University of Leeds program

Environmental Challenges

Change how you think about the environment, by exploring how human society interacts with the natural world, through this flexible program of online courses. Earn 10 credits from the University of Leeds.

Overview
Details
Pricing
Educators
  • Overview 5 courses + 1 assessment
  • Duration 13 weeks
  • Learn Free
  • Credential $370 + £300 More info
  • Program Academic credential

Explore how people and nature interact, and earn 10 credits from the University of Leeds

The Environmental Challenges program consists of five short online courses that look at the relationships between people and nature, and the challenging and difficult decisions we face when managing natural resources.

You will see through case studies and discussions that environmental management policies not only need to be economically and environmentally sound, but they also need to be formulated with social fairness if they are to be sustainable.

Accessible for free on desktop, tablet or mobile, the five courses can be taken in any order, providing a flexible way to enhance your environmental management skills and demonstrate your continuing professional development (CPD).

Academic credential program

When you complete all five courses in the program and obtain a Certificate of Achievement for each, you will be eligible to join a final assessment course that leads to the award of 10 credits from the University of Leeds.

The next scheduled run of the Final Assessment Course begins 11 January 2021. Currently, there are no further runs of the Final Assessment Course planned after this date.

If you are aiming to complete the program for 10 credits from the University of Leeds we recommend that you do so in time to take the Final Assessment Course in January 2021.

Duration
10 weeks recommended learning
3 week assessment course
Price
$370 USD (course costs)
£300 GBP (assessment cost)
Overview
5 courses + 1 assessment
Credential
10 credits from the University of Leeds

What skills will I learn?

The Environmental Challenges program is suitable for anyone with an interest in environmental management and natural resource management. Completing all five courses will enable you to:

  • understand the importance of justice and fairness in environmental management;
  • identify the different types of values applied to nature;
  • explore the role of language in the way we perceive and interact with nature;
  • investigate the mathematics of natural dynamics;
  • and assess the impact of conflict on the environment.

Courses on this program

5 courses + 1 assessment

University of Leeds

Environmental Challenges: Justice in Natural Resource Management

How do we ensure that the difficult decisions about the management of natural resources are just and fair for all?

2 weeks

5 hrs per week

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University of Leeds

Environmental Challenges: Rights and Values in Ecosystem Services

Differences in values can create conflict. How can we learn to manage our natural resources with integrity?

2 weeks

5 hrs per week

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University of Leeds

Environmental Challenges: Hierarchy in Property Rights

How does language help us develop our relationship with nature and determine the rights of access and ownership?

2 weeks

5 hrs per week

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University of Leeds

Environmental Challenges: Human Impact in the Natural Environment

Complexity in nature arises from a myriad of simple interactions. How can this lead to an unpredictable dynamism?

2 weeks

5 hrs per week

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University of Leeds

Environmental Challenges: Scarcity and Conflict in the Natural Environment

War and conflict can severely disrupt the governance of the environment. What is the impact on both people and the environment?

2 weeks

5 hrs per week

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Assessment

Environmental Challenges: Final Assessment Course

Revise, practice and then test the knowledge and skills you have gained through self, peer and tutor marked assessments. Write a report (...

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How does our pricing work?

Start Learning Free
$370 USD - Course Upgrades
£300 GBP - Final Assessment

Can I learn for free?

Programs are made up of short courses, most of which you can join for free.

However, if you want to take the final assessment and unlock the award or accreditation for the program, you must upgrade each individual course or buy Unlimited to gain a Certificate of Achievement for all the courses in the program.

How do course upgrades work?

If you want to spend more time on course material and better demonstrate what you've learned, you may choose to upgrade each course. You can upgrade your courses at any point after you enrol.

When you upgrade a course, you get ongoing access to the course material for as long as the course exists on FutureLearn. This means you can return to the subject whenever you like.

You will also be given access to any course tests, and the ability to qualify for a downloadable and printed Certificate of Achievement to show what you’ve achieved.

How does Unlimited work?

If you have Unlimited, you will get access to all of the short courses in this program, plus hundreds of other short courses and tests for a year.

You have the ability to learn at your own pace throughout the year and gain digital Certificates of Achievement on all your courses.

If you gain a certificate on a course, you will keep access to the course’s content beyond your Unlimited year so you can revise the content whenever you need.

Unlimited costs $279.99 for a year. Find out more about Unlimited.

What is the final assessment?

The final assessment is designed to rigorously test your understanding of the subject. This test is marked by experts and enables you to demonstrate your learning to yourself and to employers.

The assessment is summative and may include a multiple-choice test, or tutor-marked assignment.

Passing the final assessment unlocks the academic or professional recognition associated with completing an entire FutureLearn program, plus a FutureLearn Award.

To be eligible for the final assessment, you must upgrade on each individual course or buy Unlimited and attain a Certificate of Achievement for all of the courses in the program. The final assessment must be purchased separately.

Are these the final prices?

Yes. There are no additional fees. The price you see here includes everything - such as test fees, tuition and any additional accreditation provided by the course.

Learn with a range of environmental experts

The Environmental Challenges program has been developed by the School of Geography at the University of Leeds - one of the world's top 100 universities and part of the Russell Group of leading UK universities. The School of Geography was ranked in the top five Geography departments in the UK for research power in REF2014 and awarded an 'Excellent' grading by HEFCE for the quality of its teaching. It is ranked 15th globally in the QS rankings.

On each course, you will learn with Professor Jon Lovett, Chair in Global Challenges. His research focuses on the institutional economics of environmental management, and takes an interdisciplinary approach to bring together both the natural and social sciences. He has worked all over the world on many different practical projects, and the program reflects this international perspective and applied approach.

Throughout the program, Jon will be joined by experts from a range of different disciplines, to explore ideas raised in the courses, and provide a richness and diversity to the conversation.

Who will you learn with?

Jon Lovett

Jon Lovett is Chair in Global Challenges in the School of Geography at the University of Leeds and works on institutional economics.
http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/people/j.lovett

Gain evidence of your continuing professional development

The courses within this program have been certified by the CPD Certification Service and can be used to provide evidence of your continuing professional development. For each course, by completing all aspects you will have achieved 14 hours of CPD time.