Ecological and Environmental Sciences (BSc)

Introducing BSc Ecological and Environmental Sciences

If you are:

• passionate about the environment

• the relationship between humans and nature

• concerned about our impact on the planet

Then ecological and environmental sciences may be for you.

Our world is suffering from:

• rapid climate change
• the over-exploitation of natural resources
• the degradation of natural habitats

This degree will help you address some of our planet's greatest environmental challenges.

What is ecological and environmental science?

• Ecological sciences study how organisms interact with each other and their physical, chemical and biological environments.

• Environmental science is an integrated science. We apply biological, chemical and physical sciences to understand the natural environment and how it is changing.

Understanding both is important for managing changing environments for a more sustainable future.

What will I learn?

Our programme has a strong focus on data-driven innovation and computational analysis. Demand is growing for these data skills across many employment sectors.

We will teach you how to:

• understand ecological and environmental issues
• design strategies for sample collection
• make ecological and environmental measurements
• critically evaluate ecological data sets using modern statistical analysis
• measure progress and efficiency of conservation and environmental management plans
• use enhanced planning and management skills to develop solutions to environmental problems
• understand the science to contribute to difficult management questions and policy
• understand conflicts between humans and the natural world and how human pressures are changing our planet

Video: Ecological and environmental sciences

An extraordinary reputation

We are one of the largest and most successful groupings of geographers, Earth and environmental scientists in the UK. Many of us are world experts in our field and can help you gain valuable real-world experience to produce meaningful change. You will have many networking and potential employment opportunities.

Our staff will include their latest research in your teaching and share our discoveries in a range of areas, from the tropics to the poles. Your dissertation also offers practical experience and a chance to align with potential employers and real-world issues.

• We are 22nd in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2024.
• We are ranked in the world's top 50 universities for natural sciences subjects, and 4th in the UK. Across Earth and marine sciences, environmental sciences, geology and geophysics, we are ranked top 10 in the UK (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024).

Through this programme, you are directly linked to researchers from world-leading research centres such as The Centre for Adapting to Changing Environments (ACE). ACE is a leading centre in multidisciplinary research to address how populations can adapt to our rapidly changing world.

Visit the ACE website

Our Centre for Sustainable Forests and Landscapes is also linked to this degree.

Visit the Centre for Sustainable Forests and Landscapes website

Life-changing field trips

Field trips are at the heart of this programme.

We know that getting out in the world is essential for understanding how it works.

We will take you beyond the classroom so that you can apply your learning to real-life situations.

Our hands-on approach to learning helps build your confidence and gives you practical field skills valued by employers.

Video: Ecological measurement field trip

What do you do on a field trip?

The real world is your most important classroom. Therefore, we deliver practical and field-based experiences.

Our field courses and day excursions are challenging and fun. Often, they will provide some of your most memorable moments.

For example, you could be:

• splashing through rivers, counting insects
• trekking through the forest, measuring trees and taking leaf samples
• applying your skills to field conservation in wild and remote areas
• learning how people manage land for conservation, forestry and agriculture

We also want you to gain valuable skills by using as many types of field equipment as possible. With our range of tools and high-tech equipment, you can obtain and interpret ecological and environmental measurements.

For example:

• assessing biodiversity and water quality
• taking climate and trace gas measurements
• estimating carbon stocks of forests
• collecting water samples
• calculating and measuring rates of photosynthesis
• detecting water stress in plants
• evaluating the influence of soil chemical properties on vegetation

The locations and experiences of each trip will vary. We want to give you a broad understanding of how the world works. Our goal is to reduce our carbon footprint while providing you with the best training opportunities.

Our compulsory field trips or field courses are free, including travel and accommodation. To make sure our degrees are accessible and inclusive, we offer alternative learning experiences where necessary.

You can also find our blog posts and videos about fieldwork experiences on the School of GeoSciences website.

School of GeoSciences website: field trips

Edinburgh is your ideal base

Edinburgh is ranked 2nd in the UK and 16th in the world in the QS Best Student Cities 2024. Our vibrant capital is an irresistible blend of history and modern city life.

Edinburgh is not only a fantastic city to live in; it is also the perfect location to see the subjects you study first-hand. We have rich ecological and environmental locations to explore right on our doorstep.

We will also take you on day trips throughout your studies to help you make the most of your local surroundings.

Explore rugged coastlines, misty mountains, forest glens and sparkling freshwater lochs.

It is no surprise we are regularly voted one of the most desirable places to live in the world.

What is it really like to study with us?

No one knows what it is like to study here better than the students themselves.

Our students are sharing their experiences, from studying to living in Edinburgh and everything in between.

Get social with us:

• School of GeoSciences student experience blog
• School of GeoSciences TikTok
• School of GeoSciences Instagram

I was attracted to this degree programme by its uniqueness. It offers an integrative understanding of the global Earth system and insight into cutting-edge approaches to mitigate ever-pressing ecological and environmental issues. I've developed many quantitative, field and software-based skills, opening up a range of career opportunities. The best aspect: my experience in the vibrant and inspiring environment of Edinburgh!

William Wrench, BSc Ecological and Environmental Sciences

Standard entry requirement

The standard entry requirement is:

• SQA Highers: ABBB by end of S5 or AAAB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6.
• A Levels: AAA - ABB in one set of exams.
• IB: 34 points with 666 at HL - 32 points with 655 at HL.

Minimum entry requirement

The minimum entry requirement for widening access applicants is:

• SQA Highers: ABBB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6.
• A Levels: ABB.
• IB: 32 points with 655 at HL.

More information for widening access applicants

Required subjects

The grades used to meet our entry requirements must include:

• SQA: Highers: two of Biology*, Chemistry*, Environmental Science, Geography, Mathematics/Applications of Mathematics*, or Physics* (*include at least one) at B. National 5s: Mathematics or Applications of Mathematics at B and English at C.
• A Levels: two of Biology*, Chemistry*, Environmental Science, Geography, Geology, Mathematics*, or Physics* (*include at least one) at B. GCSEs: Mathematics at B or 6 and English at C or 4.
• IB: HL: two of Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Mathematics Analysis and approaches, Mathematics: Applications and interpretation, or Physics at 5. SL: English at 5 and Mathematics Analysis and Approaches or Mathematics: Applications and interpretation at 5 (if not at HL).

Find out more about entry requirements

International applicants

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.

Entry requirements by country

Mature applicants

We welcome applications from mature students and accept a range of qualifications.

Mature applicant qualifications

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies..

SQA, GCSE and IB

For SQA, GCSE and IB students, unless a higher level is specified in the stated entry requirements, a pass is required in English at the following grades or higher:

• SQA National 5 at C
• GCSE at C or 4
• Level 2 Certificate at C
• IB Standard Level at 5 (English ab initio is not accepted for entry)

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 162 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 65 with at least 54 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 7 overall with at least 5 in each component.*

We also accept a wider range of international qualifications and tests.

Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the degree you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL, Oxford ELLT, or Trinity ISE test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the degree begins, regardless of your nationality.

English language requirements

(*Revised 24 May 2024 to change PTE Academic requirement from total 62 with at least 54 in each component, and to clarify that we do not accept PTE Academic online. Revised 29 August 2024 to add Oxford ELLT requirements.)

Our programme will prepare you for diverse, specialised roles.

Your integrated thinking will become valuable to:

• managing environmental impact
• monitoring and addressing environmental problems
• engaging, informing and educating specific groups and the general public
• developing new environmental technologies and systems

We want you to develop practical skills for future employers. Many of your activities are similar to what professionals do in the real world.

Our programme equips you with valuable data skills, computational analysis and quantitative skills. Demand is growing for these skills across a range of employment sectors.

By studying with us, a range of career opportunities are open to you. Our students have embarked on a diverse range of occupations after graduation.

For example, you could work in:

• local, national and international agencies
• non-government organisations (NGOs)
• environmental consultancies
• research and development
• environmental, social and corporate governance
• government
• the private sector

Career pathways

Our degree opens up a range of career pathways.

For example, you could:

• pursue a career focused on the sciences, placing you at the forefront of the climate challenge
• work for an environmental consultancy or conservation organisation
• work in forestry, land use or water resource management industries

Our graduates are not confined to science-related careers.

You can also move into areas such as:

• consultancy
• policy
• communications
• education
• media

In these roles, you can change how business, government and communities impact the environment.

Where do our graduates find employment?

We have a large network of graduate alumni within our programme. They can provide you with direct opportunities for projects, placements and job applications.

Our graduates have gained employment in roles such as:

• Conservation Scientist
• Environmental Consultant
• Sustainability Coordinator
• Project Director
• Ecology Inspector
• Research Assistant
• Ranger
• Offshore Environment Manager
• Field Ecologist
• National Park Manager
• Environmental Advisor
• Renewables Project Officer
• Forestry Consultant

In the environmental sector, the range of occupations is expanding. There is also increasing demand for more environmental roles across other job sectors.

Our graduates work in a variety of organisations, including:

• Birdlife International
• Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation
• Linklaters
• London Wildlife Trust
• AECOM
• National Trust
• Loch Lomond National Park
• East Devon Council
• Cambridgeshire Council
• WYG Group
• Scottish Power Renewables
• EnergieKontor Wind Farms
• IKM Engineering
• Bidwells

One of our alumni, Piers Sellers, went on to become an astronaut for NASA.

A sustainable future

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action to address the significant global challenges of our generation.

There are 17 overarching goals with a timeline set to 2030. Nearly all countries in the world have committed to this plan.

They address challenges such as:

• climate change
• environment
• water
• food inequality
• protecting our planet

Changes are taking place in every sector, including government, civil society, and the private sector.

With this degree, you can work in fields that directly contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Careers Service

We support you in recognising the many possibilities ahead.

Our award-winning Careers Service plays an essential part in your wider student experience. We also support you after graduation.

We provide:

• tailored advice
• individual guidance
• internships and networking opportunities (with employers from local organisations to top multinationals)
• access to the experience of our worldwide alumni network

We invest in your future beyond the end of your degree. Studying here is about laying the foundations for your future success.

Visit our Careers Service

Further study

Our programmes also prepare you for competitive entry into relevant postgraduate degree programmes. A significant proportion of our students progress to further postgraduate study and research.

• Explore School of GeoSciences postgraduate degrees
• School of GeoSciences Masters by Research (MScR) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes
• Edinburgh Earth, Ecology and Environment Doctoral Training Partnership (E4 DTP)
• Satellite Data in Environmental Science – Centre for Doctoral Training (SENSE CDT)

This degree attracted me as it engaged with some of the most important issues of our time. I've been able to explore and investigate these issues from scientific, political, ethical and economic perspectives. I have developed professional skills such as scientific writing, experimental design, and critical analysis. Throughout my studies, I have been inspired and encouraged by my fellow students and staff members and feel confident and prepared for my future career.

Matthew Logan, BSc Ecological and Environmental Sciences