Environment and Sustainability (E&S) stream
Stream Coordinator: Dr. Ruth Lane
Tel: +61 3 9905 2937
Email: Ruth.Lane@Monash.edu
Office: e756b, Building 11, Clayton Campus
The Environment and Sustainability stream is designed to equip you with the core knowledge, tools and skills to progress the transition to sustainability in a range of applied contexts. It will assist your understanding of how change occurs from the scale of the individual through to broader societal change, and from local to national and international scales of governance. It draws on the expert knowledge of world leaders in the environmental, biological, physical and social sciences and explores the dynamic processes of governance, policy development and implementation.
Objectives:
- Understand ecological processes, social structures and ideological positions underlying issues of sustainability such as climate change, energy and water management
- Critically analyse social and environmental problems and propose realistic solutions
- Work in an interdisciplinary real-world context, integrating different disciplinary perspectives.
- Engage in practical projects and research to respond to local and global issues
Participation in this program will enable you to be part of a dynamic, friendly, diverse community of students and academics working together for a common goal. You will be encouraged to develop knowledge and skills together and actively learn from each other. Since students bring a range of disciplinary and cultural backgrounds, you will be challenged through class discussions, team assignments, field studies and social occasions to understand different ways of thinking and approaching issues of sustainability.
Structure: Core Knowledge Units and Electives
| Core Knowledge Units | Elective Themes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Perspectives on environment and sustainability
Defining 'Sustainability' and its historical development Disciplinary, interdisciplinary and other forms of knowledge Analysing worldviews, environmental values and stakeholder positions Alternative Sustainability frameworks |
Environmental Governance and Citizenship
Governance approaches and policy instruments used in environmental management Application of theories and approaches to environmental governance to specific problem settings |
Environmental Analysis
Methods used to aid decision making including environmental impact assessment, risk analysis, life cycle assessment Economic approach to environmental valuation |
Frontiers in Sustainability & Environment
Scientific basis of key environmental issues Application of concepts and frameworks of sustainability Social and political responses to scientific evidence |
Business and Management
Development Studies and Practice Economics and Environmental Economics Environmental Management and Thinking Legal Studies Public Policy and Management Research Methodology |
Core units
APG4425 - Perspectives on environment and sustainability
- discuss the changing state of the environment and perspectives on contemporary environmental issues
- identify the key stakeholders and relevant disciplines for addressing specific environmental management issues and explain their relative roles and modes of participation
- take a holistic approach to analysing environmental management issues
- explain the concept of sustainability giving due recognition to its many interpretations
- apply the principles of sustainability in given case study situations
- critique the concept of sustainability as a framework for environmental management and discuss alternative perspectives and concepts
- identify barriers to ‘sustainability' deriving from a broad range of administrative, legal, political, social and economic factors
APG4427 - Frontiers in sustainability and environment
- a fundamental understanding of the scientific basis of a range of key environmental issues.
- the ability to recognize that scientific understanding of major environmental issues is not complete, and that there are a range of scientific perspectives that can be brought to bear on any particular environmental issue.
- the ability to apply social concepts and frameworks of sustainability to key environmental issues.
- an awareness of the responses proposed and/or implemented in response to key environmental issues.
- a capacity to construct critical and analytical argument in oral and written form, relevant to discussion of major environmental issues.
- an in-depth understanding of cutting edge science for one key environmental issue.
APG5426 - Environmental analysis
- a capacity to describe and understand a variety of methods used to value the environment
- understanding of the complexity of analysing and presenting data to form the basis of decisions about the environment.
- understanding and critical evaluation of the development and operation of the Environmental Impact Assessment process both nationally and internationally
- understanding of the economic approach to attributing environmental value
- skills in applying a range of techniques to real world situations
APG5428 - Environmental governance and citizenship
- an understanding of the role of government in relation to the environment and sustainability and how this has changed over time
- an understanding of the role of civil society in relation to the environment and sustainability
- an understanding of the range of governance approaches used in environmental management and their underlying rationales
- familiarity with the main policy instruments used in environmental governance
- an ability to apply theories and approaches to environmental governance to specific problem settings
Elective Themes
Students complete electives sufficient to bring the total number of points for the degree to 72 credit points. If required, electives may be chosen from level three offerings, but only to a maximum of 12 points. Students must assure that they complete a total of at least 24 points at level 5.
Core units from other streams may be taken as electives, with the exception of BTX9100 Sustainability regulation (available only to students of the Corporate and Environmental Sustainability Management stream) and APG5805 The art and business of international development (only for students of the International Development and Environmental Analysis stream).Electives may be chosen from across the University with permission from the stream coordinator and, if no equivalent unit is available at Monash, from other Universities. Suggested electives for the E&S stream can be drawn from the range of themes in the suggested list of electives.
Final Projects
In order to undertake a final project students must gain a distinction average (70D) or above in the core and elective units, and/or permission of the course coordinator. For students who have not attained a distinction average, additional coursework electives may be substituted.
Students electing to undertake a final project may only enrol in these units after consultation with the Stream Coordinator. For research projects, it is strongly recommended that students first complete a research methods subject (see Research Methodology stream in the list of electives).
The course offers two final project options: either a supervised research essay that enables students to consolidate the theoretical knowledge and analytical skills acquired in the coursework components in a research context; or an industry internship placement that provides students the opportunity to apply and consolidate the knowledge and professional skills they have acquired through the coursework components within the practical context of a business, government, nongovernmental or community organisation. Final projects consist of either a single 12-point final project unit or a combination of two of these units.
Final Project Units:
- APG5780 Conceptualising environment and sustainability research project (12 points)
- APG5781 Implementing environment and sustainability research project (12 points)
- APG5763 Sustainability internship (12 points)
Eligible students can also undertake a double (24 point) final project, consisting of either two 12-point research units:
- APG5780 Conceptualising environment and sustainability research project
- APG5781 Implementing environment and sustainability research project
or a combination of an internship and research unit:
- APG5763 Sustainability internship, and
- APG5781 Implementing environment and sustainability research project
These may be taken simultaneously in a single semester or in series over two consecutive semesters. Major 24-point final projects generally involve empirical data collection, and are therefore only available to students with a proven capacity to undertake primary research.