Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Environmental Science) - 4 years

To be read in conjunction with the program of study requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Honours) – 4 years.

The Environmental Sciences Specialisation is offered as part of the Bachelor of Science (Honours) and requires four years of full-time study (or the equivalent part-time). The specialisation is offered by the School of the Environment, within the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

Specialisations have different admission requirements to other programs of study available in the Bachelor of Science (Honours). In order to undertake a specialisation students must be admitted to the specialisation program.

There is an alternative 1 year program for the Bachelor of Science (Honours) for students who have successfully completed a Bachelor of Science.

• Admission requirements
• Aims
• Learning outcomes
• Program of study
  
  

Admission requirements

The minimum requirements for consideration for entry to all undergraduate courses are specified in detail in the University Entry Requirements.

There are no formal prerequisites for the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, but a knowledge of Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics at Year 12 level is desirable.

Prerequisites and Assumed Knowledge for Specialisations

There are no formal prerequisites for the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, but a knowledge of Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics at Year 12 level is desirable.

Aims

The course has been designed to produce graduates who, as environmental scientists, are specialists in a major area of applied science and possess well developed skills to liaise with other groups of scientific and environmental specialists to arrive at solutions to environmental problems. It aims:

• to promote a project and problem-oriented and trans-disciplinary approach to the application of science to environmental issues
• to produce environmental professionals who are specialists in a major area of environmental concern and who are experienced in working in teams which draw on and communicate a variety of expertise
• to develop the role of basic science in the identification, assessment, monitoring and treatment of environmental problems
• to promote an understanding of the public policy contexts and social organisations within which environmental issues arise and are dealt with.
  

Learning outcomes

On completion of their degree, students will have developed a comprehensive and well-founded knowledge in their science discipline and a range of transferable professional skills.

Subject knowledge

Graduates of the course are expected to be able to:

• demonstrate specialist skills in a major area of environmental concern
• organise environmental projects using problem-based and trans-disciplinary approaches
• employ scientific method to identify, assess, monitor and treat environmental problems
• recognise the public policy contexts and social organisations within which environmental issues arise and are dealt with.

Transferable professional skills

Graduates of the course are expected to be able to:

• employ scientific methodologies such as experimental design, and the critical analysis of data
• communicate and present information clearly and fluently in both written and spoken forms
• interact effectively as part of a team in order to work towards a common outcome
• work and learn independently
• reason critically and logically and make independent judgements
• engage effectively with information and communication technologies
• demonstrate research skills appropriate for further study and employment
• appreciate the need for continuing professional development.
  

Program of Study

To qualify for the Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Environmental Science) specialisation a student must complete 144 units, with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the Bachelor of Science (Honours) – 4 years program of study.  The program of study for the specialisation is detailed below:

Students choose from one of three streams in the Environmental Science Specialisation:

• Coasts and Catchments
• Environmental Forensics
• Global Water Resources

Stream - Coasts and Catchments
 

Core - Coasts and Catchments - Year 1 topics

27 units comprising:

 BIOL1101  Evolution of Biological Diversity##  (4.5 units)
 EASC1101  Earth and Environmental Sciences  (4.5 units)
 EASC1102  Marine Sciences  (4.5 units)
 ENVR1101  Environmental Science 1##  (4.5 units)
 ENVR1702  Fundamentals of Environmental Science##  (4.5 units)

plus one of

 CHEM1101  Chemistry 1A##  (4.5 units) 
 CHEM1201  Introduction to Chemistry A##  (4.5 units)

Recommended Year 1 electives:

 BIOL1102  Molecular Basis of Life  (4.5 units)
 CHEM1102  Chemistry 1B  (4.5 units) OR
 CHEM1202  Introduction to Chemistry B  (4.5 units)
 MATH1121  Mathematics 1A  (4.5 units)
 MATH1122  Mathematics 1B  (4.5 units)
 MATH1701  Mathematics Fundamentals A  (4.5 units)

##Cognate studies

Core - Coasts and Catchments - Year 2 topics

18 units comprising:

 EASC2701  Coasts and Oceans  (4.5 units)
 EASC2702  Global Climate Change  (4.5 units)
 ENVR2701  Environmental Science 2  (4.5 units)

plus one of

 EASC2722  Sedimentary Processes  (4.5 units) 
 EASC3732  Geological Processes  (4.5 units)

Option - Coasts and Catchments - Year 2 topics

Plus 9 units of option topics* 

Core - Coasts and Catchments - Year 3 topics

4.5 units comprising:

 ENVR3701  Environmental Science 3  (4.5 units)

Option - Coasts and Catchments - Year 3 topics

Plus 22.5 units of option topics* 

*Option - Coasts and Catchments - Year 2 & 3 topics

Select 9 units from:

 BIOL2701  Experimental Design and Statistics for Biology  (4.5 units)
 BIOL2711  Ecology  (4.5 units)
 BIOL2712  Animal Diversity  (4.5 units)
 BIOL2721  Foundations of Animal Behaviour  (4.5 units)
 BIOL2742  Marine Ecology  (4.5 units)
 BIOL3701  Conservation Biology and Restoration Ecology  (4.5 units)
 BIOL3702  Marine and Freshwater Biology  (4.5 units)
 BIOL3703  Vertebrate Palaeontology  (4.5 units)
 BIOL3721  Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology  (4.5 units)
 BIOL3722  Conservation and Ecological Genetics  (4.5 units)
 BIOL3751  Marine Mammals, Birds and Reptiles  (4.5 units)
 BIOL3761  Foundations in Microbiology  (4.5 units)

Select 18 units from:

 EASC2711  Microclimate and Soil Processes  (4.5 units)
 EASC2712  Surface Water Hydrology  (4.5 units)
 EASC3741  Groundwater  (4.5 units)
 EASC3751  Hydrochemistry  (4.5 units)
 EASC3752  Science of Environmental Change  (4.5 units)
 EASC3762  Field Investigations  (4.5 units)

Select 4.5 units from:
 
 ENVS3711  Coastal Studies  (4.5 units)
 ENVS3732  Environmental Impact Assessment  (4.5 units)
 GEOG2701  Introduction to Remote Sensing  (4.5 units)
 GEOG2711  Australian Environmental Change  (4.5 units)
 GEOG3701  Spatial Information Management  (4.5 units)

Stream - Environmental Forensic  

Core - Environmental Forensic - Year 1 topics

31.5 units comprising:

 BIOL1102  Molecular Basis of Life##  (4.5 units)
 CHEM1102  Chemistry 1B##  (4.5 units)
 EASC1101  Earth and Environmental Sciences  (4.5 units)
 EASC1102  Marine Sciences  (4.5 units)
 ENVR1101  Environmental Science 1##  (4.5 units)
 ENVR1702  Fundamentals of Environmental Science##  (4.5 units)

plus one of

 CHEM1101  Chemistry 1A##  (4.5 units) 
 CHEM1201  Introduction to Chemistry A##^  (4.5 units)

Recommended Year 1 electives:

 BIOL1101  Evolution of Biological Diversity  (4.5 units)
 MATH1121  Mathematics 1A  (4.5 units)
 MATH1122  Mathematics 1B  (4.5 units)
 MATH1701  Mathematics Fundamentals A  (4.5 units)

##Cognate studies

^Students undertaking CHEM1201 Introduction to Chemistry A must take CHEM1202 Introduction to Chemistry B as their elective topic.

Core - Environmental Forensic - Year 2 topics

22.5 units comprising:

 BIOL3761  Foundations in Microbiology  (4.5 units)
 EASC2702  Global Climate Change  (4.5 units)
 EASC2711  Microclimate and Soil Processes  (4.5 units)
 ENVR2701  Environmental Science 2  (4.5 units)

plus one of

 EASC2722  Sedimentary Processes  (4.5 units) 
 EASC3732  Geological Processes  (4.5 units)

Option - Environmental Forensics - Year 2 topics

Plus 4.5 units of option topics** 

Core - Environmental Forensics - Year 3 topics

4.5 units comprising:

 ENVR3701  Environmental Science 3  (4.5 units)

Option - Environmental Forensics - Year 3 topics

Plus 22.5 units of option topics**

**Option - Environmental Forensics - Year 2 & 3 topics

Select 18 units from:

 EASC2712  Surface Water Hydrology  (4.5 units)
 EASC3741  Groundwater  (4.5 units)
 EASC3742  Earth Fluid Modelling  (4.5 units)
 EASC3751  Hydrochemistry  (4.5 units)
 EASC3762  Field Investigations  (4.5 units)

Select 9 units from:

 ENVH2701  Health Issues in the Environment  (4.5 units)
 ENVS3711  Coastal Studies  (4.5 units)
 ENVS3732  Environmental Impact Assessment  (4.5 units)
 GEOG2701  Introduction to Remote Sensing  (4.5 units)
 GEOG2711  Australian Environmental Change  (4.5 units)
 GEOG3701  Spatial Information Management  (4.5 units)
 LEGL3112  Regulating Technology^^  (4.5 units)

^^Requires topic pre-requisites from elective topics.

Stream - Global Water Resources  

Core - Global Water Resources - Year 1 topics

27 units comprising:

 BIOL1101  Evolution of Biological Diversity##  (4.5 units)
 EASC1101  Earth and Environmental Sciences  (4.5 units)
 EASC1102  Marine Sciences  (4.5 units)
 ENVR1101  Environmental Science 1##  (4.5 units)
 ENVR1702  Fundamentals of Environmental Science##  (4.5 units)

plus one of

 CHEM1101  Chemistry 1A##  (4.5 units) 
 CHEM1201  Introduction to Chemistry A##  (4.5 units)

Recommended Year 1 electives:

 BIOL1102  Molecular Basis of Life  (4.5 units)
 CHEM1102  Chemistry 1B  (4.5 units)
 CHEM1202  Introduction to Chemistry B  (4.5 units)
 MATH1121  Mathematics 1A  (4.5 units)
 MATH1122  Mathematics 1B  (4.5 units)
 MATH1701  Mathematics Fundamentals A  (4.5 units)

##Cognate studies

Core - Global Water Resources - Year 2 topics

22.5 units comprising:

 EASC2701  Coasts and Oceans  (4.5 units)
 EASC2702  Global Climate Change  (4.5 units)
 EASC2712  Surface Water Hydrology  (4.5 units)
 ENVR2701  Environmental Science 2  (4.5 units)

plus one of

 EASC2722  Sedimentary Processes  (4.5 units) 
 EASC3732  Geological Processes  (4.5 units)

Option - Global Water Resources - Year 2 topics

Plus 4.5 units of option topics***

Core - Global Water Resources - Year 3 topics

13.5 units comprising:

 EASC3741  Groundwater  (4.5 units)
 ENVR3701  Environmental Science 3  (4.5 units)
 GEOG2700  Geographical Information Systems  (4.5 units)

Option - Global Water Resources - Year 3 topics

Plus 13.5 units of option topics***

***Option - Global Water Resources - Year 2 & 3 topics

Select 18 units from:

 BIOL2711  Ecology  (4.5 units)
 BIOL2712  Animal Diversity  (4.5 units)
 EASC2711  Microclimate and Soil Processes  (4.5 units)
 EASC3742  Earth Fluid Modelling  (4.5 units)
 EASC3751  Hydrochemistry  (4.5 units)
 EASC3752  Science of Environmental Change  (4.5 units)
 EASC3762  Field Investigations  (4.5 units)

Core - Honours Year topics

36 units comprising:

 EASC4700A  Honours Research Project in Environmental Sciences  (4.5/27 units)  
 EASC4700B  Honours Research Project in Environmental Sciences  (4.5/27 units)  
 EASC4700C  Honours Research Project in Environmental Sciences  (4.5/27 units)  
 EASC4700D  Honours Research Project in Environmental Sciences  (4.5/27 units)  
 EASC4700E  Honours Research Project in Environmental Sciences  (4.5/27 units)  
 EASC4700F  Honours Research Project in Environmental Sciences  (4.5/27 units)  
 EASC4713  Advanced Studies in Natural Systems  (4.5 units)

Plus one of the following topics which needs to be confirmed with the honours supervisor:

 EASC4723  Modelling and Data Analysis in Natural Systems  (4.5 units)
 EASC4733  Measurement Techniques in Natural Systems  (4.5 units)