Master of Environment

The Master of Environment is a flexible, multidisciplinary course. Depending on their academic background, interests and career aspirations students can choose from over 200 subjects taught by 10 different faculties. The course is 100 points (equivalent to eight subjects or one full time year of study). Students wishing to enrol in the Master of Environment but who do not have the requisite qualifications or experience may be selected to enrol in the Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma in Environment instead.

Students who complete the Master of Environment will have:

• An advanced understanding of environmental issues
• Advanced skills and techniques applicable to changing and managing the environment
• An ability to evaluate and synthesise research and professional literature in the chosen stream or focus of study
• An advanced understanding of the international context and sensitivities of environmental assessment

Students who undertake the Master of Environment may either pursue one of thirteen major fields of study, or the tailored program, subject to approval by an academic advisor.

Specialist Majors

The major fields of study offered in the Master of Environment degree have been designed by experts in the field and approved by academic and external advisors affiliated with the Office for Environmental Programs. The major discipline areas include:

• Development
• Conservation, Restoration and Landscape Management
• Integrated Catchment Management
• Energy Studies
• Waste Management
• Public Health
• Education
• Governance, Policy and Communication
• Sustainable Cities Sustainable Regions
• Sustainable Forests
• Energy Efficiency Modelling and Implementation
• Climate Change
• Environmental Science

Each major offers a specific choice of subjects, in addition to two core subjects which all students must complete.

The Tailored Program

Students who opt to pursue the tailored program in the Master of Environment degree complete two core subjects, plus choose the remainder of subjects from an approved subject list in consultation with an academic advisor. Additional subjects may be chosen depending on academic background. Please note that prerequisites may apply.

Majors - Areas of Specialisation

Development

Conservation, Restoration and Landscape Management

Integrated Water Catchment Management

Energy Studies

Waste Management

Public Health

Education

Governance, Policy and Communication

Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Regions

Sustainable Forests

Energy Efficiency Modelling and Implementation

Climate Change

Environmental Science

The Tailored Program

Students who pursue the tailored program in the Master of Environment degree choose subjects from an approved subject list in consultation with an academic advisor. For a complete list of available subjects, please refer to the Office for Environmental Programs website at: http://www.oep.unimelb.edu.au/futurestudents/courses/subject_list

• A four- or five-year undergraduate degree at Honours level in a relevant discipline with a 65% average or more in the final year of study; or
• Successful completion of the Graduate Diploma in Environment with an average of 70% or higher.

The Melbourne School of Land and Environment (MSLE) welcomes applications from students with disabilities. It is University and School policy to take reasonable steps to make reasonable adjustments so as to enable the student’s participation in the School’s programs. MSLE contributes to the New Generation degrees and offers a broad range of programs across undergraduate and post-graduate levels many of which adopt a multi-disciplinary approach.

Students of the School’s courses must possess intellectual, ethical, and emotional capabilities required to participate in the full curriculum and to achieve the levels of competence required by the School. Candidates must have abilities and skills in observation; motor in relevant areas; communication; in conceptual, integrative, and quantitative dimensions; and in behavioural and social dimensions.

Adjustments can be provided to minimise the impact of a disability, however students need to be able to participate in the program in an independent manner and with regard to their safety and the safety of others.

I. Observation: In some contexts, the student must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic and applied sciences. More broadly, observation requires reading text, diagrams, maps, drawings and numerical data. The candidate should be able to observe details at a number of scales and record useful observations in discipline dependant contexts.

II. Communication: A candidate should be able to communicate with fellow students, professional and academic staff, members of relevant professions and the public. A candidate must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively. Communication includes not only speech but also reading and writing.

III. Motor: Candidates should have sufficient motor function necessary for participation in the inherent discipline-related activities. The practical work, design work, field work, diagnostic procedures, laboratory tests, require varying motor movement abilities. Off campus investigations may include visits to construction sites, urban, rural and/or remote environments.

IV. Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem solving, the critical skill demanded of professionals in land and environment industries, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, the candidate should be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures.

V. Behavioural and Social Attributes: A candidate must possess behavioural and social attributes that enable them to participate in a complex learning environment. Students are required to take responsibility for their own participation and learning. They also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative learning environments, demonstrating interpersonal skills and an understanding of the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students.

Students who feel their disability will prevent them from meeting the above academic requirements are encouraged to contact the Disability Liaison Unit.

Students who undertake research projects of 25 points or more may be eligible for RHD study.

• Expertise in multidisciplinary understanding, analysis and research with an environmental focus.
• Collaborative approaches to environmental problem solving.
• Capacity to engage in critical social and sustainability questions.

• Multidisciplinary and trans-disciplinary knowledge and research of environmental relevance.
• Collaborative environmental management skills.
• Capacity for independent learning across disciplinary boundaries.