Science - Ecosystem Science University of Melbourne

Overview

Overview

We all like to think we’re green but, for the first time ever, more than 50 per cent of people around the world live in cities. Some think this removes us from nature, but we’re now recognising the value of urban ecosystems, green spaces and urban forests in making our cities more liveable for us, and for our plant and animal neighbours. Meanwhile, outside the cities, we see dwindling forests worldwide and an ever-expanding appetite for forest products and ask, what can we do?

Within this Science - Ecosystem Science program at University of Melbourne, the Urban Ecosystems specialisation will teach you to build and manage the greener, liveable cities of the future, while in the Forest Ecosystem specialisation you’ll discover how to sustainably manage what goes into, and what comes out of, forests.

You’ll gain integrated knowledge from a range of disciplines, including plant science, soil science, hydrology, ecology, design, engineering and the social sciences.

And to sharpen up your practical skills, you’ll learn about site analysis; the collection, integration and analysis of data; and the evaluation and presentation of possible solutions.

Careers

After completing this major you might pursue careers in 

• landscape management
• community engagement
• ecological restoration
• urban horticulture
• forest or environmental planning
• biodiversity conservation
• forest carbon investment and accounting

Our graduates have found rewarding careers in government agencies such as the 

• Department of Environment
• Land
• Water
• Planning
• VicForests
• Parks Victoria
• Melbourne Water

Many also gain employment in private companies, local councils and non-government organisations.