Environment and Business BA

Course overview

Our Environment and Business degree combines the study of social and environmental sustainability issues with sound business and management practice. You’ll learn the pressures and opportunities facing businesses as a result of the current environmental challenges and corporate social responsibility agendas.

Throughout the degree, you’ll develop skills in the use of concepts, methods and tools that can be used to transform business practices to help tackle global economic, environmental and social challenges. Your background could be in business, geography or other social sciences.

As well as the core Sustainability and Business module in the School of Earth and Environment, you’ll have the opportunity to study modules in the Leeds University Business School, the Institute for Transport Studies and the School of Law, and to undertake a major dissertation project. Your module choices will allow you to develop the specialist knowledge and transferable skills you’ll need to make your next steps in a career in this field.

Why study at Leeds:

• Our globally-renowned research that tackles complex global challenges such as climate change, energy security and natural hazard management feeds directly into your course and shapes what you learn at Leeds with the latest thinking.
• Experience expert teaching delivered by a programme team made up of leading specialists with extensive industry experience from across the breadth of our environment and business research disciplines.
• Access excellent specialist facilities including lecture theatres, seminar rooms and computer clusters fully equipped with the latest technology to support your learning.
• Put theory into practice by undertaking fieldwork activities, where you’ll advance your research skills and gain hands-on experience highly valued by employers in industry.
• Enhance your career prospects and give your CV that competitive edge before you graduate by undertaking a work placement. Our close industry links have given previous students the chance to work at — and build professional relationships with — organisations such as Unilever, IBM, Jaguar Land Rover and PepsiCo.
• Gain invaluable life experience and advance your personal development with our exciting study abroad programmes, spanning across many universities worldwide.
• Join one of our societies, such as SusSoc, where you can meet like-minded people at events such as socials and sports.

Course details

The course is designed around a combination of compulsory core modules, as well as opportunities to choose optional modules that allow you to follow areas of personal interest or broaden your learning.

Fieldwork will also be integral to your course, with opportunities to explore many different environments first-hand.

Each academic year, you'll take a total of 120 credits.

Year 1

In your first year, you’ll study the underlying principles of business, the natural environment, and human impacts, alongside fieldwork and study skills which provide a solid foundation for your later independent studies.

Year 2

In year 2, you’ll develop your business skills through a range of core and optional modules influenced by your own interests. In this year, you’ll interact with business executives and will work on real-world issues in environment and business. As you extend your analytical skills, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the issues regarding the interface between the environment and business practices.

Year 3

Your final year gives you the chance to produce your own work at a professional level through our own final-year project. You’ll be able to choose modules that enable you to pursue your specialist interests. These may include climate change, law, marketing and advertising, business management, or corporate strategy.

One-year optional work placement or study abroad

During your course, you’ll be given the opportunity to advance your skill set and experience further. You can apply to either undertake a one-year work placement or study abroad for a year, choosing from a selection of universities we’re in partnership with worldwide.

Fieldwork

Ask any of our students and they will tell you that taking part in fieldwork is one of the most enjoyable and memorable aspects of the course. We offer a range of increasingly sustainable fieldwork opportunities, giving you the chance to study a fascinating subject in contrasting environments away from the University.

It’s integrated with lectures and module coursework, giving you the opportunity to:

• Practice the skills you have learnt in class in real-life situations.
• Gain first-hand experience of collecting and analysing data.
• Build valuable individual research skills – vital for your final year research project.
• Develop professional skills sought after by employers like project planning, communication and teamwork.
• Get to know your lecturers and fellow students even better.

The Environment and Business degree offers fieldwork opportunities throughout years 1, 2 and 3, giving you the chance to study a fascinating subject in contrasting environments away from the University.

In year 1, you’ll use Leeds as your ‘laboratory’, carrying out group work around the city.

You'll have the opportunity for five days of fieldwork in Glasgow in year 2, where you'll work in groups to collect data for a research project you have designed with the support of a supervisor.

Year 3 includes a residential trip to a rural retreat where you'll collaborate with peers to design your final year dissertation project, with support from supervisors and PhD students.

Our field trips are designed to be as sustainable as possible and balance their carbon footprint with the learning outcomes of the trip.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Economics for Management – 20 credits

This module will give you a grounding in basic economic theory as it applies to business and will develop your ability to use the economic view of firms, markets and the economy in general in your decision-making process.

Sustainable Development, Politics and Policy – 20 credits

This module looks to answer questions surrounding the origins of environmental concern, the link between the environment and the political arena, and the compatibility of environmental sustainability and global development by drawing on both theoretical and applied debates.

Skills for Environmental Social Science – 20 credits

This module aims to develop a foundation of key academic skills for you to build on during your degree. You'll start to consider how they can develop skills associated with employability and implement research in the environmental social sciences through fieldwork.

Introduction to Business, Environment and Corporate Responsibility – 20 credits

You'll learn how to tell the difference between green PR and sustainability innovation in enterprises small and large. Critical company corporate responsibility strategies, ethics, barriers and opportunities will be covered. An essential module for future business managers or concerned consumers.

Environmental Science for Environmental Management – 20 credits

On completion of this module, you should be able to understand the basics of physical environmental science of the atmosphere, oceans, geosphere and biosphere, and the (typically complex) nature of environmental science issues.

Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)

• An Introduction to Law – 10 credits
• Introduction to Effective Decision Making – 10 credits
• Understanding Social Enterprises – 10 credits
• Introduction to Management – 10 credits
• Organisational Behaviour – 20 credits
• Business and Society – 20 credits

Year 2

Compulsory modules

Tools and Techniques for Business, Environment and Corporate Responsibility – 20 credits

This module provides an overview of theoretical principles of the tools and initiatives, developed for and by businesses to help them and the societies where they operate become more sustainable, followed by group discussions and practical case studies of their application.

Research in the Environmental Social Sciences – 40 credits

The objective of this module is to prepare you for a significant research activity such as your final year enterprise project or dissertation.

Economics and Sustainability – 20 credits

This module provides both a macro and micro perspective on the relationship between the economy and environmental impacts, questioning the compatibility between economic growth and sustainability.

Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)

• Managing Innovation in Business – 10 credits
• Anthropology for Business – 10 credits
• Transport, Energy and the Environment – 10 credits
• Advanced Management Decision Making – 10 credits
• People, Sustainability and the Environment – 20 credits
• International Law – 20 credits
• Adaptation and Mitigation – 20 credits
• Sociology for the Climate Crisis – 20 credits
• Contaminated Environments – 20 credits

Year 3

Compulsory modules

Change for Sustainable Development – 20 credits

This module will explore theories, strategies and tools for change that could be used to push economies and societies onto sustainable development pathways. You’ll work through a ‘project cycle’ process widely used in sustainable development projects and policy development, applied to research-based case studies from a range of global socio-environmental settings.

Environmental Research Project – 40 credits

On completion of this module, you’ll have developed original subject-specific knowledge in your chosen area and written it up in the form of a research-based dissertation.

Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)

• Geographers into Teaching: School Placements – 20 credits
• Environmental Law – 20 credits
• Current Issues in Decision Making – 20 credits
• Managing Innovation and Technology – 20 credits
• International Business Management – 20 credits
• Diversity Management – 20 credits
• Global Perspectives on Work and Employment – 20 credits
• Gender and Equality at Work in Comparative Perspective – 20 credits
• Managing Social Media and Digital Work – 20 credits
• Strategic Energy Issues – 10 credits
• Environmental Risk: Science, Policy and Management – 10 credits
• Managing Global Value Chains – 10 credits
• Freight and Green Logistics – 10 credits

Learning and teaching

Most modules combine lectures with practicals, workshops or seminars, depending on the subject. These are enhanced with skills classes and fieldtrips. You can expect to study in a variety of settings, from large lecture theatres to computer clusters, seminar rooms, tutorials and out in the field.

We offer research-led teaching across the breadth of our environment and business disciplines, from specialists in their field. As Leeds is a research-intensive Russell Group University, you’ll be studying amongst staff who are at the cutting edge of research world-wide, and who will incorporate this expertise into their teaching.

You'll have a designated personal tutor throughout your studies at Leeds, who will be an academic member of staff. In addition, our excellent student support team is based close to where you’ll work and study to help with anything from academic advice to timetabling and project submission enquiries. You'll also receive support from fellow students through our peer mentoring scheme.

Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for your programme and modules.

You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

Taster lectures

Watch our taster lecture to get a flavour of what it’s like to study at Leeds:

• ‘The building blocks of infrastructure futures’

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

Assessments on the programme are designed to be inclusive and to help you learn. As well as academic essays and exams, we use assessments that are more ‘authentic’ to your future careers so that you can develop and practice a range of key transferable skills. These authentic assessments include things like group presentations and consultancy reports for partner organisations.

Entry requirements

A-level: ABB including two preferably from: Biology, Business Studies, Economics, English, Ethics, Geography, History, Law, Philosophy, Psychology, Politics, Sociology.

Where an A-Level Science subject is taken, we require a pass in the practical science element, alongside the achievement of the A-Level at the stated grade.

Excludes A-Level General Studies or Critical Thinking.

GCSE: English and Mathematics at grade C (4) or above, or an appropriate English language and Mathematics qualification. We will accept Level 2 Functional Skills English in lieu of GCSE English.

Extended Project Qualification (EPQ): We recognise the value of this qualification and the effort and skills required to undertake it, where an applicant is taking the EPQ this may attract an alternative offer in addition to the standard offer. The EPQ taken with A-Levels, for example, could be BBB with an A in the EPQ.

Alternative qualification

Read more about UK and Republic of Ireland accepted qualifications or contact the School’s Undergraduate Admissions Team.

Alternative entry

We’re committed to identifying the best possible applicants, regardless of personal circumstances or background.

Access to Leeds is an alternative admissions scheme which accepts applications from individuals who might be from low income households, in the first generation of their immediate family to apply to higher education, or have had their studies disrupted.

Find out more about Access to Leeds and alternative admissions.

Typical Access to Leeds A Level offer: BBC plus a pass in the Access to Leeds scheme.

For alternative qualification offers please contact the admissions team.

If you do not have the formal qualifications for immediate entry to one of our degrees, you may be able to progress through a foundation year. We offer a Studies in Science with Foundation Year BSc for students without a science background at A-level and an Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year BSc for applicants who meet specific widening participation criteria.

International Foundation Year

International students who do not meet the academic requirements for undergraduate study may be able to study the University of Leeds International Foundation Year. This gives you the opportunity to study on campus, be taught by University of Leeds academics and progress onto a wide range of Leeds undergraduate courses. Find out more about International Foundation Year programmes.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.0 overall, with no less than 5.5 in each section. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English
If you're an international student and you don't meet the English language requirements for this programme, you may be able to study our undergraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

Fees

UK: £9,250 (per year)

International: £27,500 (per year)

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2023/24 and 2024/25
Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students are set by the UK Government and will remain capped at £9,250 for 2023/24 and 2024/25. The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation only as a consequence of future changes in Government legislation and as permitted by law.

Tuition fees for international undergraduate students starting in 2023/24 and 2024/25
Tuition fees for international students for 2023/24 and 2024/25 are available on individual course pages.

Tuition fees for a study abroad or work placement year
If you take a study abroad or work placement year, you’ll pay a reduced tuition fee during this period. For more information, see Study abroad and work placement tuition fees and loans.

Read more about paying fees and charges.

Additional cost information

Travel, accommodation and subsistence costs associated with compulsory field trips are covered by the university. However, you must pay for incidental or personal expenses.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our Undergraduate funding overview.

Applying

Apply to this course through UCAS. Check the deadline for applications on the UCAS website.

We typically receive a high number of applications for this course. To ensure we treat all applications fairly, we may put your application on hold until after the UCAS deadline before making a final decision. All applications received before the UCAS deadline are guaranteed equal consideration.

This course is not accepting applications for deferred entry and advanced entry is not generally permitted.

Read our admissions guidance and see ‘application decisions’ for details.

International students apply through UCAS in the same way as UK students. Our network of international representatives can help you with your application. If you’re unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2024

This course is taught by

School of Earth and Environment

Contact us

School of Earth and Environment Undergraduate Admissions

Email: admissions@see.leeds.ac.uk
Telephone:

Career opportunities

A degree from Leeds and the experience you'll gain here will give you the edge to find the career you want. Your course will give you the experience and knowledge that employers are looking for to help you secure a graduate job.

Plus, University of Leeds students are among the top 10 most targeted by top employers according to The Graduate Market 2023, High Fliers Research, meaning our graduates are highly sought after by some of the most reputable companies in the field.

Environment and Business graduates are well placed to appreciate the fundamental advantages of a sustainability-oriented approach to business, and to help businesses deliver long-term solutions to environmental and social challenges.

Career options for graduates include environmental consultancy and management, corporate social responsibility. Work opportunities occur in private companies, non-governmental organisations or the public sector.

Our graduates have secured positions including:

• Data Acquisition Analyst, eVestment
• Personal Banker, Lloyds Banking Group
• Associate, Bank of England
• Property Support Administrator, British Red Cross
• Investor Relations, Department of Energy and Climate Change
• Key Account Executive, LEGO Group
• Creative Planner, Mindshare
• Deputy Head of Operations & Director, PCT Healthcare
• Trade Operations Assistant, Pfizer
• Sustainability Consultant, WRM

Read our alumni profiles to find out more about where our students are working.

Careers support

At Leeds, we help you to prepare for your future from day one. Our Leeds for Life initiative is designed to help you develop and demonstrate the skills and experience you need for when you graduate. We will help you to access opportunities across the University and record your key achievements so you are able to articulate them clearly and confidently.

You'll be supported throughout your studies by our dedicated Employability team, who will provide you with specialist support and advice to help you find relevant work experience, internships and industrial placements, as well as graduate positions. You’ll benefit from timetabled employability sessions, support during internships and placements, and presentations and workshops delivered by employers.

You'll also have full access to the University’s Careers Centre, which is one of the largest in the country.

Study abroad and work placements

Study abroad

This programme offers you the option to spend time abroad as an extra academic year and will extend your studies by 12 months.

Studying abroad is a unique opportunity to explore the world, whilst gaining invaluable skills and experience that could enhance your future employability and career prospects too.

From Europe to Asia, the USA to Australasia, we have many University partners worldwide you can apply to, spanning across some of the most popular destinations for students.

Once you’ve successfully completed your year abroad, you'll be awarded the ‘international’ variant in your degree title which demonstrates your added experience to future employers.

Find out more at the Study Abroad website.

Work placements

A placement year is a great way to help you decide on a career path when you graduate. You’ll develop your skills and gain a real insight into working life in a particular company or sector. It will also help you to stand out in a competitive graduate jobs market and improve your chances of securing the career you want.

Benefits of a work placement year:

• 100+ organisations to choose from, both in the UK and overseas
• Build industry contacts within your chosen field
• Our strong connections with industry mean you’ll be in direct contact with potential employers
• Advance your experience and skills by putting the course teachings into practice
• Gain invaluable insight into working as a professional in a particular company or sector
• Improve your employability

If you decide to undertake a placement year, this will extend your period of study by 12 months and, on successful completion, you'll be awarded the ‘industrial’ variant in your degree title to demonstrate your added experience to future employers.

With the help and support of our dedicated Employability team, you can find the right placement to suit you and your future career goals.

Here are some examples of placements our students have recently completed:

• Customer Development, Unilever Plc
• EU Consulting by Degrees Administrator, IBM
• Purchasing Placement, Jaguar Land Rover
• Sustainability Officer, PepsiCo

During your industrial placement, you'll have an industrial supervisor from within the company, plus an academic supervisor who will keep in touch throughout your placement.

Find out more about Industrial placements.

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