THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2018/2019

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Deanery of Biomedical Sciences : Biomedical Sciences

Postgraduate Course: Environmental Law (BIME11015)

Course Outline
SchoolDeanery of Biomedical Sciences CollegeCollege of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryAn introduction to the law (international, European Union and national) related to the protection of the environment. Emphasis is placed not only on selected subject areas (e.g. nature conservation, integrated pollution control) but also on the study of different strategies of environmental protection and their enforcement.
Course description The course covers a vast subject briefly with an emphasis on the topics most relevant to the wider MSc programme. It aims to illustrate the sources of international environmental law and the differences in law as it applies to the international arena as opposed to the national context.

Weekly lectures will cover the following topics:

Lecture 1 An Introduction to International Environmental Law
Lectures 2 and 3 The Biodiversity Conventions
Lecture 4 Atmospheric Pollution and Climate Change
Lecture 5 The Law of the Sea and the Protection of the Marine Environment.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2018/19, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  None
Course Start Full Year
Course Start Date 29/10/2018
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 10, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10, Online Activities 25, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 53 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Formal summative written assessment will constitute 60% of the student's grade. Online assessment will incorporate a variety of activities will constitute 40% of their overall course grade and is taken to represent a formative assessment of learning throughout the programme.
Feedback Summative assessment consists of a written element, worth 60% of the total mark, and an online element worth 40%. In both cases, comprehensive written feedback is provided individually with 15 working days of the assessment deadline. Students are expected to reflect on their feedback, to seek additional clarification if appropriate, and to use this to improve on future assignments of a similar nature.
Formative assessment consists of discussion around what is expected of each piece of assessed work for the course. This is conducted in an open discussion forum for all students to contribute to and provides an opportunity to clearly understand the key requirements for each assignment before submission. Any student can post questions about the assignment and a response will be posted on the discussion board by the course tutor within 3 working days.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Describe the scope of international environmental national law and the differences between them.
  2. Appreciate the sources of international environmental law, in particular treaty law and some of the main principles governing international environmental law.
  3. Explain the way in which international environmental law has evolved to deal with the challenges presented by decline in natural resources and in biodiversity.
  4. Describe the key provisions of the five main global conventions and understand their effectiveness in tackling the issues they address.
  5. Explain the measures and instruments used to combat transboundary environmental issues.
Reading List
The majority of reading material will be derived from online journals with some reference to websites and e-books.
Additional Information
Course URL http://www.web.mvm.ed.ac.uk/
Graduate Attributes and Skills The course will involve the student developing an understanding of how international environmental law operates in practice, and the issues pertaining to its application and enforcement with a specific focus on biodiversity and climate change. It will enable them to assimilate other aspects of their learning from the other courses on the programme. Their ability to analyse the evolution of treaties to deal with changing international landscapes will be developed as with their skills in presenting clear and rational arguments, primarily through engagement with peers and tutors on the discussion boards.
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Sharron Ogle
Tel:
Email: Sharron.Ogle@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Lisa Kilcullen
Tel: (0131 6)51 4075
Email: L.Kilcullen@ed.ac.uk
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