Overview | Honours | Summary of Courses

Offered By:	ANU Joint Colleges of Science
Academic Contact:	Dr Sara Beavis and A/Professor Bear McPhail
Areas of Interest:	Earth and Marine Sciences, Geography, Interdisciplinary Studies - Sustainability, Policy Studies, and Resource Management and Environmental Science

Description:

Water is a critical issue for societies and the environment in Australia, in our region, and in many other parts of the world. This issue will continue to be one of the highest priorities for governments in the future due to the pressures exerted by population growth and climate and environmental change. The minor in Water Science and Policy provides students with the opportunity to develop knowledge central to the understanding and management of water resources, and to develop expertise and undertake research relevant to water within the biophysical sciences and from a policy perspective.

Learning Goals:

On completion of the minor in Water Science and Policy students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Understand water resources in Australia, the region and the world, in the context of the complex interplay between climate, land, water, people and economic development.
2. Integrate information across a range of disciplines into a comprehensive analysis of water issues.
3. Appreciate the relationships between raw data and their interpretation(s), and how lack of knowledge or uncertain knowledge influence decision making relevant to water.
4. Critically analyse quantitative and qualitative data relevant to water quality, use and management; and manipulate quantitative data and develop conceptual models of complex systems.
5. Develop, apply and integrate scientific and policy knowledge in a professional context.

Requirements

This minor requires the completion of 24 units, which must include:

A maximum of 6 units chosen from the following 1000 level courses:

EMSC1006  The Blue Planet: An Introduction to Earth System Science

ENVS1001  Environment and Society: Geography of Sustainability

ENVS1003  Environment and Society Research Methods

ENVS1004  Australia's Environment

ENVS1008  Sustainable Development

A minimum of 18 units chosen from the following courses:

ENVS2020  Hydrology and Landforms for Natural Resource Management

ENVS3005  Water Resource Management

ENVS3028  Environmental Policy

ENVS3033  International Environmental Policy

EMSC3023  Marine Biogeochemistry

EMSC3025  Groundwater

EMSC3028  Coastal Environmental Earth Science

Advice to Students:

What 1st year courses should you enrol in? A maximum of 6 units chosen from EMSC1006, ENVS1001, ENVS1003, ENVS1004, ENVS1008.

Students should seek further course advice from the academic convener of this Water Science and Policy minor.

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.