Major details : UWA Handbook 2021 : The University of Western Australia

Environmental Science major

Environmental Science assesses the impact of human activity on the global environment and develops scientific, risk-based solutions to help secure a sustainable future. This major encompasses both the biological and the earth sciences. Environmental issues are many and varied so the use of an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving is essential. Students develop techniques in scientific modelling to achieve practical solutions to these problems. Environmental scientists deal with issues such as climate change, carbon trading, greenhouse gas emissions, water resource management, salinity, land degradation and rehabilitation, flora and fauna, habitat destruction, deforestation, energy and mineral depletion, air and water pollution, soil erosion, and groundwater contamination. It is envisaged there will be up to three overnight field trips (there will be a cost of up to $500 per student to cover the cost of food and accommodation for around 10 nights).

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) demonstrate the skills and knowledge to assess environmental systems, using field, laboratory, modelling and statistical methodologies; (2) integrate ecological, physical and chemical processes to guide decision making with respect to human intervention in the environment; (3) demonstrate the knowledge to manage and rehabilitate disturbed systems such as natural and agricultural catchments, post mining landscapes, contaminated sites, urban environments, etc; and (4) apply the knowledge and skills required for employment related to environmental science.

Broadening guidelines

All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to Broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and interests. Many of you will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and we encourage you to do so if this suits your aspirations. Over the next few months you will find here some broadening suggestions related to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore that is afforded by your Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.

Prerequisites

ATAR Mathematics Methods or equivalent or higher and ATAR Chemistry or equivalent or higher.

Environmental Science can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

BP004 Bachelor of Science
BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)

Overview of unit sequence

Environmental Science is a degree-specific single major comprising:

four Level 1 units
four Level 2 units
four Level 3 units

Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2

Students who have not completed ATAR Mathematics Methods: WACE Mathematics: Specialist 3A/3B or equivalent or higher are required to complete MATH1721 (and MATH1720 prerequisite if required). Students who have not completed ATAR Chemistry are required to take CHEM1003. Students are advised to take mathematics and chemistry bridging units in their first year of study.

Level 1

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (24 points):

Availability	Unit code	Unit name	unit requirements
S2	BIOL1131	Plant and Animal Biology
S1	ENVT1104	Environmental Science and Technology
S1, S2	SCIE1104	Science, Society and Data Analysis	Co-requisites: MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods (only required if students haven't completed ATAR Mathematics Methods; WACE Mathematics: Specialist 3A/3B; or equivalent or higher. Incompatibility: STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics
S1	SCOM1101	Communicating Science	Prerequisites: ATAR Mathematics Applications or WACE Mathematics 2C/2D or TEE Discrete Mathematics or equivalent or higher Co-requisites: MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals (only required if students haven't completed Maths Applications or WACE Mathematics 2C/2D or TEE Discrete Mathematics or equivalent or higher). Please note that there will be a delay in validating your enrollment in SCOM1101 after you have enrolled in MATH 1720.

Bridging units

Bridging units must be successfully completed within the first 48 points of study. Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Mathematics Methods ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete MATH1721. Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Mathematics Applications ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete MATH1720 and MATH1721. Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Chemistry ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete CHEM1003.

Availability	Unit code	Unit name	unit requirements
S1, S2	CHEM1003	Introductory Chemistry	Incompatibility: This unit is not available to students who have a satisfactory performance (scaled score of 50 per cent or more) in Chemistry ATAR or WACE Chemistry 3A/3B or TEE Chemistry, or equivalent.
S1, S2	MATH1720	Mathematics Fundamentals	Prerequisites: Mathematics Applications ATAR (with a scaled score of less than 50) or with permission. Incompatibility: Mathematics Applications ATAR (with a scaled score of 50 or greater) or equivalent or higher.
S1, S2	MATH1721	Mathematics Foundations: Methods	Prerequisites: Mathematics Applications ATAR or MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals or Mathematics Methods ATAR (with a scaled score of less than 50) or equivalent . Incompatibility: WACE Mathematics: Specialist 3A/3B; MATH1038 Calculus and its Applications; MATH1045 Intermediate Calculus; Mathematics Specialist ATAR; MATH1001 Mathematical Methods 1; MATH1002 Mathematical Methods 2; MATH1011 Multivariable Calculus; MATH1012 Mathematical Theory and Methods; or STAT1520 Economics and Business Statistics.

Level 2

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (24 points):

Availability	Unit code	Unit name	unit requirements
S1	ENVT2220	The Climate System	Prerequisites: none; for pre-2012 courses: none
S1	ENVT2236	Soil Science	Prerequisites: EART1105 The Dynamic Planet or ENVT1104 Environmental Science and Technology or BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology and (SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis or STAT1400 Statistics for Science or STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics), and Chemistry ATAR or CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry Incompatibility: EART2230 Soil Science Essentials or EART2222 Geomorphology and Soils
S2	ENVT2251	Hydrology and Water Resource Management	Prerequisites: EART1105 The Dynamic Planet or ENVT1104 Environmental Science and Technology or GEOG1103 Geographies of a Global City
S1, S2	GEOG2201	Geographic Information Systems	Prerequisites: 36 points of prior study

Level 3

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (24 points):

Availability	Unit code	Unit name	unit requirements
S1	ENVT3338	Land Capability Assessment	Prerequisites: ENVT2220 The Climate System or ENVT2236 Soil Science or EART2222 Geomorphology and Soils (formerly EART2222 Earth Surface Processes and Soils) or EART2231 Earth Materials or EART2234 Earth Processes or ENVT2251 Environmental Hydrology or ENVT2221 Global Climate Change and Biodiversity or ENVT2250 Incompatibility: EART3323 Land, Soil and Water Systems, EART8823 Land, Soil and Water Systems, EART3338 Land Capability Assessment
S2	ENVT3339	Land Rehabilitation	Prerequisites: ENVT2236 Soil Science or EART2222 Geomorphology and Soils (formerly EART2222 Earth Surface Processes and Soils) or EART2231 Earth Materials or EART2234 Earth Processes or ENVT2251 Hydrology and Water Resource Management (formerly ENVT2251 Environmental Hydrology) Incompatibility: ENVT3333 Land and Water: Case Studies in Land and Water Management, ENVT8333 Land and Water: Case Studies in Land and Water Management, EART3339 Land Rehabilitation
S1	ENVT3361	Environmental Assessment	Prerequisites: ENVT2236 Soil Science or ENVT2251 Hydrology and Water Resource Management or ENVT2221 Global Climate Change and Biodiversity or ENVT2250 Ecology Co-requisites: Chemistry ATAR or CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry or equivalent or permission of the unit coordinator. Incompatibility: ENVT3336 Land, Soil and Water Research Project; ENVT8336 Land, Soil and Water Research Project
S2	ENVT3362	Environmental Dynamics	Prerequisites: ENVT2250 Ecology or ENVT2220 The Climate System or ENVT2251 Environmental Hydrology or SCIE2204 Marine Systems or EART2204 Coastal Processes or SCIE2267 Quantitative Methods in Environmental Management

Choosing your degree-specific major

Specialised degrees – Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science (Honours), Bachelor of Automation and Robotics, Bachelor of Environmental Design, Bachelor of Music

You must satisfy the requirements of the degree-specific major in your degree before you complete your course.

Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics

This comprehensive degree does not require you to choose a degree-specific major.

General degrees

You must satisfy the requirements of a degree-specific major before you complete your course. The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you to try out a number of different subjects to see what interests you before nominating your degree-specific major. You have the choice to either nominate your degree-specific major when you first enrol in the course or delay nominating it until your second year.

To plan the first year of your study without nominating a degree-specific major, you are advised to choose units that will pave the way to two or more degree-specific majors that are of interest to you. For examples of the choice of units available in first year, search the first-year study plans .

To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.

The following example illustrates how the Environmental Science degree-specific major can be included in the Bachelor of Science course.

Example 1:: Course Study Plan: CSP004-ENVSC

There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .

Choosing a second major

You also have the option to choose a second major from those available in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design Only available to re-enrolling students. and Bachelor of Science courses, giving you the opportunity to pursue your interests no matter how different they are.

The following example illustrates how the Environmental Science degree-specific major can be combined with a second major in the Bachelor of Science course.

Earth specialisation: Course Study Plan: CSP004-ENVSC-Generic-1
Biology specialisation: Course Study Plan: CSP004-ENVSC-Generic-2

For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .