National Student Survey shows strengths of Environment and Geography at York

Posted on 18 July 2024

The results of the 2024 National Student Survey have revealed the strengths of the Department of Environment and Geography.

We placed 5th in the UK for the broad area of Assessment and Feedback in environmental sciences with a score of 89%. This includes scores of 90% for Q10 “How clear were the marking criteria used to assess your work?”, 95% for Q11 “How fair has the marking and assessment been on your course?”, 95% for Q12 “How well have assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned?”, 91% for Q13 “How often have you received assessment feedback on time?”, and 89% for Q14 “How often does feedback help you to improve your work?”

We placed 2nd in the Russell Group for Academic Support with a score of 93% in physical geographical sciences with a score of 91% for Q15 “How easy was it to contact teaching staff when you needed to?”

We also placed 3rd in the Russell Group for Learning Opportunities in environmental sciences with a score of 78% for Q5 “To what extent have you had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth?” And a score of 87% for Q7 “To what extent have you had the chance to bring together information and ideas from different topics?”

Professor Roland Gehrels, Head of the Department of Environment and Geography, said "We are delighted to receive such positive feedback directly from our final year students. They are now well equipped to tackle the world's environmental challenges by applying the skills and knowledge gained from our degree programmes. The NSS results are also a testament to the hard work and dedication of our teaching and support staff, as well as our friendly, helpful and supportive departmental community in which students can thrive."

What is the National Student Survey

The NSS is a nationwide survey of final-year students in higher and further education. They answer questions on a variety of aspects of their university experience, including their department and course.

Almost 2,800 York students responded to the 2024 survey, helping prospective applicants to compare courses and make informed decisions about where to study. The survey empowers those taking part to shape the future of their course, giving universities honest feedback on what they are doing well and where they can improve.