Bachelor of Science (Honours)

The Bachelor of Science (Honours) at the University of Notre Dame Australia is a one-year qualification that sits on top of an undergraduate science degree. In Environmental Science, you spend the year on a supervised research project of your own, plus coursework in research methods and scientific communication. You finish with a thesis, a substantial piece of writing that reports what you found and how you found it. The degree sits at level 8 on the Australian Qualifications Framework, one step above the three-year bachelor degree and one below a master's.

What the year looks like

Honours runs full-time over one year, usually starting at the beginning of the academic year. At Notre Dame, the academic calendar is built around semesters, and you enrol in units of study that carry credit points. Most of your time goes to the research project, with a smaller load of coursework units in the first semester covering research design, data analysis and writing. You work with a supervisor who guides the project from proposal to final thesis. In environmental science, projects often involve fieldwork, sampling water or soil, surveying vegetation, mapping land use, alongside lab work and data analysis. You present your findings at the end of the year and submit the thesis for examination.

Skills you build

You learn to design a research question, collect and analyse environmental data, and write it up to a professional standard. The coursework sharpens your statistics and your ability to read and critique scientific literature. Fieldwork builds practical skills in sampling and measurement. By the end, you can run a project from start to finish with minimal supervision, which is exactly what employers and PhD supervisors look for.

Who it suits

This degree suits students who have finished a bachelor degree in environmental science, ecology, geography or a related field and want to go further. Some use it as a pathway to a PhD; others use it to move into research, policy or consulting roles. If you are an international student, you can apply for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) after you finish, which gives you post-study work rights in Australia. While you study, your visa allows you to work up to 48 hours per fortnight. English proficiency is required for entry, and the university publishes the accepted tests and scores, check the official course page for the exact requirement, because it varies by course. Tuition is listed on the CRICOS register under course code 089561J. Confirm all details, including intake dates and unit structure, with the university before you apply.

• Environmental scientist or consultant in private consulting firms, government agencies and mining or infrastructure companies
• Research assistant or field officer in universities, CSIRO and state environmental departments
• Environmental policy or compliance officer in local, state or federal government
• Ecologist or conservation officer with land management and conservation organisations
• Environmental data analyst or GIS officer
• Further study: PhD or master's by research in environmental science and related fields