Undergraduate courses offered by the Faculty
Bachelor of Environmental Science (SBES) – Melbourne (Bundoora)
This degree is being phased out. No new enrolments will be permitted from 2008.
From 2008, students who wish to undertake a ‘specialisation’ in Environmental Science may do so under the Bachelor of Science (SBS) degree program.
This interdisciplinary degree is based in the physical sciences and addresses environmental problems relating to air, water, land, and energy. The course is broadly based and provides grounding in chemistry, geology, mathematics, and physics together with a biology component.
The course aims to develop a wide knowledge base, a multidisciplinary view of environmental problems, a critical assessment of scientific information, skills in the analysis of problems and an ability to report on environmental problems.
The course focuses on current environmental issues such as air pollution, water pollution, waste disposal, soil degradation, salination, greenhouse and ozone depletion, and teaches the science related to these issues.
Seminar, workshop, and project components are included in second and third year, and provide vehicles for application of the science in the course and a stimulus for wider investigation. They also encourage the development of skills required to work as an environmental scientist.
Course structure
The course is of three years full-time or equivalent part-time duration and requires the completion of 360 credit points. All students must complete a minimum of 90 credit points at third year level.
Students who commenced this degree before 2005 must meet the English Language Proficiency requirement in order to graduate. To satisfy this requirement, students should contact the Language and Academic Skills unit to arrange an appointment for an individual assessment of their English proficiency. For students commencing their degree from 2005, the requirements have been met within the course structure.
First year (120 credit points)
Core subjects: (105 credit points)
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Calculus and Number Systems | MAT1CNS | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Physics for Life Sciences A | PHY1LSA | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Processes that Shape the Earth | GEO1PRO | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Applications of Chemistry | CHE1APL | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Earth Structure, Resources and History of Life | GEO1ERS | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Physics for Life Sciences B | PHY1LSB | 15 |
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choose one first-semester chemistry subject. Students who have passed VCE Chemistry, units 3 and 4 or equivalent, must choose CHE1GEN. | |||
| TE-SEM-1 or | Basic Chemistry | CHE1BAS | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | General Principles of Chemistry | CHE1GEN | 15 |
Electives (15 credit points)
The remaining 15 credit points may be selected from any science subjects.
Recommended subjects:
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-2 | Calculus and Linear Algebra | MATICLA | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Genetics, Human Biology and Evolution | BIOIGEN | 15 |
Second year (120 credit points)
Core subjects (45 credit points)
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Animal Diversity, Ecology and Behaviour | BIO1AD | 15 |
| or | |||
| TE-SEM-2 | Plant Science | BIO1PS | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Environmental Enquiry A1 | ENV2ESA | 5 |
| TE-SEM-1 or TE-SEM-2 | Statistics for Life Sciences | STA2LS | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Environmental Enquiry B1 | ENV2ESB | 5 |
Electives (75 credit points)
Students must include a minimum of three subjects from the list below. The remaining credit points can be selected from those subjects not already taken or from any other second year level science subjects. Enrolment in subjects not listed below must be approved by the course adviser.
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Water Flow and Chemistry | GEO2EGW | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Chemistry of Water Quality | CHE2CWQ | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Introduction to Land and Soil Management | AGR2ILM | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Imaging and Materials Characterisation | PHY2IMC | 10 |
Third year (120 credit points)
Core subject (10 credit points)
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 or TE-SEM-2 | Environmental Research | ENV3ENV | 10 |
Electives (110 credit points)
Students must select subjects to the value of 80 credit points from those listed below. The remaining 30 credit points may be chosen from subjects in the list not already taken at second year level, or from other third year science subjects. Students must take at least 90 credit points of third year level subjects in total.
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Advanced Environmental Analytical Chemistry A2 | CHE3EAA | 10 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Australian Fauna and Ecology | ZOO2AFE | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Surface/Groundwater Flow and Chemistry | GEO3EGW | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Water Resource Management | ENV3WRM | 10 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Advanced Environmental Analytical Chemistry B2 | CHE3EAB | 5 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Landscape and Climate Change | GEO3EGL | 10 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Remote Sensing and GIS | GEO3EGR | 10 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change | PHY3GRE | 10 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Land and Soil Management | AGR3LSM | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Plant Ecology | BOT2PE | 10 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Remote Sensing | PHY3REM | 10 |
Key: 1 Linked subjects, normally taken together.
2 Linked subjects: both subjects must be taken in the one academic year.
Honours
Students who satisfy the requirements for Honours entry are eligible for the Honours programs in any subject stream offered by the departments involved in the undergraduate course. Those students who wish to undertake cross-disciplinary coursework will be permitted to do so with the permission of the course adviser. The possibility of supervision across the disciplines also exists. All environmental science Honours programs must be approved by the Honours coordinator in the particular discipline and the Environmental Science Course Adviser.
For a full description of subjects, including the subject name, subject code, credit points, campus/location, subject coordinator, class requirements, assessment, prerequisites and readings, students should access the Subject Database at www.latrobe.edu.au/udb_public.