AS/A2 Environmental Science

Environmental Science

Level: AS and A2

Exam Board: AQA

Syllabus No: AS 5441, A2 6441

What will I study?

The subject of Environmental Science enables students to gain a deep and well-informed insight into the environment, and the scientific processes that control and affect it. The central theme is the development of an understanding of how different events and cycles within the environment interrelate, how they influence subsequent environmental events, the human impacts of these events and cycles, and the strategies that can be used to minimise the problems caused. We cover key aspects such as wildlife conservation, pollution, global climate change and sustainability. It is a mixture of biology, chemistry, physics and geography. It includes the normal range of scientific skills such as planning and carrying out investigations, data interpretation and comprehension of relevant environmental texts.

How is this course assessed?

Each year youll have 2 written papers to complete:

• The first year papers are questions on The Living Environment (1 hour, 40% of your AS marks) and The Physical Environment (90 minutes, 60% of your marks).
• The second year papers cover Energy Resources (90 minutes, 50% of your A2) and Biological Resources (2 hours, 50% of your marks). All the papers have a mix of short-answer questions and an essay or longer-answer questions.

We include practical work throughout the course to help our understanding. There is no practical assessment or course work but you do get tested on practical questions in the exam.

What next?

Environmental Science provides an ideal base for employment, a range of vocational qualifications and a wide variety of higher education courses, including degrees in areas related to the environment, geography, geology, science, medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, climate, planning, environmental health and teaching.