Geoscience in the Anthropocene, 15 credits

Contents

This course deals with how humans have affected our environment, and the course builds on the processes and concepts discussed during courses like Soil science, Geomorphology and Limnology. We will address how human activities have affected both the physical landscape and the geochemical properties of air, soil and water, including how urban environments differ from non-urban environments. A focus will be to provide an understanding regarding how various human activities have affected the prospects of a sustainable society both in the past, today, and in the future.

The course is divided into the following two modules.

Module 1. theoretical module, 7,5 credits
Here we discuss how humans have affected different processes and factors in air, soil and water, and how this – in turn – have affected the physical shape, chemical properties and ecology of a landscape. An important aspect is how urban and non-urban landscapes differ from each other from a geoscience perspective.

Module 2. project module, 7,5 credits
During this module the students will conduct an own investigation regarding how humans have changed our environment, and how this in turn affect ecosystems and our own living conditions. An important aim of this module is to train the student’s ability to assess the importance of different forms of human activities, both in relation to each other and in relation to “natural” processes.

Expected learning outcomes

After the course, for the grade “Pass” (G), the student should be able to:

Module 1
ELO 1. Understand and explain how human activities affect processes in soil, air and water.
ELO 2. Understand and explain the differences between urban and non-urban environments.

Module 2 
ELO 3. Implement the knowledge from module 1, and use it to discuss how human activities affect our environment, different ecosystems and our own living conditions.

After the course, for the grade “Pass with distinction” (VG), the student should also be able to:

Module 2
ELO 4. Demonstrate the ability to – from a scientific perspective – analyze and examine the importance of different types of human activities, both in relation to other human activities and against relevant “natural” processes.

Required Knowledge

One of the following courses (or its equivalent) is required: Geomorphology (15 ECTS-credits), Soil science (15 ECTS-credits) or Limnology (15 ECTS-credits) and 60 ECTS-credits in Physical Geography/Earth Science, or 60 ECTS-credits in Biology plus 30 ECTS-credits in Physical Geography/Earth Science, or 60 ECTS-credits in Environmental Science plus the course Ecology and Earth Sciences (15 ECTS-credits). English proficiency equivalent to English B/6.

Form of instruction

The course consists of lectures, laboratory work, exercises, workshops, and/or seminar discussions. It also contains a student project. Laboratory work, exercises, workshops, seminar discussions, as well as, the project are (if not specifically state in the schedule) all mandatory.

Examination modes

Both oral and written examinations can be used during the course. For the entire course the students will be awarded one of the following grades, Not pass (U), Pass (G) and Pass with distinction (VG). For the grade Pass (G), the student must fulfill all expected learning outcomes for the grade Pass for both modules. For the grade Pass with Distinction (VG), the student must – in addition to fulfilling all expected study outcomes for the grade Pass – also fulfill the study outcome for Pass with Distinction for module 2. A student that has passed an exam may not retake it in order to get a higher grade.

A student, who has passed two exams for a course or part of a course without an approved result, has the right to have another examiner appointed, unless special reasons speak against it (HF chapter 6, 11b §). Requests for a new examiner are submitted to the head of department of Ecology, Environment and Earth Sciences.

Examiners may decide to deviate from the modes of assessment in the course syllabus. Individual adaption of modes of assessment must give due consideration to the student's needs. The adaption of modes of assessment must remain within the framework of the intended learning outcomes in the course syllabus. Students who require an adapted examination must submit a request to the department holding the course no later than 10 days before the examination. The examiner decides on the adaption of the examination, after which the student will be notified.

Crediting
Students have the right to have their previous education or equivalent knowledge and skills acquired in the profession tested whether it can be credited for the corresponding course at Umeå University. Application for credit is submitted to the Student Centre / Examinations. For more information on credit transfer available on Umeå University's student web, www.student.umu.se, and the Higher Education Ordinance (Chapter 6). A refusal of accreditation may be appealed against (Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 12) to the University Appeals Board. This applies to the whole as well as part of the application if accreditation is refused.

Other regulations

In the event that the course plan ceases to apply or undergoes major changes, students are guaranteed at least three exam opportunities (including regular examinations) according to the rules in the syllabus that the student was originally registered for, for a maximum of two years from the date of expiry of the previous course plan or the course ceased being offered.