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Course & Unit Catalogues


CE50264: Foundations of sustainability and environmental science

[Page last updated: 09 August 2024]

Academic Year: 2024/25
Owning Department/School: Department of Chemical Engineering
Credits: 10 [equivalent to 20 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 200
Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Period:
Semester 1
Assessment Summary: CWRI 40%, EXOB 60%
Assessment Detail:
  • Perspective Paper (CWRI 40%)
  • Exam (EXOB 60%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
Learning Outcomes: By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
* Critically discuss human influence and impact on the environment and its eco systems.
* Analyse environmental processes based on scientific data.
* Explain biological, chemical and physical processes to avoid or remove contaminants.
* Evaluate the effectiveness of policy designed to control environmental pollution.
* Explain the role of business ethics, corporate power, governance and corporate social responsibility for technology implementations and resource extractions.


Synopsis: You will gain an understanding of the scientific foundations of environmental processes and ecology. You will develop knowledge about the behaviour of contaminants and the processes for their avoidance and removal. You will explore the social, economic, cultural, ethical, and political context that engineers work within and assess the sustainability of processes. Working in multi-disciplinary groups you will conduct a case study to explore motivations and priorities of different stakeholders.

Content:
  • Environmental science
  • Principles of ecology and human interactions with ecosystems
  • Global biogeochemical cycles
  • Environmental chemistry
  • Classification, fate, transport, and behaviour of contaminants in the environment
  • Water, air, soil, noise, and radioactive pollution
  • Biological, chemical, and physical natural cleaning processes
  • Principles of green chemistry and engineering
  • Sustainability and critical thinking
  • Economic concepts and current economical thinking.
  • Cost benefit analysis and economic assessment tools.
  • Business ethics, corporate power, market psychology, governance, and corporate social responsibility.
  • Environmental policies.
  • Multi-stakeholder case study


Course availability:

CE50264 is a Must Pass Unit on the following courses:

Department of Chemical Engineering

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2024/25 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2025/26 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2024/25.
  • Courses and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.