Undergraduate Course: Professional Skills in Ecological and Environmental Sciences (ECSC10032)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | Professional Skills in Ecological and Environmental Sciences is an honours course which aims to equip students with a set of transferable skills needed to become a successful ecologist or environmental scientist.
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| Course description |
This course will help to prepare students to be practicing ecologists and environmental scientists capable of executing good scientific practice and effectively communicating science to a range of academic, professional and lay audiences. It will cover diverse topics from scientific writing and presentation to critical thinking and data analysis. In addition, the course covers topics that should help you to deliver an outstanding honours project. The continuous assessment for the course will take the form of a critical appraisal of an ecological/environmental science paper in the form of a briefing for policy makers, a presentation of your planned dissertation research, and demonstrated skill in conducting data analysis.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 18,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 3,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 9,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
68 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Written Exam: 0%, Course Work: 100%, Practical Exam: 0%.
Presentation of dissertation progress (30%)
During the session in Week 4 you will be asked to present a short summary of your progress towards your dissertation project. Your slides should be submitted online to Learn by 12 noon on Monday, Week 4.
Writing a covering letter for a job application (35%)
In Week 5 you will be provided with a job description and a curriculum vitae for a potential applicant. Your task will be to write a concise but effective covering letter to support the application. Your covering letter should be submitted online to Learn by 12 noon on Thursday, Week 9.
Evaluating research for a policy-maker audience (35%)
At the session in Week 8 you will be provided with a choice of two recent ecological or environmental science papers. You will be asked to read one of the papers, critically assess its scientific merits, and write a clear and concise account of your findings as a briefing statement for |
| Feedback |
Assessment and Feedback information
http://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/taughtassessmentregulations.pdf. All details related to extensions procedures and late penalties can be found in the School of GeoSciences General Information Handbook. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Work effectively and ethically as an individual or part of a team in a professional setting
- Confidently navigate the process of applying for jobs in the ecological and environmental sciences.
- Critically evaluate and summarise scientific evidence
- Communicate effectively with specialist and non-specialist audiences through a variety of media.
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Reading List
There is no required reading for the course, but the following suggested texts allow you to explore parts of the subject matter in greater depth. Other reading will be given for specific classes.
Emden J Van (2001) Effective communication for science and technology. Palgrave, New York.
O'Connor M (1991) Writing successfully in Science. Chapman & Hall, London.
Bowater & Yeoman (2012) Science Communication - A Practical Guide forScientists. Wiley-Blackwell.
The Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management: https://cieem.net/
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | ECSC10017 Prof Skills in EES |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Aidan Keane
Tel: (01316)50 5094
Email: aidan.keane@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Francesca Nadal Finnegan
Tel: (0131 6)50 4842
Email: Francesca.Finnegan@ed.ac.uk |
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