Bachelor of Environmental Science

Explore your passion for environmental management, sustainability and species conservation in our Bachelor of Environmental Science degree. As a student, you will be taught hands-on scientific skills by a team who lead the world in environmental science research. Your learning will take place in state of the art facilities and in the living laboratory of our natural environment – the world heritage rainforests, reefs and rivers that surround our campuses.

As well as preparing you with foundational scientific knowledge, Bachelor of Environmental Science students will be able to specialize in areas such as coastal management, environmental resource management, waste management and more.

This course aims at ensuring graduates are not just knowledgeable and innovative, but industry ready! Graduates will have the practical skills to apply to managing the environment for the future in a range of sectors, including in national parks, environmental consulting companies, environmental protection agencies.

Career Opportunities

In public and private sectors, national park and protected area management, environmental protection, waste management, environmental impact assessment and monitoring, environmental education and interpretation, sustainable forestry, fisheries management, aquaculture, ecotourism, land/river/coast care programs; and in environmental science research.

Professional Recognition

Graduates are eligible for membership of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand.

Professional Placement

Students can complete an eight-week professional placement to gain industry experience. Interns can work with organizations across the environmental science spectrum including local, state or federal government agencies; private consultancies; or business enterprises in Australia or overseas.

Major Areas of Study

Coastal Management provides insights into processes that affect our use of the coastal zone. Students explore the impact of climate change, land use planning, protected area management, economics, and people in the coastal environment.

Environmental Resource Management focuses on conducting wildlife surveys, conserve fauna and flora and rehabilitating degraded land for future generations.

Fisheries and Aquaculture Management integrates fisheries biology, stock management, habitat protection, and aquaculture studies with environmental management. Students focus on developing strategies to maintain a sustainable fishery/ aquaculture enterprise.

Some third-year subjects for this major will be taught as intensive residential courses at the National Marine Science Centre in Coffs Harbour.

Waste Management and Resource Recovery develops multidisciplinary skills that will support their innovation in providing solutions for dealing with waste and waste minimisation, now and in the future.

Alternatively, students can choose to study an Integrated Project or undertake an internship.

Assessment methods

Assessments vary for each unit and may comprise a mix of assessment types, including laboratory and readings-based assignments, seminar presentations, field and investigation reports, and formal practical and written examinations.

Teaching methods

On-campus students experience a variety of teaching approaches including lectures, tutorials, workshops, laboratory classes, field trips, online activities and video-linked or podcast virtual classes. The method of teaching may vary from unit to unit.

Our online study option is highly interactive and strives to promote collaboration and a sense of community. Students may receive a combination of a podcast or video-linked lectures, electronic study materials, workshops, online discussion forums and virtual classes.

Please note: Students undertaking this course online attend compulsory residential workshops at Lismore campus for specific units that can include lectures, tutorials, laboratory classes and field trips.

Facts, figures, rankings and awards

Southern Cross University is a progressive, young and connected regional research university, with vibrant campuses in northern New South Wales and the southern Gold Coast. We offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and many are available in a dynamic online form. Whether studying on-campus, online, or both, we deliver exciting, contemporary and high-quality learning experiences.

Why SCU?

Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 20Bold, progressive and just 23 years of age – Southern Cross University is one of the Asia-Pacific’s Top 100 Universities and one of the world’s Top 50 Generation Y Universities .

Our contemporary campuses, with purpose-built state-of-the-art facilities, are located on the east coast of Australia, at the Gold Coast in Queensland, and in Lismore and Coffs Harbour in New South Wales. All are unique regions renowned for their natural beauty and ecological diversity, providing living laboratories for learning and creative hubs for artistic endeavour.

Branch campuses in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth are operated in collaboration with EduCo on behalf of Southern Cross University. The University also operates The Hotel School Sydney and Melbourne in partnership with Mulpha Australia. We also deliver degrees with collaborators in China, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.

We have a large and diverse range of courses available online, offering interactive and immersive learning experiences wherever our students are.

Whether studying on-campus, online, or both, we deliver exciting, contemporary and high-quality learning experiences.

We aim to produce graduates who are career ready, world ready and digitally literate, and who experience an academic environment distinctive for its personal approach.

The University has a strong focus on industry and community collaboration to produce engaged teaching and research outcomes.

This connectivity is seeing Southern Cross University lead the $13.8m national Farming Together Pilot Program, partnering with the Northern Rivers Co-operatives Alliance and the Australian Government. The University has also introduced an important new Centre for Organics Research with the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

In the latest Excellence in Research for Australia report, Southern Cross achieved outstanding ratings of 'at world standard' or above in 24 research fields. In nine research fields, the University was evaluated at the highest possible classification of 'well above world standard'. This was achieved in the fields of Geochemistry, Oceanography, Environmental Science and Management, Zoology, Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, Crop and Pasture Production, Forestry Sciences, Nursing, Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Campuses

Southern Cross University is a vibrant, contemporary Australian university with beautiful campuses on the Gold Coast, Lismore and Coffs Harbour.

Sydney, Melbourne and Perth branch campuses (International students)

Southern Cross University's branch campuses at Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth are conveniently located in the central business districts.

Studying at SCU Sydney, Melbourne or Perth gives international students the opportunity to complete undergraduate or postgraduate degrees in three of the world's most liveable cities. Southern Cross University collaborates with EduCo Sydney Branch Pty Ltd for the operation of the SCU Sydney, Melbourne and Perth branch campuses.