Handbook home
Environmental Risk Assessment (EVSC30003)
Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
This subject aims to provide students with the skills to undertake and critically evaluate environmental risk assessments. Students will learn a range of qualitative and quantitative tools from a variety of disciplines, and apply them to environmental risk problems. Students completing this subject should be familiar with the concept of exposure pathways; understand the ecological processes associated with contamination in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; be able to develop empirical models; estimate exposures and responses in ecological systems; and develop a critical understanding of methodologies used in environmental risk assessment.
Topics include the concepts of risk assessment, psychology and history of risk perception, Australian standards for risk assessment, risk assessment frameworks, exposure pathways, hazard assessment, casual and empirical modeling, inference from data, endpoints and management goals, interval arithmetic, logic trees, environmental toxicology, decision-making under risk and uncertainty, social context of risk, and risk management.
Intended learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
- Formulate environmental decision problems using frameworks for risk assessment and decision making
- Describe how environmental data, uncertainty and consequences are employed in risk management frameworks, including current standards i.e. ISO31000
- Apply, examine and compare a range of established and emerging qualitative and quantitative techniques and tools to carry out environmental risk assessment
- Identify the environmental, economic and social multi-dimensionality of risk and differentiate how science and values influence decision making processes
- Evaluate and critique how acceptable risk and trade-offs are dealt with in environmental problems
Generic skills
Upon successful completion of this subject students should demonstrate the following generic skills:
- Apply their broad knowledge of risk assessment across a range of fields, including environmental science, conservation biology, biosecurity, ecotoxicology, and epidemiology
- Employ highly developed conceptual, analytical, quantitative and technical skills relevant to environmental risk assessment
- Evaluate risk assessment techniques, different types of information and uncertainty in addressing decisions about risk to the environment and people
- Work effectively in groups to undertake a group risk assessment with people whose disciplinary and cultural backgrounds differ from their own
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
A tertiary level statistics, mathematics or quantitative methods subject. Prerequisites may be taken concurrently.
NB. Neither MAST10012 Introduction to Mathematics nor UMEP Mathematics for High Achieving Students is accepted as a prerequisite.
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
This subject requires all students to actively and safely participate in practical work activities. Students who feel their disability may impact upon their participation are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Subject Coordinator and Student Equity and Disability Support.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Assessment
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
two practical tasks (of approx. 300 words each) completed during class time, mid-semester (20%)(weeks 6-9)
| Mid semester | 20% |
a take-home examination of up to 2000 words at the end of the first week of the examination period (50%)
| During the examination period | 50% |
written assignment of up to 1500 words based on the first practical (30%)
| Week 5 | 30% |
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Coordinators Bonnie Wintle and Brendan Wintle Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 2 x one hour lectures per week; and 24 hours of practical/tutorials during semester. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 2 March 2020 to 7 June 2020 Last self-enrol date 13 March 2020 Census date 30 April 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 5 June 2020 Assessment period ends 3 July 2020 Semester 1 contact information
Time commitment details
Estimated total time commitment of 170 hours
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
None
- Subject notes
This subject is available for science credit to students enrolled in the BSc (both pre-2008 and new degrees), BASc or a combined BSc course.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Environmental Science Informal specialisation Science-credited subjects - new generation B-SCI Major Environmental Science Informal specialisation Selective subjects for B-BMED Major Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Major Environmental Science Informal specialisation Environments Discipline subjects Major Forest Science - Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Design
- Bachelor of Environments
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art)
- Bachelor of Music
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 11 April 2024