the wildlife they support.

An appreciation of the importance of conserving biodiversity and a range of scales, from genetic diversity to biomes and ecosystems.

An understanding of approaches to conserving species, habitats and ecosystems.

An understanding of the relevant policy that underlies biological conservation and environmental management.

An awareness of the legal, moral, ethical and social elements of conservation alongside other human activities including leisure and agriculture.

Generic and graduate skills

To develop a critical and analytical approach in all aspects of study and problem solving, including the ability to deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively and be able to communicate their understanding.

To enable and develop effective teamwork and communication skills, particularly via field and laboratory activities

To engender a confidence to learn by responding positively and proactively to feedback provided.

To develop strong communication skills both orally and in writing.

To show awareness of associated industries, stakeholders needs and impacts

The alternative schemes have specific learning outcomes, and therefore subject knowledge, remain unchanged. However, students will be able to demonstrate additional outcomes as a result of undertaking the year in industry. These additional outcomes provide an enhanced student experience and allow students to develop knowledge of their subject areas in applied contexts and to develop work experience and thus enhance their employability. Specifically, the proposed degree aims to advantage students in the following additional ways:

To apply approaches, concepts, skills, methods and/or theories in a work-based context relevant to their scheme.

To develop highly valued transferable and professional skills during a work placement, providing a competitive edge in the graduate job market.

To enable students to learn about an organization and its area of work, providing an excellent opportunity to evaluate future career paths.

Subject specific skills (with Integrated Year in Industry)

The Subject specific skills of the schemes will not change. Nevertheless, on the completion of their degree, students on these four-year versions of the schemes will have gained a valuable insight into a field of employment relating to their subject area in the biological sciences, developing the associated skills and enhancing their employability / networking / establishing industry links.

Generic and graduate skills (with Integrated Year in Industry)

The generic and graduate skills of the schemes will not change. However, the four-year version of the schemes ‘with a year in Industry’ will likely develop the skills listed below, though the nature and emphasis will depend on the exact employment; not all of these will be assessed, though most are likely to form part of the employer’s assessment of the student:

Working independently

Working as part of a team

Respecting the views, beliefs, opinions and values of others

Listening to, and engaging with, other speakers

Effective verbal communication in a range of settings, including group discussions and debates and formal presentations

Effective written communication in a variety of forms

Use of information technologies to process, store, present and communicate information, including spreadsheets, databases, word processing, e-mail and the world-wide web

Identifying, retrieving, sorting and handling information from conventional and electronic sources, including libraries, on-line computer resources and the world-wide web

Time management and self-regulation of work regimes

Research issues and solve problems

Adapting to change

Reading comprehension and interpretation of a range of written material

Observational skills

Collating, processing, interpreting and presenting numerical data

Identifying appropriate career pathways and developing the capacity to compete

The overarching objective of the degree is to give students an holistic course that covers all aspects of wildlife conservation. The programme will be grounded firmly in the background scientific knowledge and ecological concepts that need to be applied to the conservation of endangered flora and fauna. Additionally, the four-year version of the scheme will aim to develop graduate level skills, as described in the Generic and Graduate level skills section above.

A1 Describe, discuss and understand the key biological concepts and phenomena relevant to the Wildlife Conservation programme confidently, accurately and in detail, using appropriate terminology.

A2 Be aware of the full breadth of Wildlife Conservation, from molecular to cellular, and from organism to ecosystem.

A3 Engage with literature from the Biosciences to develop insight into the subject.

A4 Appreciate the contribution of Wildlife Conservation to the innovations that characterise the modern world, and the potential of Biosciences graduates from this field to develop sustainable solutions to current and future challenges.

A5 Stay up to date with advances in Wildlife Conservation, including aspects of sustainability, and appreciate the fluid nature of knowledge that evolves as new findings emerge.

Learning and Teaching
Lectures
Tutorials
Case-studies
Fieldwork
Laboratory practicals
Literature-based research
Computer-assisted learning
Active and interactive learning
Research leading to a Dissertation

The scheme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the additional following areas:

Demonstrate a range of transferable skills including initiative, independence and commercial awareness.

During their integrated year in industry students will embed themselves within a working environment, allowing for the development of a range of transferable and life skills commensurate with the above. Furthermore, students on this scheme will have the potential to utilise the knowledge and skills associated with other outcomes developed in years 1 and 2. This will be in part dependent on the nature of the organisation in which their position is based.

Assessment Strategies and Methods
Written examinations and coursework, including:
Multiple-choice examination questions
Short-answer examination questions
Essay-style examination questions
Oral and poster presentations
Article and report writing
Practical write-ups
Submission of a Dissertation

Students on the integrated industrial year will be required to register for the module BRS0060. During the integrated Year in Industry, students will be required to submit an Introductory Report (worth 30% of the Industrial Year mark) on the organization that they are working for, its structure, aims and operation; and a Workplace investigation, to investigate a technical aspect of the work that they are doing (worth 40% of the Industrial Year mark). Finally, there will be an AU staff assessment of the final student self-evaluation and employer’s report. These will be marked in order to assess the student’s achievement of learning outcome 10.1 above as well as the other learning outcomes of their scheme.

10.2.1 Intellectual Skills

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

B1 Recognise the relationships and interfaces between Wildlife Conservation and other subjects (both scientific and outside of the sciences), such that they are able to operate effectively in a multidisciplinary environment.

B2 Apply ethical awareness to working in the Biosciences and Wildlife Conservation, appreciate the historical context of the subject and the societal impacts of advances in the Biosciences.

B3 Demonstrate experience of working in a professional environment.

Learning and Teaching
Lectures
Tutorials
Case-studies
Fieldwork
Laboratory practicals
Literature-based research
Computer-assisted learning
Active and interactive learning
Research leading to a Dissertation

Assessment Strategies and Methods
Written examinations and coursework, including:
Multiple-choice examination questions
Short-answer examination questions
Essay-style examination questions
Oral and poster presentations
Article and report writing
Practical write-ups
Submission of a Dissertation

10.2.2 Professional practical skills / Discipline Specific Skills

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

C1 Apply knowledge and understanding of biological systems and methodologies to design experiments and to solve theoretical and practical problems, with awareness of appropriate controls, possible bias, ethics and sustainability.

C2 Describe, document and enact safe working practices in terms of managing biological, chemical, laboratory or field-based risk, through knowledge-based risk assessments and practical activities.

C3 Select and carry out appropriate quantitative and qualitative practical (laboratory, field or computational) techniques to solve problems relevant to the Equine science programme, including consideration of the theoretical basis and limitations of various techniques.

C4 Complete independent open-ended investigative work through a project/research-based assignment relevant to the course. This could be a laboratory or field-based project, an evidenced-based review, and/or collecting and evaluating data from a variety of sources.

C5 Collect qualitative and quantitative data from investigations relevant to the course and analyse and interpret this data to allow testing of hypotheses, contextualising of findings, presentation of findings, and suggestions for further lines of investigation.

C6 Applying principles, methods, approaches, concepts, skills and/or theories appropriate to the relevant biological sciences scheme in a professional context, as well as understanding the challenges of working in a professional environment.

Learning and Teaching
Laboratory practicals
Fieldwork
Class activities / case-studies
Research leading to a Dissertation

The final learning outcome will be primarily developed through spending a year in industry.

Assessment Strategies and Methods
Oral and poster presentations
Article and report writing
Practical write-ups
Submission of a Dissertation

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

D1 Acquire skills in research and data analysis.

D2 Deploy mathematical and statistical concepts, processes and tools, such as the manipulation of equations and graphical and statistical analysis, to solve problems or evaluate data.

D3 Develop problem-solving and creative thinking skills.

D4 Develop a thorough grounding in information technology skills and use appropriate databases, computational techniques and tools to aid further understanding of and insight into biological processes.

D5 Demonstrate the ability to work independently.

D6 Demonstrate time-management and organisational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines.

D7 Develop the ability to express ideas and communicate effectively, in both written and oral forms, selecting appropriate content, media and methods for the audience, purpose and subject.

D8 Demonstrate self-motivation and self-reliance.

D9 Collaborate and work successfully and inclusively in a group environment, contributing positively and flexibly to team outputs.

D10 Act professionally, with due regard for legal, ethical and societal responsibilities, modelling good practice that promotes positive, sustainable and inclusive perceptions of the Biosciences and of Bioscientists.

D11 Demonstrate professionalism and an understanding of commercial pressures.

Learning and Teaching
Transferable key skills are an integral component of many modules and related to relevant assessments, including:

Tutorials / seminars
Problem-based learning
Self-directed learning
Written work
Individual and group-based project work
Oral and poster presentation

The final learning outcome will be primarily developed through spending a year in industry.

Assessment Strategies and Methods
Transferable / key skills are embedded throughout the various assessments. Generic skills include note taking, researching, problem solving, report writing, oral presentation, interview and communication skills.