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Environment, Culture and Communication at Birkbeck, University of London - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 2026
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Birkbeck, University of London has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

Course summary

The purpose of our innovative new BA Environment, Culture and Communication is to equip you with the environmental, emotional and cultural knowledge and skills to actively participate in climate change debates. Not only will you gain a foundational, scientific understanding of the human-driven causes of climate change, and its environmental impacts, you will also develop communication skills, creative faculties and cultural and emotional sensitivities - as well as a professional network - so that you graduate as an effective climate advocate. Why choose this course?

  • Birkbeck enjoys a strong, interdisciplinary and collaborative learning environment where social scientists work alongside scholars in the humanities - so vital when addressing a complex environmental issue like the climate emergency.
  • Practical modules and a final-year work placement within a cultural or environmental organisation relevant to your course allow you to put your environmental education into practice.
What you will learn Grounded in the humanities, creative arts, journalism and social sciences, this fascinating degree gives you the opportunity to study the environment through different lenses, combining current issues such as climate anxiety and its social and cultural ramifications with a grounding in geographic science and environmental data, or journalism practice, deepening your understanding of human/environment relationships or of print media landscapes as mechanisms for communication. You will have the chance to develop your creative faculties through practice-based modules which discuss how poetry and theatrical adaptation can be used to address environmental issues, or take a philosophical approach to address the ethics of human-animal relationships, vegetarianism and veganism. A creative, practice-based module focuses on themes of landscape, climate, sustainability, conflict, adaptation and the natural world. A wide range of options offered in environmental history, geography, film, literature, languages, business or law then give you the chance to tailor your degree according to your interests and passions and the knowledge you have developed. How you will learn You will be able to choose between full- and part-time study with evening teaching allowing you to balance your studies with work or other commitments. Teaching on this course is varied and interactive and is delivered through a combination of lectures (some pre-recorded), seminars, workshops, fieldtrips and work experience. If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. Highlights
  • The Birkbeck Research Centre for Environment and Sustainability (BRCES) supports cutting-edge research in environment and sustainability.
  • You will have the opportunity to participate in the annual Birkbeck climate festival The Sustainable Now - a place for Birkbeck staff and students to collaborate on some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time.
  • You may be eligible for a Legal & General Sustainable Leaders bursary.
Careers and employability On successful completion of this course, you will have developed the following important transferable skills:
  • the ability to work as part of a team
  • high-level oral and written communication skills
  • high-level emotional, cultural and environmental literacies
  • research skills
  • skills in evaluating and assessing information
  • the ability to present yourself and an argument.
You will find BA Environment, Culture and Communication graduates in the following roles:
  • media
  • publishing
  • environmental consulting/advocacy/law
  • planning
  • teaching
  • politics
  • local and national government
  • business.

Modules

For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.

Assessment method

Short written exercises and essays, quizzes and multiple-choice questionnaires, practical and creative assessments, case studies, problems to solve. Some social sciences modules will also be assessed through a take-home examination.

How to apply

29Jan

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Please select a course option – you will then see the application code you need to use to apply for the course.

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

International applicants

If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential. FOUNDATION YEAR DEGREES Our 'with Foundation Year' route is designed to give you extra support as it provides you with an additional year (full-time) or two years (part-time) of supported study. This is an ideal route if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied this subject, or if you did not achieve the grades you need for a place on this degree. Once you successfully complete your Foundation Year studies, you will automatically advance onto the main degree.

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students

There is no data available for this course. For further information visit the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

To be confirmed
Environment, Culture and Communication at Birkbeck, University of London - UCAS