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Accessibility & LanguageBachelor of Science Environmental Science
Entry Points (2024)
405
Course Overview
Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary study which examines the interaction between humans and the environment, with specific reference to the effects of modern technological advances.
Today, the necessity to understand our environment has never been more urgent and the need for environmental scientists to deal with increasingly complex issues is growing. The course provides a thorough grounding in the basic sciences in the first year, followed by the application of this knowledge to current environmental problems in the later years. While studying a broad range of subjects, students are also given the opportunity to specialise in topics of their choice.
See programme brochure below.
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Applications and Selections
Who Teaches this Course
Requirements and Assessment
Key Facts
Entry Requirements
Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 level in the Leaving Certificate, including Irish, English, Mathematics, a laboratory science subject (i.e, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Physics with Chemistry (joint), Computer Science or Agricultural Science) and any two other subjects recognised for entry purposes.
Additional Requirements
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Duration
4 years
Next start date
September 2025
A Level Grades (2024)
universityofgalway.ie/alevels
Average intake
23
QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes
Closing Date
NFQ level
Mode of study
ECTS weighting
Award
CAO
GY308
Course code
Course Outline
YEAR ONE
• Biology
• Hot Topics in Environmental Science
• Introduction to Law
• Introduction to Statistical Data and Probability With either:
• Chemistry
• Physics or
• Chemistry/Physics
• Introduction to Psychology I and II
• Introduction to Irish Habitats
YEAR TWO
• Environmental Modules
• Botany and Plant Science Modules
• Earth and Ocean Sciences Modules
• Microbiology Modules
• Zoology Modules
• Environmental Legislation
YEAR THREE
• Nature Conservation and Habitat Management
• Field Course with Environmental Skills
• Habitat Management Planning
• Legislation for Environmental Scientists
• Environmental Microbiology
• Microbial Genomics
• Plant Resources and Ecosystems
• Introduction to Biostatistics
• Plus four electives from a wide range of modules
YEAR FOUR
• Environmental Impact Assessment
• Environmental Science Seminars
• Advanced Field Course in Environmental Science
• Final Year Project
• Plus four electives from a wide range of modules
See more details for GY308 Evironmental Science here
Curriculum Information
Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Glossary of Terms
- Credits
- You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
- Module
- An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
- Subject
- Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
- Optional
- A module you may choose to study.
- Required
- A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
- Required Core Subject
- A subject you must study because it's integral to that course.
- Semester
- Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total. For clarity, this page will refer to the first semester of year 2 as 'Semester 3'.
Year 1 (60 Credits)
OptionalCH101: Chemistry - 15 Credits - Semester 1OptionalPH101: Physics - 15 Credits - Semester 1
OptionalCP102: Chemistry/Physics - 15 Credits - Semester 1
OptionalPS122: Introductory Psychology 1 - 5 Credits - Semester 1
RequiredLW3114: Introduction to Law - 5 Credits - Semester 1
RequiredBO101: Biology - 15 Credits - Semester 1
RequiredST2001: Statistics for Data Science 1 - 5 Credits - Semester 1
OptionalPS124: Introductory Psychology 2 - 5 Credits - Semester 2
OptionalEV1101: Introduction to Irish habitats - 5 Credits - Semester 2
RequiredEV102: Hot Topics in Environmental Science - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Year 2 (60 Credits)
RequiredMI202: Laboratory Skills in Microbiology I - 5 Credits - Semester 3RequiredEV203: Ecological Survey Techniques - 5 Credits - Semester 3
RequiredLW217: Environmental Legislation - 5 Credits - Semester 3
RequiredBPS202: Fundamentals in Aquatic Plant Science - 5 Credits - Semester 3
RequiredZO209: Vertebrate Zoology - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredMI203: Laboratory Skills in Microbiology II - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredMI204: Microbes and the Environment - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredZO208: Invertebrate Biology - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredBPS203: Plant Diversity, Physiology & Adaptation - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredEOS2102: The Earth: From Core to Crust - 10 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredEOS2101: Introduction to Fieldskills - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Further Education
Postgraduate research opportunities in the field of Environmental Science leading to MSc and PhD degrees are available within the college. Research areas currently include the fields of agri-environmental research, biodiversity, biological control, and habitat management and wetland studies.
Why Choose This Course?
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the programme have worked with such government bodies as the Environmental Protection Agency, Geological Survey of Ireland, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Teagasc, the Regional Fisheries Boards, the National Biodiversity Records Centre and Waterways Ireland, as well as for local authorities, as environmental consultants and for Rural Environment Protection Scheme Planning Agencies. Opportunities also exist in the private sector and working as researchers.
Who’s Suited to This Course
Learning Outcomes
Transferable Skills Employers Value
Work Placement
Study Abroad
Related Student Organisations
Course Fees
Fees: EU
€7,268 p.a. (€7,408 p.a. including levy) 2025/26
Fees: Tuition
€4,268 p.a. 2025/26
Fees: Student Contribution
€3,000 p.a. 2025/26
Fees: Student levy
€140 p.a. 2025/26
Fees: Non EU
€27,000 p.a. (€27,140 including levy). 2025/26
EU Fees are comprised of Tuition + Student Contribution Charge + Student Levy* €140. *Payable by all students and is not covered by SUSI. Further detail here.
For 25/26 entrants, where the course duration is greater than 1 year, there is an inflationary increase approved of 3.4% per annum for continuing years fees**.
**Excludes Full-Time EU Undergraduate fees. These are fixed and do not change.
Find out More
Dr Mike Gormally
Programme Director
Centre for Environmental Science
T 353 (0)91 493 334
F 353 (0)91 494 578
E mike.gormally@universityofgalway.ie
www.universityofgalway.ie/applied_ecology_unit/
What Our Students Say
Brendan Canning | BSc (Environmental Science)
...The four years I spent studying environmental science instilled in me a keen interest in the biological sciences and has given me a deeper appreciation of the natural world around me. The combination of lectures, lab work, and outdoor field trips, I feel has provided me with both the knowledge and enthusiasm I need to succeed in my future career...
