Degree Project in Environmental Science, 22.5 credits

Main field of study with advanced study

Degree of Bachelor of Science with a major in Environmental Science, Biology, Chemistry or Geology including an independent project 15 credits or Degree of Bachelor of Science in Engineering with an environmental orientation including an independent project 15 credits. The degree must be equivalent to a Swedish kandidatexamen or Swedish högskoleingenjörsexamen and must have been awarded from an internationally recognised university. The courses Ecological Resilience 7.5 credits and Ecosystem Services in a Changing World 7.5 credits. English 6. Exemption of the requirement in Swedish is granted.

The course is included in aster's Programme (60 credits) in Applied Environmental Science - Ecosystem Services and Nature Resource Management.

The course is given as a single subject course.

The course aims for deepened knowledge about research within Applied Environmental Science, as well as to develop skills and ability to plan, carry out and report research or advanced evaluation projects within the subject area.

Following successful completion of the course the student should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• identify open questions in environmental science

Skills and ability

• perform relevant analysis of environmental data, with special emphasis on ecosystem services and natural resources management
• solve problems and answer questions that may arise during the thesis project
• correctly compile research data or information to answer questions within applied environmental science
• report the thesis project in a correct and interesting way, orally as well as in a written report

Judgement and approach

• critically evaluate research results specifically regarding relevance for applied environmental aspects
• put research or evaluation results into a larger environmental perspective, with special emphasis on a less resource use intensive and more sustainable society

Planning, carrying out and reporting a thesis project within applied environmental science. The thesis project can be carried out in collaboration with a government institution or a company.

The project work is done individually or in groups of two. The teaching includes seminars and supervision of project work.

Examination is base on how the project work was performed, implementation, written final report and oral presentations at seminars, which includes opposing another student's work.

Supervision of the thesis work is given during the course at the extend determined by each faculty. If the student is still in need of supervision after the course has finished, the head of the faculty may decide to grant additional supervision for one years’ time after the end of the course. After that, the student will be graded on the independent work irrespective if it is completed or not.

If there are special reasons, the examiner may make exceptions from the specified examination format and allow a student to be examined in another way. Special reasons can e.g. be study support for students with disabilities.

Course evaluation is part of the course. This evaluation offers guidance in the future development and planning of the course. Course evaluation is documented and made available to the students.