Dr Alexander Watson
Dr Alexander Watson
"After completing postgraduate studies at ECU, I now work for the Wilderness Society helping to protect, promote and restore Australia's Wild Country."
"From the moment I began my PhD in Environmental Management at ECU, I was impressed by the energy generated by my lecturers and fellow students. It had the feel of a young place, brimming with intelligent people wanting to make a difference. This contrasted to other universities I came across when I was looking for research opportunities - they felt stagnant with old ideas. I believe ECU's enthusiasm for innovative science rubbed off on me, and since completing my studies, I have managed to secure incredible jobs in Canada and now Australia. Not only do my employers appreciate my expertise in the environment, they also utilise my knowledge of how the environment is managed."
Environmental Management graduate
About
The School of Natural Sciences prides itself on being a leader in research and teaching excellence in the areas of Biology, Environment, and Chemistry. In addition, through the Centre for Brewing and Malting, our school offers one of the few brewing postgraduate courses in the South-East Asian region.
Our school is housed in modern, state-of-the-art facilities located at ECU’s Joondalup Campus. Students can enjoy great laboratories as well as a host of research facilities including specialist laboratories for ecology, plant tissue culture, analytical and environmental chemistry, molecular biology, freshwater and marine science, and geographic information systems. We also provide constant temperature and aquarium rooms, outdoor experimental aquatic facilities, glasshouses, shade houses and operate two large surveyed boats for marine work, several dinghies and a fleet of 4WD and 2WD vehicles.
Our school’s courses in the science and environmental areas were rated as average or better in teaching quality, generic skills and overall satisfaction by the Good Universities Guide (2010 and 2011), placing us in the top 5 Universities in Australia for these measures.
Our courses have a strong emphasis on practical skills in the laboratory or field and we provide students with as many opportunities as possible to practice these skills in real world projects or scenarios. Courses are informed through a range of consultative committees who meet regularly to ensure relevance to industry needs. Programs are externally reviewed by relevant accreditation panels and the University’s school review process.