Master of Environmental Science and Law

View a sample study plan/course structure table.

Study plan

Students follow the study pattern of the core units of study and electives as required. You may undertake the course on a full time or part time basis. You will complete a total of 72 credit points of study.

The Environmental Law and Policy and Legal Reasoning and the Common Law System units are compulsory for all students. Students are able to select environmental science units to suit their specific needs and interests, but these must be completed alongside a research-oriented capstone unit.

The program consists of:

(a) 18 credit points of core units of study; and

(b) 18 credit points of Environmental Science core units of study; and

(c) 18 credit points of Environmental Law core units of study;

(d) 18 credit points of units of study selected from the remaining core units of study or elective units of study.

Subject to the availability of suitable projects and supervisors, candidates with a distinction average in 24 credit points may be admitted to the research pathway. For more information, contact the course coordinator. Full time study can be completed over the course of 2 semesters. Your individual study plan will of course depend on the availability of units in a given semester.

Under normal progression, a student shall undertake and successfully complete all units of study to the value of 24 credit points per semester as prescribed for the course. Students are required to attend all lectures, tutorials and other activities prescribed for their units of study.

A capstone experience comprises one or more units of study designed to provide an opportunity to draw together the learning that has taken place during the course, synthesise this with prior learning and experience, and draw conclusions that will form the basis for further investigation, intellectual and/or professional growth.

A research capstone experience in the course comprises ENVI5502, ENVI5503 and ENVI5504 (total 18 credit points). Candidates complete a research project on a topic in environmental science and law which may include a field or laboratory component, or may be entirely literature-based. The project enables candidates to develop skills in cross-disciplinary thinking and project management. A distinction average in 24 credit points, usually in the first four units of study, is required to undertake the research capstone experience.

For students not taking the research capstone experience (ENVI5502, ENVI5503 and ENVI5504), an alternative compulsory capstone unit RESP5001 (6 credit points) is required. RESP5001 provides integrated research methodology training.