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Master of Science (Earth Sciences) (MC-SCIEAR) // Course structure
About this course
Principal Coordinator
Ralf Haese
Contact
Faculty of Science
Currently enrolled students:
- General information: https://ask.unimelb.edu.au
- Contact Stop 1
Future students:
- Further information: http://science.unimelb.edu.au/
Course structure
Students must complete 200 pts including:
- Discipline Core subjects (50 points);
- Discipline Elective subjects (0 - 12.5 points);
- Professional Skills subjects (12.5 - 25 points);
- Research Project (125 points).
Two streams are offered in the Master of Science (Earth Sciences program): the Atmospheric Science stream and the Geology stream.
Subject options
Discipline Core - Atmospheric Science stream
Students must take 50 points of the following:
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATOC90002 | Climate Science for Decision-Making | Semester 1 (Online) |
12.5 |
| ATOC90004 | Current Topics in Atmospheric Research | Not available in 2021 | 12.5 |
| ATOC90005 | Atmosphere Ocean Interaction and Climate | Not available in 2021 | 12.5 |
| ATOC90007 | Mesoscale Atmospheric Dynamics | Not available in 2021 | 12.5 |
| ATOC90010 | Statistics in Climate Dynamics | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ATOC90011 | Convective Clouds and Storms | Not available in 2021 | 12.5 |
| ATOC90012 | Advanced Dynamical Meteorology | Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ATOC90013 | Atmospheric Modelling | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ATOC90014 | General Circulation of the Atmosphere | Not available in 2021 | 12.5 |
| ATOC90015 | Data Assimilation and Model Improvement | February (Online) |
12.5 |
| EVSC90033 | Air Quality Monitoring | Not available in 2021 | 12.5 |
| ERTH90026 | Climate Modelling and Climate Change | Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ATOC90016 | Weather and Climate Extremes | Not available in 2021 | 12.5 |
| ATOC90017 | Advanced Past Climates | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
* Students who satisfy the mathematics prerequisites for the 3rd-year subjects of the Atmospheric Science major are permitted to substitute one 3rd-year or level 9 Atmospheric Science subject in place of any core discipline subject, after first obtaining the permission of the Masters Coordinator.
Discipline Elective - Atmospheric Science stream
Students must choose a further 12.5 points from level 9 Earth Sciences subjects, Professional Skills subjects or 300-level Science subjects. One elective from another stream within the Master of Science, Master of Environment or the Master of Energy Systems may also be approved on a case-by-case basis.
Discipline Core - Geology stream
Students must take 50 points of the following subjects, 25 points of which are required to correspond to their thesis topic:
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERTH90029 | Environmental Geochemistry | Not available in 2021 | 6.25 |
| ERTH90032 | Interpretation of Satellite Images | Not available in 2021 | 6.25 |
| ERTH90033 | Geology from Geophysics | Summer Term (Off Campus) |
6.25 |
| GEOL90005 | Hydrogeology/Environmental Geochemistry | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOL90027 | Advanced Structural Mapping | Not available in 2021 | 6.25 |
| GEOL90028 | Geochronology and Thermochronology | March (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
6.25 |
| GEOL90029 | Geology of Gold | March (On Campus - Parkville) |
6.25 |
| GEOL90030 | Coastal Environmental Geomorphology | Not available in 2021 | 6.25 |
| GEOL90031 | Ore Reserve Estimation | Semester 1 (Extended) (Off Campus) |
6.25 |
| GEOL90032 | Introduction to Mineralogy | September (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
6.25 |
| GEOL90033 | Mine Safety and Engineering | Semester 2 (Online) |
6.25 |
| GEOL90034 | Practical Igneous Petrology | May (Off Campus) |
6.25 |
| GEOL90035 | Geodynamics | Not available in 2021 | 6.25 |
| GEOL90038 | Igneous Geodynamics and Ore Deposits | May (Online) |
6.25 |
| GEOL90043 | Fundamentals of Geological CO2 Storage | Winter Term (On Campus - Parkville) |
6.25 |
| GEOL90044 | Ore Deposit Models | May (Online) |
6.25 |
| GEOL90045 | Exploration Skills Mapping | Summer Term (Off Campus) |
6.25 |
| GEOL90046 | Environmental Geology Field Techniques | Not available in 2021 | 6.25 |
| ERTH90051 | Python for Earth Sciences | Not available in 2021 | 6.25 |
| ERTH90034 | Advanced Hydrogeology | Winter Term (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
6.25 |
| GEOM90044 | Geographic Information Systems | June (Online) |
6.25 |
| GEOL90047 | Basin Evolution & Sequence Stratigraphy | March (Off Campus) |
6.25 |
| GEOL90049 | Introduction to Structural Geology | August (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
6.25 |
| GEOL90048 | Sedimentary Basins and Resource Analysis | April (On Campus - Parkville) |
6.25 |
| GEOL90050 | Field Geology of New Zealand | Not available in 2021 | 12.5 |
Discipline Elective - Geology stream
Students must also take a further 12.5 points of approved coursework subjects, selected either from the above subjects, professional skills subjects, or from 300-level geology subjects. Electives from another stream within the Master of Science, Master of Environment or Master of Energy Systems may also be approved on a case-by-case basis. Students who satisfy the prerequisites for the 3rd-year subjects of the Geology major are permitted to substitute one 3rd-year subject in place of any core discipline subject, after first obtaining the permission of the Masters Coordinator.
Professional Skills
Students must take one to two subjects:
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| BUSA90403 | Business Tools: Money People & Processes | September (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| MAST90045 | Systems Modelling and Simulation | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| SCIE90005 | Ethics and Responsibility in Science | Semester 1 (Online) |
12.5 |
| MAST90044 | Thinking and Reasoning with Data | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| MAST90007 | Statistics for Research Workers | Winter Term (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| SCIE90013 | Communication for Research Scientists |
Semester 1 (Online)
Winter Term (Online)
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| SCIE90017 | Science and Technology Internship |
Summer Term (Off Campus)
Semester 1 (Off Campus)
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| SCIE90012 | Science Communication | Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| COMP90059 | Introduction to Programming |
Summer Term (Online)
Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| COMP90072 | The Art of Scientific Computation |
Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| LAWS90203 | AI, Ethics and Science | Not available in 2021 | 12.5 |
| MULT90063 | Introduction to Quantum Computing | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Research Project
Students enrolled in this program are required to complete a 125 point Research Project. Students will gain research experience in Earth Sciences by completing an original research project in their main field of interest. The amount of work completed in this project should be comparable to that undertaken for a published journal article, and students will be encouraged to submit their work for publication. Although the assessment weighting for the literature review may be viewed as low given the word limit, particularly when compared with the final thesis, the former is largely a ‘reading topic’, from which the student is expected to place their research project into a broader context. In contrast, and as noted above, the final thesis is expected to be a far more rigorous scientific document, showing an appropriate level of insight and scientific interpretation of results, and be of publishable quality.
Assessment is based on the sequential completion of:
- a research presentation of the research project (3%) within the study period leading to the completion of the first 50 points;
- a literature review of no more than 4,000 words (5%) within the study period leading to the completion of the first 50 points;
- a project-related oral presentation within two months of the completion of 125 points, i.e. the conclusion of the project (7%);
- a concise thesis of no more than 25,000 words (85%) due at the completion of 125 points, i.e. at the end of the final research project subject part; and
- research project reviews at the end of each semester (hurdle)
These assessment requirements are applicable to the entire 125 point Research Project.
The research project subject will be taken over consecutive semesters each worth 12.5, 25, 37.5 or 50 points depending on a full-time or part-time study commitment. Each semester will begin on the Monday of semester of entry (semesters 1 or 2) and the project will continue until the 125 points are achieved. The student is entitled to a total of 4 to 8 weeks of recreational leave for the 125 point subject. For how long and at what time within the enrolment the actual period of leave is to be taken needs to be negotiated with a student’s supervisor. The Research Project will be due for submission by the end of the formal examination period if an earlier date is not specified.
Research Project (125 points)
Students may enrol in a combination of research project subjects and coursework subjects during their enrolment as long as once the Research Project is commenced, the consecutive enrolment requirement is met and they have completed a total of 125 points for the research project by the end of their course.
*Note: in the case of part-time studies, students will first enrol in Earth Sciences Research Project Pt1, and then progress through to Pt2, Pt3, Pt4 Cnt. and Pt5.
Students may only progress through Earth Sciences Research Project subjects upon successful completion of the earlier project component.
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERTH90035 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt1 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ERTH90036 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt1 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
25 |
| ERTH90037 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt1 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
37.5 |
| ERTH90038 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt1 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
50 |
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERTH90039 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt2 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ERTH90040 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt2 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
25 |
| ERTH90041 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt2 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
37.5 |
| ERTH90042 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt2 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
50 |
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERTH90043 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt3 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ERTH90044 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt3 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
25 |
| ERTH90045 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt3 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
37.5 |
| ERTH90046 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt3 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
50 |
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERTH90047 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt4 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ERTH90048 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt4 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
25 |
| ERTH90049 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt4 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
37.5 |
| ERTH90050 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt4 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
50 |
For Part Time Course Enrolments:
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERTH90055 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt4 Cnt. |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ERTH90053 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt4 Cnt. |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
25 |
| ERTH90054 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt4 Cnt. |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
37.5 |
| ERTH90052 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt4 Cnt. |
Semester 1 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
50 |
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERTH90057 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt 5 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ERTH90056 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt 5 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
25 |
| ERTH90058 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt 5 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
37.5 |
| ERTH90059 | Earth Sciences Research Project Pt 5 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
50 |
Last updated: 30 October 2023