School of Natural and Built Environments

School of Natural and Built Environments

The School of Natural and Built Environments (NBE) focuses on the unique relationships and synergies between natural and built environments, with a particular interest in teaching and research to support improved environmental and socio economic sustainability for the future. Vision The School of Natural and Built Environments will be the leading provider of education and research in the natural and built environments in Australia. Mission The School of Natural and Built Environments will develop outstanding practitioners, researchers and leaders who will address key challenges for the natural and built environments using multi-disciplinary teams that embrace strong industry and academic networks. The School of Natural and Built Environments contains a vibrant mix of disciplines that cover the diverse domains of both the built and natural environments. These disciplines include Civil Engineering, Construction and Project Management, Urban and Regional Planning, and Environmental and Geospatial Sciences. From this interdisciplinary platform, the School aims to educate outstanding research-focussed practitioners and leaders and to address research questions in key application areas using multi disciplinary teams and strong international networks. The School is located across two campuses in the heart of Adelaide at the City East Campus and at the vibrant and expanding suburb of Mawson Lakes on the northern fringe of the City. There is a train station at the Mawson Lakes Campus with a 12 minute direct service to the city.

Civil Engineering Construction and Project Management Construction Management The University of South Australia s Construction Management programs offer students the opportunity to gain professional-level skills and knowledge in three different areas of Construction Construction Management, Construction Economics (Quantity Surveying) and Building Surveying. The degree is the only one of its kind in South Australia and carries Australian and International accreditation that enables graduates to work throughout the world. The employment rate for the program s graduates is consistently high, and graduates have found permanent employment throughout Australia, South East Asia, the Middle East, USA, Africa and Europe. Students study a broad range of topics and courses including: sophisticated construction techniques and methods energy efficiency and sustainability in buildings building surveying and performance of buildings construction and facilities management project based learning construction economics and development law Civil Engineering at the University of South Australia is project based and industry focused. Projects are used to apply the theory students learn in a practical way and are sourced from our industry advisors. Students begin these projects in first year and undertake them as individuals and in small groups, providing experience and practice in the teamwork, problem solving and communication skills they will need as industry professionals. This strong industry focus ensures that graduates are already familiar with industry needs and modes of operation when they commence employment, and graduates of the program achieve consistently high employment rates. The undergraduate program structure allows students to undertake a broad-based Civil Engineering degree, or to choose one of the following specialisations in their final year: Environmental Project Management Structural Transport Water Resources Management Master degrees are offered in Civil Engineering and in Transport, Environmental Management and Water Resources Management. It is possible to complete both a Bachelor and Master s degree in five years, depending on the undergraduate specialisation chosen. An accelerated undergraduate program allowing students to complete their program in three years rather than four is available for high achieving first year students. All Civil Engineering programs are accredited by Engineers Australia and are linked to industry partners including the SA Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) and SA Water, each of whom provide scholarships for students in the program. Other industry partners provide regular lectures, sponsor student projects and serve on our program advisory committee. The programs are led by research-active staff who link their research to their teaching and are strongly supported by Industry which provides specialist lecturers and significant scholarship funds for the students both in Australia and overseas. Project Management The Project Management programs at the University of South Australia teach generic project management principles and knowledge that can be applied across various industries such as information technology, construction, engineering, defence, finance, biopharmaceuticals, arts and community development. The programs are offered at postgraduate level in a nested suite that includes a Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Master s degree. The program that is chosen will depend upon a student s career needs, academic qualifications and previous professional experience. Project Management programs are offered in two modes: traditional face to face on campus delivery and flexible online delivery via Open Universities Australia. My UniSA program offered diversity and different paths in terms of career opportunities, and it was compulsory to undertake a minimum of 80 days practical experience. This made my career opportunities a lot clearer and also revealed what I enjoyed doing and what I didn t. More importantly, work experience enables students to get a foot in the door and the prospect of being kept on by an employer is greater. Daniella Di Ciocco, Graduate, Bachelor of Construction Management & Economics UniSA s practical aspect really related to the way I learn. The industry relations and extensive facilities at Mawson Lakes showed UniSA s interest in practical employment and not just study. Ashley Bowden, Graduate Bachelor of Civil Engineering and Management

Environmental and Geospatial Sciences Urban and Regional Planning The School of Natural and Built Environments coursework programs in Environmental and Geospatial Sciences are delivered at the undergraduate and postgraduate level and include: Environmental Science Geospatial Science Sustainable Environments (1 year honours program) Space Studies Environmental Management and Sustainability Surveying In the Environmental and Geospatial Sciences research area the School offers Masters by research and Doctor of Philosophy in: Geoinformatics Environmental Science Sustainable Environments Our undergraduate programs in the environmental and geospatial sciences are designed as broad degrees that present theoretical backgrounds and develop applied skills, leading to professional employment in the environmental and spatial industries. We deliver this education through experiential learning embedded in workshops, practicals and field trips. Our field education occurs at local, interstate and even international sites. We also engage guest lecturers from industry to ensure our programs relate to the latest professional practice. A common first year between the environmental and geospatial sciences programs enables students to transfer between the two degrees at the beginning of the second year, provided prerequisites are met. A number of pathways, including the Bachelor of Geospatial Sciences program, are also offered which provide entry into the Master of Surveying program, which is fully accredited by the South Australian Board of Surveyors. Our Bachelor of Sustainable Environments (Honours year) presents excellent research training for students going on to undertake a research masters or PhD, and our Masters of Environmental Management and Sustainability generates substantial interest from international students who constitute approximately half of the program s enrolments. I found the UniSA post grad planning course to be incredibly enriching and it opened my mind, not just around planning but more generally as well. The curriculum was well balanced, with a good selection of courses. I also found it suitably flexible. I managed to travel to Japan for six months, experience Penang and also the desert in Mimili, working with the UniSA architecture students. Myles Graham, Master of Urban & Regional Planning The University of South Australia is home to the longest established planning program in Australia, celebrating over 60 years of planning education. Both the undergraduate and postgraduate planning programs offer a range of teaching techniques with a strong emphasis on practical skills and experiential learning. Students undertake field trips, engage in collaborative projects and are taught by highly qualified academic planners and leading professionals in planning practice. Both the four year Bachelor and two year Masters programs include work placement opportunities, which can be invaluable in securing the all-important first job. The planning programs are both accredited and strongly supported by the Planning Institute of Australia, the national professional body to which the majority of professional planners belong. The long standing Young Planners group forms a vibrant link between students and recent graduates in the workplace and there are many opportunities to interact with the profession. The scope of the planning programs is increasingly international with course content from many countries, opportunities for international study exchange and academic staff drawn from at least four different nationalities. I was really interested in the way we use land, especially when it comes to environmental sustainability, and UniSA offered a focused approach to town planning rather than trying to combine it with other fields. While learning about planning for people with disabilities, we were given wheelchairs to push each other around the city. It was really hard to tackle some walkways and this gave us a really different perspective on planning that we could only get from experience. Tom Kasauskas, Bachelor of Urban & Regional Planning Over my years of study I have thoroughly enjoyed the hands-on learning, which is a focus at UniSA. It leaves me feeling confident that I can leave University and understand how a workplace functions. The guest lecturers that have talked to us have also been well-worth the listen. They often expose you to a different perspective, which results in creative thinking. Joshua Castle, Bachelor of Sustainable Environments

Research Scholarships The School of Natural and Built Environments conducts visionary, often interdisciplinary, research to support improved environmental and socio-economic sustainability and to effect global change. With more than 50 full-time academic staff and over 100 PhD students, the School provides a stimulating and well-resourced research environment. This has resulted in more than 10 Australian Research Council (ARC) grants being awarded to researchers in the School over the past five years. The School s research effort is largely conducted through the Centre for Water Management and Reuse (unisa.edu.au/water) and the Barbara Hardy Institute (unisa.edu.au/research/barbara-hardy-institute). PhD and Master by research degrees are offered in all discipline areas across the school. The Barbara Hardy Institute More than half of the School s academic staff are core researchers in the Barbara Hardy Institute (BHI) which aims to provide leadership in research and engagement with industry, government and communities to create integrated structural, technological and behavioural solutions for sustainably managed communities and natural environments. The School s academics working in BHI are particularly involved in research projects relating to building, planning, structural and geotechnical engineering, ecology, geospatial sciences, geology and education. Our structural and geotechnical engineering research is supported by excellent laboratory infrastructure, including the largest structural strong-floor in South Australia. Transport Systems Transport Systems research in the school of NBE is recognised as one of Asia Pacific s leading academic nodes of teaching and research excellence in traffic engineering, transport planning and environmental studies. Building and Planning Building and Planning research covers issues relating to the city, its structure, design, development, regulation and governance. Urban responses to climate change are a specific focus of our research. SA Water Centre for Water Management and Reuse The SA Water Centre for Water Management and Reuse has built on established strengths in the key research areas of: desalination, membrane science and technology; securing water supplies; treatment for fit for purpose reuse; water recycling systems design; and environmental sensors. The School offers a range of scholarships designed not only to help with the cost of tertiary education, but also to provide valuable work experience and opportunities for overseas travel. New scholarships are constantly being developed so please review the University of South Australia scholarships information and news pages regularly. For more information on scholarships and selection criteria please visit www.unisa.edu.au/nbe/scholarships

unisa.edu.au/nbe City East Campus Level 3, Bonython Jubilee Building North Terrace Adelaide, South Australia 5000 Telephone: +61 8 8302 2227 Mawson Lakes Campus Level 1, P Building Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095 Telephone: +61 8 8302 3000 Information correct as at July 2012 CRICOS provider number 00121B