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Handbook 1997 : Faculty of Arts : Environmental Studies: Specialist Program

Faculty of Arts

Environmental Studies: Specialist Program

Environmental issues are attracting a wider and wider audience of people concerned with the ways in which societies are managing interactions with their environments. We need to understand how environments function, to be able to identify ecological change, and to develop ways of repairing environmental systems, particularly those damaged by human impact. We also need to examine the ways in which societies interact with their environments and the legal, economic, political and ethical ramifications of these interactions. Societies depend on environments for their resources; individuals depend on environments for many sources of satisfaction. As societies develop increasing technical power, as the sheer amount of economic activity increases and as our interactions attain global significance, so it is crucial that governments, corporations, community groups and individuals think deeply about ways of looking after our environment for the benefit of all.

The Specialist Program in Environmental Studies is designed to provide students with the opportunity to understand all these issues, and to develop skills which will prepare them for careers in the environmental field. The Specialist Program in Environmental Studies is more focussed than the ordinary BA major in Environmental Studies in that students concentrate more of their studies within the environmental field. Students are also provided with a wider range of options from other Faculties.

In this program students gain a broad understanding of the way in which environments work, the way in which societies work, and the nature of society-environment interactions. Students also have the opportunity to study one of these areas in greater depth; and to choose elective subjects which suit their own particular environmental interests and career goals.

On completion of this degree, students should:

Students who complete the honours BA in Environmental Studies should also be able to design and execute a piece of research about environmental systems or environmental impacts or environmental conflicts, regulation and valuation.

Career Opportunities

Graduates can expect to find creative and interesting employment in a wide variety of situations. Qualifications gained will enable graduates to work as environmental professionals in government departments and regulatory bodies, in private industry and with environmental consulting firms. There is a growing awareness of the need for professional environmental expertise in our region of Asia and the Pacific. Australia is recognised as a leader in this field and many career opportunities are opening up overseas as well as in Australia.

Some of the most common opportunities available to graduates of the program are:

Prerequisites

Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Faculty of Arts.

Requirements for a Major

In each year students must complete a core of 'environmental studies' subjects, a minimum number of subjects about environmental processes, and a minimum number of subjects about social processes. In their first three years (totalling 300 points), students must complete at least 75 points of environmental studies, at least 60 points of environmental processes and at least 60 points of social processes. At least another 55 points must be completed in one or more of these areas of study. There are 50 points completely elective.

Students must have their course plan approved by the Director of the Environmental Studies Program at the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, or by the Head of Department. Students are advised to plan their courses in consultation with a departmental course adviser. Students are welcome to seek advice about the Environmental Studies Program and about their options for study at any time. To make a course advice appointment, contact the Department Office during business hours (for contact details see 'Further Information' below).

First year

Second Year

Third year

Some Suggested Programs of Study within the Specialist Program in Environmental Studies

The following programs of study are suggestions for ways in which you can structure your studies within the Specialist Program in Environmental Studies. They are not compulsory. As long as you fulfil the requirements for the Specialist Program set out above, you do not have to structure your course to fit in with one of the programs shown below. These suggestions are simply designed to illustrate some of the options available to you.

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES WITH ECONOMICS: A SUGGESTED COURSE OF STUDY

FIRST YEAR

SECOND YEAR

THIRD YEAR

On completion of this program with the appropriate grades, students are eligible to enter the Honours Program in Economics, in addition to being eligible (subject to appropriate grades) to enter the Honours Program in Environmental Studies.

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES WITH PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY: A SUGGESTED COURSE OF STUDY

FIRST YEAR

SECOND YEAR

THIRD YEAR

On completion of this program with the appropriate grades, students are eligible to enter the Honours Program in Geography, in addition to being eligible (subject to appropriate grades) to enter the Honours Program in Environmental Studies.

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES WITH ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES: A SUGGESTED COURSE OF STUDY

FIRST YEAR

SECOND YEAR

THIRD YEAR

Environmental Studies with Ecology: A Suggest Course of Study

FIRST YEAR

SECOND YEAR

THIRD YEAR

Entry to Honours

Students who have completed the Specialist Program in Environmental Studies outlined above, and who have attained a final average mark of H2A over the best 83.3 points of second and third year subjects, are eligible to enter the Honours program in Environmental Studies offered by the Faculty of Arts.

Note: In the Faculty of Arts, students who had completed this program would also be eligible to enter the honours programs in:

1. Geography (if they completed 25 points of first year Geography/Environmental Studies, 33 points of second year physical Geography and 50 points of third year physical Geography),

2. Economics (if they completed the approved sequence of microeconomics, macroeconomics, statistics and econometrics subjects)

3. Political Science (if they completed 25 points of first year Politics and 83 points of second or third year Politics)

4. Sociology (if they completed 25 points of first year Sociology and 83 points of second or third year Sociology)

Honours Requirements

HONOURS IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Pure Honours in the Environmental Studies Honours Program offered by the Faculty of Arts comprises:

Opportunities for Further Study

A wide range of postgraduate programs in Environmental Studies and Environmental Science are offered by The University of Melbourne. The Faculties of Arts, Science, Commerce, Engineering and Agriculture and Forestry offer Masters and PhD supervision to students undertaking research in a wide range of areas in the environmental field. There are also a number of postgraduate coursework programs available, many of which focus strongly on the development of specialist professional skills.

The following postgraduate coursework programs are offered by The Department of Geography and Environmental Studies within the Faculty of Arts:

Details of Subjects

For full descriptions of core and elective subjects in the Specialist Program in Environmental Studies refer to the following sections of The University of Melbourne Handbook 1997:

FACULTY OF ARTS

FACULTY OF SCIENCE

FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND HORTICULTURE

FACULTY OF ECONOMICS AND COMMERCE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

You should also make use of the 1997 Handbook to find out more about the wide range of subjects in a variety of different disciplines which you can choose as electives within the Specialist Program in Environmental Studies, or as additional subjects to complement your environmental interests. Subject descriptions for a huge variety of elective subjects to suit all types of specialist and generalist interests are listed under the Faculties of Arts, Science, Engineering, Agriculture and Forestry, and Economics and Commerce. The University of Melbourne Handbook 1997 is available from the University of Melbourne Bookroom and is also available on the www at http://www.unimelb.edu.au/HB/index.html.

Some more ideas about the range of environmental subjects and courses within the university can also be obtained from the brochure The Environmental Program at the University of Melbourne,available from the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies or from the Faculty of Arts office.

For Further Information

For further background information about environmental studies and environmental science refer to the brochure The Environmental Program at the University of Melbourne available from the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies or from the Faculty of Arts Office.

For course advice about the Specialist Program in Environmental Studies contact the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at The University of Melbourne Telephone: 9344-6339.

For detailed information about individual subjects within the program, contact the relevant department or the subject coordinator.

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES OFFICE: Rm 214, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Old Commerce Building, University of Melbourne Parkville Campus, Tel: (03) 9344 6339/6340, Fax: (03)9344 4972.

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES WWW HOME PAGE: http://www.arts.unimelb.edu.au/Dept/Geography/GeogHome.html

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Handbook 1997 : Faculty of Arts : Environmental Studies: Specialist Program 
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