UWA Handbook 2024

Minor Overview

About this minor

The natural sciences have developed a robust consensus on climate and related environmental changes and the numerous threats that these present to the human and natural environment. However, translating this scientific knowledge into effective policy is one of the great challenges of our time. STEM graduates need to have a detailed understanding of the international and domestic politics, planning and policy processes that are key to implementing solutions to these global, complex and inter-connected problems. This Minor prepares students for work in government, scientific organisations, the private sector and voluntary organisations by teaching them how domestic and international policy is produced, enabling them to apply their scientific expertise towards effective policy design and implementation. This Minor consists of three streams based on specific global challenges: Climate Change, Urban Environments and Environmental Planning. Stream 1: Climate Change Climate change is the defining challenge facing human society in the twenty first century. This stream enables students to develop a critical understanding of the impacts of climate change and how policies are designed and implemented at the local, national and international scales to address these impacts. Stream 2: Environmental Planning This stream allows students to examine how institutions undertake planning and management of the natural and human environment to deliver the objectives of sustainable development. The program of study provides students with an understanding of how our societies can be better planned and designed to be resilient to environmental changes, alongside an advanced knowledge of domestic policy-making processes and politics of dealing with environmental crises. Stream 3: Urban Environments Cities worldwide are facing multiple stresses resulting from population growth, transport gridlocks, water shortages, declining air quality and public health crises. This stream examines policies designed to improve the quality of life for urban residents, with examples of good practice from overseas and the Perth metropolitan region. This stream examines policy issues relating to how urban settlements can be designed to facilitate adaptation to the combined impacts of climate change and population growth. For students taking a minor which shares units with their other unit sets (majors or minors): in order for minors to be recognised on academic and graduation documents, students may only have a maximum of one unit overlapping between their unit sets.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) demonstrate understanding of the relationship between science and the policy-making process; (2) apply scientific knowledge and expertise to policy settings; (3) effectively communicate scientific knowledge in a variety of oral, written, individual and team-based contexts; and (4) develop the collaborative skills and policy-making expertise which are essential to address the major challenges facing our society.

Units