BS257-5-AP-CO:
Professional skills for Ecological and Marine Scientists
2024/25
Life Sciences (School of)
Colchester Campus
Autumn & Spring
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 03 October 2024
Friday 21 March 2025
15
08 March 2024
Requisites for this module
BS112 or BS106
(none)
(none)
(none)
BS251, BS303, BS352
BSC C100 Biological Sciences,
BSC C101 Biological Sciences (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C102 Biological Sciences (Including Placement Year),
BSC CD00 Biological Sciences (Including Foundation Year),
BSC C520 Ecology and Environmental Biology,
BSC C521 Ecology and Environmental Biology (Including Foundation Year),
BSC C522 Ecology and Environmental Biology (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C523 Ecology and Environmental Biology (Including Placement Year),
BSC C161 Marine Biology (Including Foundation Year),
BSC C164 Marine Biology,
BSC CC60 Marine Biology (Including Year Abroad),
BSC CC64 Marine Biology (Including Placement Year),
MSCIB097 Tropical Marine Biology,
MSCIBA97 Tropical Marine Biology (Including Placement Year),
MSCIBB97 Tropical Marine Biology (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C510 Global Sustainability,
BSC C511 Global Sustainability (Including Foundation Year),
BSC C512 Global Sustainability (including Year Abroad),
BSC C513 Global Sustainability (including Placement Year),
BSC C555 Microbiology,
BSC C556 Microbiology (Including Foundation Year),
BSC C557 Microbiology (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C558 Microbiology (Including Placement Year)
This module will introduce and apply data analysis and interpretation techniques (focussing on DAI and report writing skills utilising large data sets collected during the respective field courses, BS213/BS215), but also engagement into contemporary environmental issues relevant to your degrees (which will be delivered through student led learning discussion sessions).
Students will also focus on identifying specific career options and the skills, qualities and aptitudes required, planning a career path, understanding the job application process and developing CV and cover letter writing skills.
The aim of this module is:
- To develop and nurture a number of key transferable skills such as communication, team working, numeracy and attention to detail.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Demonstrate competence in career planning and job application skills, including CV and cover letter writing.
- Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the literature in a field relevant to a specific career path.
- Demonstrate engagement with the career planning process.
- Develop a career action plan and identify personal development needs.
- Develop key skills in reading and evaluating scientific papers, information retrieval, SPF writing and independent learning.
- Demonstrate competence in oral and written communication and data analysis and interpretation, along with experience working in different roles within a team.
Gaining fundamental academic knowledge is a major goal for the individual modules of your degree; however, in order to apply this knowledge into your future career path requires that students effectively communicate this knowledge and importantly identify the "transferable skills" to maximise employability.
This module will be delivered via:
Three parts that each address core elements of the module
Part A: Data Analysis & Interpretation
- One 1-hour module introduction.
- Five 2-hour statistics and SPF workshops (autumn term).
Part B: Employability Skills
- One 2-hour session.
- One 1-hour feedback session.
- One 3-hour session (autumn term).
Part C: Issues in Environmental Sciences
- Three 3-hour sessions (spring term).
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Scientific Paper Critique |
25/10/2024 |
15% |
| Coursework |
Career Development Portfolio |
26/11/2024 |
15% |
| Coursework |
SPF Methods and Results |
17/12/2024 |
20% |
| Coursework |
Marine/Environmental Flyer |
31/01/2025 |
15% |
| Coursework |
WBL |
14/02/2025 |
15% |
| Practical |
Project Presentation |
07/02/2025 |
20% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Nicola Slee, email: nicola@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Nick Aldred, Dr Natalie Hicks, Dr Eoin O'Gorman, Dr Rob Ferguson
School Undergraduate Office, email: bsugoffice (Non essex users should add @essex.ac.uk to create the full email address)
No
No
No
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
Of 49 hours, 30 (61.2%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
19 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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