Climate Resilience and Artificial Intelligence BSc (Hons)

30 credits

This module equips you with essential spatial data literacy, focusing on the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS), cartography, and emerging technologies in climate resilience. You will explore the principles of map design and production using GIS software, learning about data modelling, quality, and basic spatial analysis. The cartographic design process is examined through the ‘map communication model’ (MCM), alongside graphic and cartographic principles. The MCM is critically assessed in the context of modern mapping trends, including interactive web maps, open-source tools, crowdsourcing, personalisation, big data, and AI.

30 credits

This module dives into the exciting world of creativity, Generative AI, and the ethics and inherent biases inherent in such tools. Whilst the hype says the tools enable anyone to create stunning images, write compelling stories, and produce music, when instructing an AI-based tool with your ideas you are writing instructions in a language that will be interpreted by a tool that is constructed, trained and presented through an interface that was ultimately biased in many ways.

With great creative power comes great responsibility and as we learn to generate new content, we'll ask big questions. Who owns AI-generated code, art, music etc.? How do we identify and work to prevent bias in the stories AI tells? What are the ethical principles to follow with deepfakes and AI-powered bots commonplace? This module equips you to be a thoughtful and responsible creator. You will explore the emerging laws and ethical guidelines that shape this new landscape, ensuring that the technology you use is designed with human values and societal impact in mind.

30 credits

This module explores the foundations for academic and professional success, introducing you to the higher education learning environment and supports your development as an effective, independent learners.

The module equips you with essential academic and research skills to thrive in professional environments. It encourages you to take ownership of your learning journey by developing competencies aligned with Kingston University Graduate Attributes and discipline-specific professional standards. Through weekly sessions, you will explore effective learning strategies, assessment for learning, and the role of feedback and critical self-reflection. You are introduced to key research methods including research design, qualitative and quantitative data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Fieldwork is a central component, offering hands-on experience in geographical and environmental investigation.

30 credits

Developing sustainability literacy is an essential skill for professional practice. This module introduces you to the foundations of sustainability, environmental technologies, and nature-based solutions. Through lectures, seminars, and workshops, you will engage with systems thinking, ecological science, and applied green solutions, including renewable energy, waste management, water management and ecosystem resilience. Learners will explore how environmental technologies are helping to build climate resilience, investigate the contribution of AI in this field, and develop the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to understand sustainability in theory and practice, while also critically applying creative problem-solving and future-thinking approaches to real-world sustainability challenges. This includes a live brief assessment linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

30 credits

This module establishes the skills required to effectively use databases for storage and retrieval of information. Students will learn how to design, build and query databases using logical data models and Structured Query Language (SQL), and use datasets to perform data analysis and natural language processing (NLP) using appropriate AI-powered tools such as large language models (LLMs) for NLP.

You will tackle one of the biggest challenges in the modern world: making sense of messy, unstructured data. Most of the data we generate contains information in written form. You'll learn how to manage this data and model it effectively using the power of modern AI platforms, particularly Large Language Models (LLMs) and their natural language processing capabilities. The focus is not on the deep theory of how these models are built, but on the practical skills of applying them to extract meaningful insights from data. You'll emerge with the ability to obtain structured, valuable insights from unstructured data, while considering the critical ethical implications of working with human and AI-generated content.

30 credits

This module explores how we manage the environment and promote climate resilience through the study of environmental policy and practice. It develops the Level 5 Future Skills Explore Learning Outcomes and encourages you to reflect on the Kingston University Graduate Attributes through project-based learning. The first part focuses on environmental policy, examining global challenges and the legal, political, and economic systems that shape our relationship with the environment. It highlights the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to informed decision-making. In the second part, you apply your teamwork skills to an industry live brief, pitching solutions to a Dragon’s Den-style panel of professionals and academics. Through assignment-led learning, you connect environmental policy with practical action and reflect on your growing professional competence via a shared and personal blog. The module also supports preparation for Level 6 and your future professional pathway, helping you make informed decisions about industrial placements or Apply projects. Integrated Personal Tutorial System (PTS) sessions provide small-group discussions that reinforce key ideas, develop reflective practice, and deepen understanding of environmental management and sustainability challenges.

30 credits

This module will explore environmental and community resilience and seek to find adaptive solutions to the many impacts of climate change. The module will provide a broad overview of principles and processes in environmental and biological systems and explore the impact of climate change on these systems. The vulnerability of natural systems, landforms, ecosystems and water resources to climate change will be assessed. Challenges to be addressed include vulnerability within coastal and riverine environments, global and local challenges in sustainable water resource management, and biodiversity loss in ecosystems. A range of sustainable management strategies and policies that aim to reduce vulnerability and increase environmental and community resilience will be evaluated, including natural flood management and nature-based solutions, water conservation options, and biodiversity conservation strategies. Climate-related disasters represent one of the major global challenges. Key theories and concepts in social science approaches to understanding disasters are introduced. Approaches to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and community resilience strategies are evaluated across a range of spatial scales. This module will provide you with the knowledge and skills to find solutions to the impacts of climate change on the natural and built environment, improving future environmental and community resilience.

30 credits

This module provides essential quantitative, qualitative, analytical, and spatial skills to support professional practice in climate science. The module develops competencies in statistical analysis, qualitative data analysis, artificial intelligence, as well as geographic information systems (GIS). You will build a strong foundation in data analysis theory and practice, learning how to manage, analyse, and visualise environmental and social datasets. The module will emphasise exploratory data analysis, hypothesis testing, statistical modelling and the interpretation of outputs in a climate resilience context. Complementing these quantitative approaches, the module will also address the analysis of stakeholder perspectives, community experiences and societal drivers relevant to climate resilience. Additionally, you will gain hands-on experience with ArcGIS to manage and analyse spatial data. You will explore geospatial modelling techniques, data integration, and the application of AI tools within GIS to model environmental change and support decision-making for climate adaptation. The module will allow you to integrate statistical and geospatial approaches to address challenges in climate resilience.

15 credits

This module is designed to (1) introduce the concepts of advanced geospatial analytics, including spatial regression and spatial interpolation; and (2) apply them through the GIS platform as well as further refine these methods using machine learning (ML) and deep learning techniques.

The module enables you to harness the power of geospatial analytics for tackling some of the major climate challenges to deliver insights on the extent and intensity of any climate changes, what impact a mitigation solution might yield, and how to refine the accuracy of your analytical and predictive outcomes through AI/ML. You will learn these methods through hands-on application of spatial analytical methods on a GIS platform with AI/ML components to refine the outcomes. The module will enable you to think critically and solve climate-related challenges through the framework of data science.

30 credits

This module will investigate disaster management strategies and solutions that can increase resilience to climate hazards now and in the future. The module starts with a critical examination of disaster management, with a primary focus on the UK's emergency management framework. It explores how historical, social, economic, and political factors influence the development and implementation of emergency management. This includes consideration of the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in this field, weighing its potential benefits, risks, and ethical implications. The complex web of stakeholder responsibilities and the challenges of effective communication and coordination these poses are examined. The module will examine processes, impacts and risks associated with various climate hazards, including coastal and riverine flooding/erosion due to increased storm frequency and intensity, landslides, wildfires, heatwaves and droughts. The impacts on society, infrastructure and the environment will be examined and management strategies that increase community and environmental resilience will be assessed, including the role of AI in disaster risk reduction. Fieldwork will enable you to directly examine risks and management strategies in an international setting. The module aims to prepare you for careers in environmental hazards and disaster management by developing employability skills and fostering interaction with practitioners.

15 credits

This module gives you a dedicated opportunity to develop your Future Skills Graduate Attributes. 

At the start of the module, you will be supported to self-assess your current skills profile. You will determine which attributes and skills you need to develop to support your career ambitions. In this process, you will be supported by a dedicated career coach, helping you explore a range of options that includes self-employment/freelancing, starting your own business, higher level study, and other professional graduate-level opportunities. Throughout the module, you will be given opportunities to engage with external mentors, to support reflection and to develop a professional network.

You will undertake a tailored series of activities and projects, aligned to your goals, from a menu of development options. This could include short courses, enrichment activities and experiential learning options such as micro-placements. You will also be able to reflect on activities outside the University that develop your graduate attributes, such as work or volunteering.

30 credits

This module is a capstone. It provides experience in the design, execution and preparation of an independent but approved programme of research. The module provides a structured mechanism for you to employ reflective learning techniques to develop your research project and reflect on your developing employability skills by engaging with your research project as an academic research assignment with commercial, policy or political value.

Recognition and development of your employability skills are integral to this module. The project chosen enables you to target specific knowledge and skills you wish to develop (you will be guided to this point in Explore in Level 5 with your personal tutor). You will cross-reference your developing knowledge and skills with the KU graduate attributes on CANVAS which feeds into the final viva at the conclusion of the research project.

30 credits

The module examines key issues relating to climate change in the areas of science, policy and society.

The science of climate change will be explored through an investigation of the climate system and an examination of indicators such as sea-level change and ocean acidification.

The influence of human activities such as greenhouse gas emissions will be explored, and future climate scenarios evaluated.

Applications of AI in climate modelling will also be assessed. You will learn to critically discuss models of future climate change and produce your own climate projections for the UK based on real data.

The module will examine local and national strategies to adapt to and mitigate against impacts of climate change. This will include investigations into adaptations in agriculture and the food industry, and an exploration of environmental and socio-economic challenges faced in urban areas. The module will investigate the current and future impact on coastal communities and habitats, with assessment of risks associated with sea level rise, coastal flooding and erosion. This will include a field trip to investigate coastal challenges in southeast England and explore mitigation and adaptation strategies that enhance resilience. Assessments will develop real-world skills and reflect upon KU Graduate Attributes.