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Introduction and Challenges of Environmental Sciences

Code: 106757 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Environmental Sciences FB 1

Contact

Name:
Valenti Rodellas Vila
Email:
valenti.rodellas@uab.cat

Teachers

Ariane Arias Ortiz
Roser Maneja Zaragoza

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

None.

 


Objectives and Contextualisation

This is an introductory course to Environmental Sciences with a theoretical-practical approach. Its purpose is to familiarize students with the evolution of the history of environmental studies, the current major challenges in Environmental Sciences, as well as the main environmental issues and conflicts.

Furthermore, students will be introduced to project organization, management and structuring. A field trip will be conducted to study a specific environmental issue in Catalonia, and a practical assignment will be carried out to address the interdisciplinary nature of environmental conflicts and to practice the tools and protocols for project writing and presentation.

The participation of professionals who are experts in various environmental fields will be encouraged so that they can conduct seminars related to the subject matter.

 


Learning Outcomes

  1. CM24 (Competence) Act in the field of knowledge of environmental sciences, while assessing the legal, social, economic, scientific and environmental impact.
  2. CM25 (Competence) Interpret how environmental challenges and programmes contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.
  3. CM26 (Competence) Work in teams to tackle problems and case studies associated with current environmental challenges.
  4. KM35 (Knowledge) Identify the main contemporary challenges in environmental sciences (climate and global change, energy and natural resources, biodiversity, etc.) and the impact that human activities and behaviour have on them.
  5. KM36 (Knowledge) Recognise the techniques and tools necessary for the integration of scientific, natural, social, economic and legal aspects of the environment.
  6. SM30 (Skill) Critically examine public and scientific information related to the environment.
  7. SM31 (Skill) Extract important information from reports, plans, projects, programmes and articles on environmental topics.
  8. SM32 (Skill) Efficiently and safely use techniques, material and tools related to the environment in the classroom, the field and/or the laboratory.
  9. SM33 (Skill) Express yourself using (informative and scientific) language appropriate to environmental science challenges, in a clear, explicit and brief way in both scientific and professional fields.

Content

  • Introduction to Environmental Sciences
  • History of Environmental Sciences
  • Interdisciplinary and socio-ecological approach
  • Contemporary environmental challenges and global change
  • Planetary boundaries: land use and land cover changes, biotic changes, climate change, state of the ozone layer, air, soil and water pollution, water resources, ocean acidificatio
  • Global environmental impacts: the Anthropocene
  • Relevant socio-environmental conflicts: examples related to mining, agriculture, water resource exploitation, the oil industry, etc.
  • Field trip to an area with socio-environmental conflict
  • Tools for project management, development and presentation
  • Project on a socio-environmental conflict

 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Field trip 6 0.24 KM35, KM36, SM32, KM35
Lectures 30 1.2 CM24, CM25, KM35, KM36, SM30, CM24
Practicum 6 0.24 CM24, KM35, KM36, SM30, SM31, SM32, SM33, CM24
Work in teams 8 0.32 CM26, KM35, KM36, SM30, SM31, SM33, CM26
Type: Supervised      
Tutoring sessions 2 0.08 CM26, KM36, SM30, SM31, CM26
Type: Autonomous      
Readings, study of received information, information search, project preparation 93 3.72 CM24, CM25, CM26, KM35, KM36, SM30, SM31, CM24

In this course, a combination of theoretical sessions, expert seminars or discussions, presentation and debate of selected readings on environmental topics, a field trip, and the completion and presentation of a group project will be incorporated. The learning of socio-environmental conflicts and project development will primarily be conducted through real case studies, and a group project and presentations on a socio-environmental conflict will be undertaken.

 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
First term exam 35 2 0.08 CM24, CM25, KM35, KM36, SM33
Project presentation 30 1 0.04 CM25, CM26, KM35, KM36, SM30, SM31, SM32, SM33
Second term exam 35 2 0.08 CM24, CM25, KM35, KM36, SM33

70% of the final grade is calculated based on the average of the grades from two independent midterm exams. The exams will consist of theoretical and practical questions.

The remaining 30% of the final grade corresponds to the grade of a group presentation on a socio-environmental conflict.

To pass the course, the average grade obtained must be equal to or higher than 5 (out of 10), and the grade for each of the midterm exams must be equal to or higher than 4 (out of 10). To be evaluated, attendance at the field trip and submission of the group project are required.

Retake: Those students that do not get the minimum grade to pass the course have the option of a retrieval exame, retrieval one or the two midterm exams. The group project will not have a retrieval option. To participate in the retrieval exam, the students need to attend at least to 2/3 of the evaluation activities.

The students who do not attend any evaluation tests (midterm exams and group work) will receive a final grade of NOT ASSESSABLE.

This course does not offer the option of single assessment.

 


Bibliography

It will be made available at the beginning of the course.

 


Software

None.

 


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan second semester afternoon
(PAUL) Classroom practices 2 Catalan second semester afternoon
(PCAM) Field practices 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PCAM) Field practices 2 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PCAM) Field practices 3 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PCAM) Field practices 4 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 2 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 3 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 4 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan second semester afternoon