Course overview
- Description
The online Masters in Environmental Economics will provide students with an understanding of how economic approaches to solving and analysing environmental problems can be used to address the challenges associated with human impacts on the environment. The aim of the course is to provide students with the skills to analysis economic policies to address major environmental challenges including climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, pollution, water resource management, over-fishing and the link between development and the environment. Students will be trained to follow careers as environmental economist working in consultancy and in government policy.
- Course title
- Master of Environmental Economics (Online) (coursework or coursework and dissertation)
- Award abbreviation
- MSc
- Course code
- 70570
- Course type
- Master's degree by coursework or by coursework and dissertation
- Status
- Current / 2025
- Administered by
- Agriculture and Environment
Course details
- Intake periods
- Beginning of year and mid-year
- Attendance type
- Full- or part-time
- Articulation
- The Master of Environmental Economics (Online) has the following exit award: 71250 Graduate Certificate in Environmental Economics (24 points) (24 points)
- Credit points required
- 96
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester. - Standard course duration
- 1.5 years full-time (or equivalent part-time) comprising 72 points of taught units and 24 points of admission credit, as recognised and granted by the School
- Maximum course duration
- 2 years full-time (or equivalent part-time) comprising up to 96 points of taught study (see Rule 5 for further information)
- Time limit
- 4 years
- Delivery mode
- Online
- Locations offered
- UWA (Perth)
- Domestic fee type
- Postgraduate fee-paying/FEE-HELP
- Available to international students
- Not available to international students on student visas. Available to international students on other visas if visa conditions allow (see https://www.immi.gov.au). For information on international student fees see 'Student Procedures: Fees'. (Enquiries: https://www.uwa.edu.au/askuwa)
- Course Coordinator(s)
- Associate Professor Benedict White
- Fees
- Visit the fees calculator.
Prospective students should see the Future Students website for details on admission requirements, intake periods, fees, availability to international students, careers information etc.
No study plans found for this course. See study plans for more information.
Specialisations
Course structure
Key to availability of units:
- S1
- Semester 1
- S2
- Semester 2
- N/A
- not available in 2025 – may be available in 2026 or 2027
All units have a value of six points unless otherwise stated.
Students may be required to complete relevant conversion units up to the value of 24 points, as advised by the School or Advising Office.
Note: These units should be selected to address a lack of previous training in economics (ECON4002 and ECON1120) and mathematics (SCIE1500).
Take all units (36 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | ECON4410 | Environmental and Resource Economics |
| lectures: 2 hours; tutorials: 1 hour; labs: 1 hour (4 hours/week for 12 weeks) |
| S2 | ECON5003 | Microeconomic Theory for Agricultural and Environmental Economics |
| Weekly - two hour workshop |
| S1, S2 | ECON5410 | Valuing Environmental and Natural Resources |
| Total learning hours including contact hours, personal study, and assessment are 150hrs The structured activities across 12 weeks include approximately: 18 hours of online recorded lecture content, and 18 hours of computer based practical examples The balance of activities varies with each topic module |
| S1, S2 | ENVT4520 | GIS and Remote Sensing in a Changing World | None | 150 hours total. Each week approximately 1 hour of online recorded lectures, 3 hours of guided computer practical examples, and 8 hours of self-directed learning and completing assessments for 12 weeks. |
| S1, S2 | SCIE4040 | Data Analysis with R for Agricultural and Environmental Science | None | 150 hours. The structured activities include approximately 1 hour of online recorded lecture content and approximately 2 hours of computer practical examples to complete each week for 12 weeks. |
| S1 | SCIE4510 | Applied Cost Benefit Analysis | None | 150 hours Lectures: 2 x 45-minute online lectures per week for 12 weeks Workshops: 1 x 1-hour online workshops per week for 12 weeks Self-directed learning: 10 hours per week for 12 weeks |
For students in course by coursework only, take unit(s) to the value of 24 points of which at least 12 points (2 units) must be taken at Level 5. Students in course by coursework and dissertation, take unit(s) to the value of 12 points.
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | ECON5001 | Economic Development in Theory and Practice |
| lectures/tutorials/labs: 4 hours per week (for 10 weeks) |
| S1 | ECON5002 | Agriculture and Economic Development |
| lectures: 4 hours per fortnight; tutorials: 2 hours per fortnight for 10 weeks |
| S1 | ECON5004 | Microeconometric Models for Agricultural and Environmental Economics |
| Lectures are delivered on-line. Students also attend 2 hours of practical component each week. |
| S2 | ECON5511 | Climate, Energy and Water Economics | lectures/tutorials: 3 hours per week for 10 weeks | |
| N/A | ENVT4402 | Analysis for Environmental Management |
| 10 half days. The total workload for the unit is 150 hours. |
| S1 | ENVT5005 | Waste and the Circular Economy |
| Lectures 15 x 1 hour (online and pre-recorded), 5 x 1hr Industry seminar (Face to Face), Industry Contact (dependent on partner selected) |
| S1, S2 | SCIE4402 | Data Management and Analysis in the Natural Sciences |
| 5 days (1 day per fortnight). The total workload for the unit is 150 hours. |
Students in course by coursework only, take all units in this group (12 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1, S2 | ECON5007 | Research Project Part 1 |
| as required by supervisor |
| S1, S2 | ECON5008 | Research Project Part 2 | as required by supervisor |
Students in course by coursework and dissertation, take all units in this group (24 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1, S2 | SCIE5571 | Dissertation Part 1 |
| as required by supervisor |
| S1, S2 | SCIE5572 | Dissertation Part 2 |
| as required by supervisor |
| S1, S2 | SCIE5573 | Dissertation Part 3 |
| as required by supervisor |
| S1, S2 | SCIE5574 | Dissertation Part 4 |
| as required by supervisor |
See also the rules for the course and the Student Rules.
Rules
Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures
1.(1) The Student Rules apply to students in this course.
(2) The policy, policy statements and guidance documents and student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.
Academic Conduct Essentials and Communication and Research Skills modules
2.(1) A student who enrols in this course for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module) and the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module).
(2) A student must successfully complete the ACE module within the first teaching period of their enrolment. Failure to complete the module within this timeframe will result in the student's unit results from this teaching period being withheld. These results will continue to be withheld until students avail themselves of a subsequent opportunity to achieve a passing grade in the ACE module. In the event that students complete units in subsequent teaching periods without completing the ACE module, these results will similarly be withheld. Students will not be permitted to submit late review or appeal applications regarding results which have been withheld for this reason and which they were unable to access in the normally permitted review period.
English Language competency requirements
3. To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework.
Admission requirements
4. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—
(a) a bachelor's degree, or equivalent as recognised by UWA;
and
(b) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 50 per cent; and
Applicant must have completed prior
studies at a tertiary level in either science, engineering, economics, natural resource management, or policy studies; or a related cognate discipline, as recognised by UWA.
Admission ranking and selection
5. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements.
Articulations and exit awards
6.(1) This course has the following exit award:
- 71250 Graduate Certificate in Environmental Economics (24 points)
(2) A student who withdraws from the Master of Environmental Economics (Online) course before completing it, but after completing 24 points (ECON4410, ECON5003, SCIE4040 and SCIE4510), may apply to the School to be awarded the Graduate Certificate in Environmental Economics.
Course structure
7.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 96 points (maximum value) which include conversion units to a value of 24 points.
(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules.
(3) Students who have completed A bachelor's degree with a major in Economics, or equivalent as recognised by the School. are granted credit for conversion units up to a value of 24 points.
Satisfactory progress
8. To make satisfactory progress a student must pass units to a point value greater than half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.
9. A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module) when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress even if they have met the other requirements for satisfactory progress in Rule 8.
Progress status
10.(1) A student who makes satisfactory progress is assigned the status of 'Good Standing'.
(2) Unless the relevant board determines otherwise because of exceptional circumstances—
(a) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the first time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'On Probation';
(b) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the second time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Suspended';
(c) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the third time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Excluded';
11. A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 9 is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation', unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to meet other satisfactory progress requirements in Rule 8.
Award with distinction
12. To be awarded the degree with distinction a student must achieve a course weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 80 per cent which is calculated based on—
(a) all units above Level 3 attempted as part of the course that are awarded a final percentage mark;
(b) all relevant units above Level 3 undertaken in articulating courses of this University that are awarded a final percentage mark;
and
(c) all units above Level 3 completed at this University that are credited to the master's degree course.
Deferrals
13. Applicants awarded admission to the course are entitled to a deferral of up to 12 months, as per the University Policy on: Admissions (Coursework).