Bachelor of Environmental Science University of South Australia - Mawson Lakes Campus, Australia

In this degree you will address today’s scientific issues and explore how humans interact with the environment, how we can manage it sustainably, and how we can better influence positive attitudes to bring about a better future for all.

What you'll learn

Your learning will cover biology, ecology, geography, earth and soil science, water and coasts, pollution monitoring, conservation, ecotourism and social sciences. To develop strong skills in an area that interests you, you can select from a range of environmental electives in second and third year to tailor your degree, whilst still maintaining a broad, comprehensive training in environmental sciences. All students will obtain a minor in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and, depending on elective choices, another minor in Community Engagement and majors in Ecology and Conservation or Environmental Quality and Earth Sciences.

Across our courses we provide you with cutting-edge techniques and technology to help you learn how to monitor and manage environments, along with tools to process and evaluate this data to critically assess its meaning. For example, through Project LIVE (Learning through Integrated Virtual Environments) you might examine aerial imagery of erosion patterns along the South Australian coastline and ancient landforms in central Australia, or infra-red surveys of vegetation health in Barossa Valley vineyards or perhaps satellite monitoring of ice sheet stability in Antarctica. This imagery will give you hands on experience in data creation and manipulation and help you become familiar with the latest digital imaging, mapping and virtual reality techniques. On other courses you’ll learn how to plan for and monitor mine site contamination or pollution in waterways, or survey plant and animal biodiversity on land or in the sea, as well as many other environmental monitoring scenarios.  You’ll learn how to statistically analyse, map and communicate your findings, and to engage and work with communities to bring about necessary change.