“I made a decision to study Environmental Science at ECU because of a growing concern for the state of our natural environment.
"The course at ECU was perfect for my requirements and was supported by a team of excellent lecturers. It combined study and technical field-trips that are essential in
gaining real experience.“
Staff and students from the School of Natural Sciences have taken the first step towards making ECU a leader in ecological sustainability.A sustainability working group comprising undergraduates, postgraduates, technical staff and academics has been formed to tackle sustainability issues and develop practical solutions and guidelines for the operation of the School of Natural Sciences. The group hopes to make the School a model of ecological sustainability and is currently forming strategies for improvements in sustainability in the areas of energy and water, transport and waste management with an ongoing view towards integrating ecological sustainability into the undergraduate teaching and postgraduate programs.
The newly introduced Graduate Diploma of Micro Brewing course provides a twelve month integrated course which covers all stages from selection of raw ingredients to commercial production of a quality beer. The course covers the science of brewing, materials, yeasts, beer types and brewing operations including practical experience in running a Micro Brewery and work placement within the industry. While artistry is important in producing the perfect beer, so is a scientific understanding of the processes and possession of the skills to make it happen. Housed in the School of Natural Sciences with its strong reputation for both research and teaching excellence and utilising its own Micro Brewery housed in the By Degrees restaurant, this course is ideally placed to cater for those interested in brewing as a career or serious pastime. Close links with Institute of Brewing and Distilling ensures industry ready graduates.
The School of Natural Sciences houses one of the University’s most productive research groups with a focus on Australia’s natural systems. Staff research interests are broad, covering both the pure and applied biological and environmental areas, and a large postgraduate program provides for a dynamic and interesting research environment.
Through the Centre for Ecosystem Management and Consortium for Health and Ecology, research spans many fields including:
ECU’s security research centre, ICSRS, conducts research and development with partners from across the globe in areas such as risk management, counter-terrorism, critical infrastructure, aviation and border control security, detection systems, intelligent CCTV, biometrics and ballistics imaging, and security education.