ecology-and-environmental-management/index

aos

Monash University

Undergraduate - Area of study

Students who commenced study in 2014 should refer to this area of study entry for direction on the requirments; to check which units are currently available for enrolment, refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your area of study.

print version

This area of study entry applies to students commencing this course in 2014 and should be read in conjunction with the relevant course entry in the Handbook. Any units listed for this area of study relate only to the 'Requirements' outlined in the Faculty of Science component of any bachelors double degrees.

Managing facultyFaculty of Science
Offered bySchool of Applied Sciences and Engineering
Campus(es)Gippsland
CoordinatorDr Wendy Wright

Notes

  • Unit codes that are not linked to their entry in the Handbook are not available for study in the current year.

Description

Ecology explores the interactions between plants, animals and their habitats. The ecology and environmental management major has a particular focus on understanding ecosystems and ecological processes. Students learn how to apply scientific principles to understand natural systems. This understanding is applied to current questions regarding the past, current and future impacts of human activities on organisms, ecosystems and the environment. Graduates will be well prepared to make appropriate and informed decisions about the management and/or conservation of our environment, its ecosystems and the plants and animals that they support.

Learning outcomes

Graduates will be able to:

  • understand the role of ecosystems and biodiversity in providing resources for human consumption
  • apply their understanding of the earth's biological and physical resources to issues of sustainable and integrated natural resources management
  • use ecological principles to address current issues in diverse environments including protected areas, production forests, agricultural landscapes, water catchments and marine environments
  • apply regulations, policies and philosophies relating to a wide range of environmental management issues
  • gather and analyse data from the field or laboratory, using modelling, statistical and mapping tools and make appropriate recommendations for environmental management
  • communicate effectively to diverse audiences and in a variety of formats and contribute to discussion and present information in written and oral forms
  • work effectively and harmoniously alongside others and work collaboratively in small teams
  • apply for employment, both nationally and internationally, in a range of areas requiring knowledge and skills of environmental management.

Units

Level one

  • ENV1711 Ecological systems and the environment
  • ENV1722 Geophysical systems and the environment

Level two

  • ENV2712 Biology and diversity
  • ENV2726 Ecosystems and bioresources
  • MAT2742 Mathematical modeling of the environment

Level three

  • BIO3052 Animal behaviour
  • BIO3132 Biology of Australian vertebrates
  • ENV3639 Minerals and energy
  • ENV3711 Natural area management
  • ENV3737 Tools for environmental management
  • ENV3761 Waste management and remediation
  • SCI3990 Science in action research project

Sequence requirements

Minor sequence in ecology and environmental management (24 points)

Major sequence in ecology and environmental management (48 points)

Double major sequence in ecology and environmental management (72 points)

Requirements for honours in ecology and environmental management

  • 24 points of relevant level-three units, of which 18 points are normally ENV and/or BIO units listed above.

Additional information

A major in ecology and environmental management will develop field, laboratory and analytical skills required for employment and/or further studies in this area. Field trips are associated with several units in the major and are designed to provide hands-on experiences in data collection and interpretation. This major can be taken as a double major or studied in conjunction with any other Science major. Chemistry, statistics, microbiology and biochemistry are considered useful co-majors. A major in ecology and environmental management can lead to further studies including honours, master's (by research), Master of Environment and Sustainability (by coursework) and PhD (by research).

Honours

In addition to the requirements above, students must meet the entry requirements for the science honours program relevant to their course of enrolment. See the entry for 0051 Honours degree of Bachelor of Science for full details regarding the course structure for honours in ecology and environmental management.

Relevant courses

0050 Bachelor of Science