Bachelor of Social Science in Geography and Environmental Management
Human and Social Studies - General Social Science
Purpose and Rationale
An urgent need exists for expertise in environmental management, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal. Durban is one of the fastest expanding metropolitan areas in the country with concomitant growth planning and development problems. Policies, legislation, and procedures need to be developed and applied in a wide range of contexts in order to ensure sustainable development. Rapid population growth in the province has led to problems linked to a range of resource issues. The need to foster sustainable development through the management of environmental resources and the elimination of poverty is a major regional challenge.
The qualification is a structured set of modules as learning experiences designed to develop graduates in the interdisciplinary field of environmental management who are able to approach problems with an understanding of both the social and natural world. This broad qualification requires both specialist and generalist knowledge and is structured to provide links across other qualifications in the Human Sciences, Community and Development, and Science Faculties.
The qualification addresses the need for graduates with expertise and skills to understand, control, prevent, and manage environmental problems. It has a strong theoretical content related to sustainable development at the interface of the environment and development. A range of management and assessment skills and techniques are needed to implement changes and design interventions for environmental quality, along with an ethos of environmental and civic responsibility.
The Qualification is designed to straddle the sciences and the social sciences with roughly half the core courses selected from each of these realms. Learners can align their qualification towards the sciences with science electives in a BSc Degree qualification, or towards social sciences and development with social science electives. The Qualification is structured around core courses at each level, with opportunities for electives in natural or social sciences.
Although aimed at the undergraduate level, there are Honours and coursework Masters Qualifications in Geography and Environmental Management, allowing for vertical mobility. The Qualification maximizes flexibility and access, providing options for learners looking to specialize or broaden their knowledge in environmental management.
Outcomes
- Demonstrate competence in understanding specialist fields of knowledge and integrating this knowledge in applied problem solving contexts. (These fields of knowledge include the natural environment### political, economic and social environments### societal and developmental processes### the relationships between the environmental problems and development processes, and the management of environmental problems).
- Analyse and interpret environmental problems in natural and social environments and develop solutions via a problem-solving approach.
- Communicate effectively through the acquisition of computer literacy and information handling skills, language skills, oral and written presentation skills.
- Produce and present knowledge via a range of research methods including numeracy and basic statistical skills as well as qualitative analysis.
- Demonstrate interdisciplinary problem-solving based on a holistic and synthesizing mode of thinking.
- Design and implement participatory processes for environmental decision-making.
- Undertake spatial analysis via map and aerial photograph interpretation### Geographical Information System (GIS) applications and map production. This competency relates to the visual communication of spatial information.
- Apply environmental management systems and procedures and tools, and undertaking environmental assessments.
- Integrate and apply the world views of science and social science for producing knowledge and solving problems.
- Integrate, local and indigenous knowledge of environmental issues and solutions, into environmental management and problem-solving.
- Demonstrate responsibility towards the environment and develop an environmental ethic for sustainable development.
Assessment Criteria
The following associated assessment criteria apply across all Exit Level Outcomes:
- Relate the theoretical concepts and information derived in the course to empirical problems in case studies and real-life situations (Outcomes 1-5, and 9-11).
- Demonstrate the ability to evaluate the applicability of a range of conceptual frameworks for explaining contemporary environmental problems and solutions (Outcomes 1-5, and 9-11).
- Demonstrate the ability to consider a range of options for the solution and management of environmental problems, select solutions and management systems and techniques and apply them in practice (Outcomes 1-11).
- Demonstrate the awareness that environmental problems occur in specific social and cultural contexts necessitating an awareness of the local understanding of such problems (Outcomes 9-11).
- Use science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others (Outcomes 7-11).
- Demonstrate the ability to integrate and apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes learnt in the qualification (integrated assessment - research project) (Outcomes 1-11).
- Communicate in a coherent manner in both the oral, written mode and visual/graphic mode (Outcome 3 and 7).
- Retrieve information from the internet, books and scientific journals as well as deriving primary information from observations in the field (Outcomes 4 and 6).
- Read, evaluate and interpret information in various ways (i.e. reports, essays, assignments) (Outcomes 3, 4, 7, and 9).
- Work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organization or community (Outcomes 9, 10).
- Organize and manage themselves and their activities responsibility and effectively-develop a professional work ethic. Complete assignments to a deadline (Outcome 8).
Integrated Assessment: The institution is currently reforming its assessment strategies to include the assessment of applied competence for each qualification. In the meantime, a combination of continuous assessment and traditional written examinations serve to assess the integration of all/most of the learning outcomes for each module in a qualification.
Qualification Details
- Type
- National First Degree
- NQF Level
- 07
- Min. Credits
- 360
- SAQA Source
- More Information
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This page includes information from the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) . Builtneat Pty Ltd trading as Study Start, has modified all or some of this information. SAQA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.