Life Sciences and Global Sustainable and Development

First-year core GSD modules consider different perspectives that might be taken on global issues, corresponding to the United Nations’ three pillars of Sustainable Development – Economic, Social and
Environmental. You’ll also complete a group project on a controversial, local, topical problem that poses significant sustainable development questions.

In your second year, you have a choice of GSD modules. You can take either Bodies, Health and Sustainable Development, which examines issues surrounding health and the representation of bodies in contemporary culture, or Food Security which will examine the relationship between
food and sustainability using theories and methods from the sciences, social sciences and humanities.

You will also choose a module from a range of options available across the University which has a focus on sustainability. Alternatively, after the first term at Warwick studying Bodies, Health and Sustainable Development or Food Security you may choose to travel to one our overseas partners, where you’ll continue taking relevant modules in Global Sustainable Development and your joint degree subject.

In your final year, you’ll be able to choose to study topics that raise global sustainable development issues from a range of options offered by the GSD Department (such as ‘Work’ and ‘Energy’) as well as from around the University. You’ll also bring together your knowledge, ideas and conclusions in a dissertation focusing on a GSD issue.

Your Life Sciences modules will provide an overview of the ecological principles and processes that underpin our understanding of the natural world. You’ll be introduced to modern evolutionary theory, population and evolutionary genetics, and gain knowledge of the fundamental processes and genetic make-up of populations. In addition to more theoretical work, you’ll take part in hands-on workshops, labs and undertake a field trip. During your final year, you may select optional modules from a wide range offered by the School of Life Sciences. For current students these include: Exploiting Innovation in Biology, and Environmental Science and Management – meaning you can tailor the year to suit your own particular interests.

How will I learn?

You will attend lectures and take part in seminars, workshops and tutorials and work with your fellow students in teams on controversial, topical problems that pose significant sustainable development questions. You will undertake fieldwork, archival research, interviews with members of the local area and engage in peer discussion to propose alternative solutions. You will review the work of your fellow students.

You will be taught by a range of academics, from different disciplines, who will communicate their expertise on a specific issue and describe their methodology for addressing it. Your role is to bring together these various approaches and to develop your own informed stance on each issue.

We have devised an assessment strategy that allows you to develop your expertise in addressing problems using a variety of perspectives from the Arts, Sciences and Social Sciences. We will teach you to use quantitative and qualitative methods of research, and this will equip you with a solid foundation from which you can approach contemporary problems critically and creatively.

During the course you will produce essays, research papers and portfolios and make oral presentations. You will be expected to present your work in a public forum such as the British Conference for Undergraduate Research or the International Conference of Undergraduate Research. You will contribute to group projects and deliver extended pieces of writing (for the final year Dissertation) as well as sit mid and end of year short tests and traditional end of year written examinations.