University of Essex

BS257-5-AP-CO:
Professional skills for Ecological and Marine Scientists

The details

Year: 2024/25

Department: Life Sciences (School of)

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Autumn & Spring

Level: Undergraduate: Level 5

Status: Current

Start date: Thursday 03 October 2024

End date: Friday 21 March 2025

Credits: 15

Last updated: 08 March 2024

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: BS112 or BS106

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): BS251, BS303, BS352

Key module for

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),
MSCIC559 Microbiology and Biotechnology

Module description

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.

Module aims

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.

Module learning outcomes

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.

Module information

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.

Learning and teaching methods

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).

Bibliography

Clark, D.R. et al. (2017) 'Biogeography at the limits of life: Do extremophilic microbial communities show biogeographical regionalization?', Global Ecology and Biogeography, 26(12), pp. 1435–1446. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12670.
Ferguson, R.M.W. et al. (2021) 'The ecological impacts of multiple environmental stressors on coastal biofilm bacteria', Global Change Biology, 27(13), pp. 3166–3178. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15626.
Sturrock, A.M. et al. (2020) 'Unnatural selection of salmon life histories in a modified riverscape', Global Change Biology, 26(3), pp. 1235–1247. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14896.
Aldred, N. et al. (2010) 'Attachment strength is a key factor in the selection of surfaces by barnacle cyprids ( Balanus amphitrite ) during settlement', Biofouling, 26(3), pp. 287–299. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/08927010903511626.
Dytham, C. (2011) Choosing and using statistics: a biologist's guide. 3rd ed. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/125254.
Beckerman, A.P., Childs, D.Z. and Petchey, O.L. (2017) Getting started with R: an introduction for biologists. Second edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/834659.
Stephen B. Heard (2016) The scientist's guide to writing. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvcmxs67.
The Essex CV pack (no date). Available at: https://www.essex.ac.uk/student/careers/cv-support.

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam	Description	Coursework weighting
Coursework	Career Action Plan	5%
Coursework	Cover Letter	5%
Coursework	Scientific Paper Critique	20%
Coursework	Reflective Statement on CV (CAP & Letter)	5%
Coursework	SPF Methods and Results	20%
Coursework	Marine/Environmental Flyer	15%
Practical	Project Presentation	30%

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

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Dr Nicola Slee, email: nicola@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff: Dr Nick Aldred, Dr Natalie Hicks, Dr Eoin O'Gorman, Dr Rob Ferguson

Contact details: School Undergraduate Office, email: bsugoffice (Non essex users should add @essex.ac.uk to create the full email address)

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: No

Available to Outside Option: No

Available to Audit: No

External examiner

Name: Prof Edgar Turner

Institution: University of Cambridge

Academic role: Professor of Insect Ecology

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording: Of 70 hours, 64 (91.4%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
6 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

Further information

Department website: Life Sciences (School of)

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Module Directory

BS257-5-AP-CO:Professional skills for Ecological and Marine Scientists