Offered By	ANU College of Medicine and Health Sciences, ANU College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, and ANU Joint Colleges of Science
Academic Contact	Dr Bear McPhail and Dr John Field
Areas of Interest	Earth and Marine Sciences and Resource Management and Environmental Science

The long term survival of the planet relies on sustainable management of our natural environment and resources. This major includes a carefully designed combination of earth science and environmental science courses that provide a biophysical basis to decision making in sustainable management. Within the major a student may wish to emphasise climate, water, regolith, mineral wealth, regolith, soil, fire or landscapes, and / or generalise across a number of resources. Methods and techniques for understanding each area of resources are included at appropriate levels.

This major provides the opportunity to develop the experience and skills to:

• evaluate current understandings of the science of natural resource and a range of response strategies to sustainable management;
• integrate knowledge relevant to each scientific area and policy across disciplines;
• apply a range of written, oral and visual communication skills to effectively convey and discuss information about each science and relevant policy in multidisciplinary contexts; and
• engage with the ongoing debates on environmental issues, recognising the socio-political and cultural contexts of the debate.

Requirements

A minimum of 42 units of courses including:

a. at least 12 units from:

• ENVS1004 Australia's Environment
• EMSC1006 The Blue Planet
• EMSC1007 Introduction to Earth Science in the Field

b. no more than 12 units of Group B courses with prefix EMSC or ENVS, including

• *ENVS2009 Quantitative Methods & Applications in Environment 

c. at least 18 units from:

• EMSC3019 Carbonate Reef Field Studies
• EMSC3023 Global Cycles II: The Modern Oceans
• EMSC3025 Groundwater
• EMSC3026 Environmental and Regolith Geoscience
• EMSC3027 Global Cycles & Paleooceanography
• EMSC3028 Coastal Environmental Earth Science
• ENVS3002 Sustainable Agricultural Practices
• ENVS3004 Land and Catchment Management
• ENVS3005 Water Resource Management
• ENVS3008 Fire in the Environment
• ENVS3013 Climatology
• ENVS3026 Geomorphology: Landscape Evolution under changing Climates
• *ENVS3040 Solving Complex Environmental Problems

* Students pursuing this major must include at least one of the starred courses.

 

First Year Course Advice

Students must take two of ENVS1004, EMSC1006 and EMSC1007, and it is recommended that they also take first year courses in BIOL, CHEM and ENVS.

Fenner School Course and Major Advice

Students considering taking fourth-year Honours in the Fenner School, or enrolled in a direct-entry Honours degree program and studying in the Fenner School, are expected to take ENVS3040 Solving Complex Environmental Problems.  This course may be included in an appropriate major or taken as part of the degree more generally.

Students seeking advice on appropriate course selections are invited to consult one of the conveners of the Earth & Environmental Science major.

The information published on the Study at ANU 2011 website applies to the 2011 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2010 website.