UNISA Environmental Sciences Course Module 2025-2026
| Environmental Risk Assessment and Management – HES4808 | |||
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| Honours | Year module | NQF level: 8 | Credits: 12 |
| Module presented in English | Module presented online | ||
| Purpose: To enable students to identify hazards that may cause harm to humans, plants and animals and to understand and assess their effect on the environment; to evaluate and characterise the risk so that appropriate strategies can be devised for the effective mitigation and management of environmental risk. The students will be equipped with the tools and techniques used to evaluate environmental risk based upon the principles set out in the international and national regulatory frameworks. Students will be guided through the complete process of planning and implementing an environmental risk assessment and management plan. | |||
| Conservation Ecology – HES4807 | |||
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| Honours | NQF level: 8 | Credits: 24 | |
| Module presented in English | Module presented online | ||
| Purpose: To highlight the importance and value of biodiversity as well as review the basic concepts of ecology. The student will be introduced to the field of macro-ecology and the linkages between ecology and conservation. International treaties and conventions relating to conservation ecology will be discussed together with the threats to species and communities. Conservation principles and strategies, the classification of conservation areas, indicator, rare and endangered species, ecological monitoring, impact assessment and the human dimension of conservation ecology will also be investigated. A number of interesting and informative case studies will be included as part of this module. | |||
| Integrated Environmental Management – HES4809 | |||
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| Honours | Year module | NQF level: 8 | Credits: 12 |
| Module presented in English | Module presented online | ||
| Purpose: To enable students to understand the objectives of integrated environmental management (IEM), namely, to achieve integrated environmental governance and a holistic and integrative consideration of all the relevant parameters that influence environmental management. As a result, the basic principles, guidelines, and tools commonly used in IEM will be investigated as well as key international environmental conventions and agreements. Students will also gain practical experience through an assignment relating to the environmental management process. | |||
| Impact Mitigation and Management – HES4810 | |||
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| Honours | Year module | NQF level: 8 | Credits: 12 |
| Module presented in English | Module presented online | ||
| Purpose: To familiarise students with the compilation of Environmental Management Programme Reports (EMPR) for new developments, upgrading or expansion of already existing developments or facilities. They will learn to compile Environmental Management Programme Reports (EMPR) for mining activities. Students will also learn how to and in which circumstances to apply mitigation in order to minimise effects on the environment as well as how these mitigation measures will be managed in order to conserve the environment after closure of the development. Students will integrate this knowledge to make recommendations where development takes place in order to rehabilitate the environment after closure and decommissioning. Case studies will be presented to provide the student with practical examples of mitigation measures, rehabilitation, closure and decommissioning. | |||
| Integrated Environmental Management Systems and Auditing – HES4811 | |||
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| Honours | Year module | NQF level: 8 | Credits: 12 |
| Module presented in English | Module presented online | ||
| Purpose: To enable students to understand 21st century thinking in terms of environmental management systems (EMS); what these are, what led to their development and what ISO 9001, 14001 and 18001 certification means. The students will be guided through the complete process of planning and implementing an ISO 14001 management system, as well as evaluating and improving it by means of reviews, corrective action and continual improvement. The students will also be introduced to the aspect of regulatory compliance auditing. | |||
| Ecological and Social Impact Assessment – HES4812 | |||
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| Honours | Year module | NQF level: 8 | Credits: 12 |
| Module presented in English | Module presented online | ||
| Purpose: To investigates the principles and techniques that are utilised in ecological and social impact assessment at a local scale or regional scale. It presents the student with both the theory as well as the practical application of appropriate ecological and social impact assessments methodologies. | |||
| Environmental Research Project – HRENV82 | |||
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| Honours | NQF level: 8 | Credits: 12 | |
| Module presented in English | |||
| Purpose: Implement and carry out research activities under the guidance of the assigned supervisor/mentor. Students are prepared for a research component as part of their Honours degrees. This is indented to prepare and equip students for careers in academia and industry. Students will be required to submit a mini-research report on a specific topic. This process will enable learners to understand and acquire basic knowledge and skill of how research is conducted and the application to real-world problems. | |||
| Environmental Literacy – ENL1501 | |||
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| Higher Certificate | Semester module | NQF level: 5 | Credits: 12 |
| Module presented in English | |||
| Purpose: The purpose of this module is to equip students with the knowledge, skills and tools to make responsible environmental decisions in their daily living. Those who achieve this module can: explain the interrelationships between humans and their environment; apply the principles of bio resource conservation and management; develop a responsible approach to the utilisation of consumer products; and manage waste to promote waste minimisation and responsible disposal. | |||
| Research Project – HRENV83 | |||
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| Honours | NQF level: 8 | Credits: 36 | |
| Module presented in English | Module presented online | ||
| Purpose: Students who achieve this module can undertake the basic steps of the research process with the final outcome being the completion of a research proposal and research project.They will be mentored in the art of conducting research under the guidance of a supervisor/study leader. Qualifying students can select a topic, conduct a literature review and use appropriate basic methodological approaches to research. The student will be required to submit mini-research report on the chosen topic. It will give the learner the opportunity to intergrate creatively all the knowledge and skills he/she acquired during the entire study period and to apply these to a real-world problem. Students are prepared for the research component as part of their honours degree. Students are prepared for careers in academia and the world of work and also to prepare for further postgraduate studies. | |||
| Soil Pedology and Classification II – SSC2601 | |||
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| Diploma | Semester module | NQF level: 6 | Credits: 12 |
| Module presented in English | |||
| Pre-requisite: CHE1501 (or XHE1501) and CHE1502 (or XHE1502) | |||
| Purpose: Introduction to geology; methods and principles of soil surveys and soil mapping; fundamental concepts in soil classification; soil forming factors and processes; the South African soil classification system; land evaluation; land resource data and crop requirements; classification of irrigation land and irrigation water; factors and processes in irrigation and drainage; soil-water relationships; evapotranspiration; irrigation scheduling. | |||
| Environmental Management for Engineers: Civil IV (Theory) – EGE401C | |||
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| Baccalareus Technologiae Degree | Year module | NQF level: 7 | Credits: 11 |
| Module presented in English | Module presented online | ||
| Co-requisite: EGE4PJT | |||
| Purpose: The course is aimed to provide the engineer an overview of the integrated Environmental Impact Assessment process including relevant legislation, the EIA process and baseline knowledge, environmental auditing and reporting. | |||
| Environmental Management for Engineers: Civil IV (Project) – EGE4PJT | |||
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| Baccalareus Technologiae Degree | Year module | NQF level: 7 | Credits: 5 |
| Module presented in English | Module presented online | ||
| Co-requisite: EGE401C | |||
| Purpose: Case Studies: Selected case studies on EIA, IEM and EA. Project. | |||
| Environmental Management for Chemical Engineering IV – EMC401C | |||
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| Baccalareus Technologiae Degree | Year module | NQF level: 7 | Credits: 12 |
| Module presented in English | Module presented online | ||
| Purpose: The course is aimed to provide the engineer an overview of the integrated Environmental Impact Assessment process including relevant legislation, the EIA process and baseline knowledge, environmental auditing and reporting. | |||
| Earth Systems and Processes – HES4801 | |||
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| Honours | NQF level: 8 | Credits: 12 | |
| Module presented in English | Module presented online | ||
| Purpose: The purpose of the learning is to introduce students to basic knowledge of earth system science. The complex integration and mechanisms linking the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere and the sustainable utilization of the natural resources will be studied. The protection of biodiversity as well as addressing environmental issues to ensure a sustainable living environment will be dealt with in an integrated, holistic manner. | |||
| Environmental Monitoring – HES4802 | |||
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| Honours | NQF level: 8 | Credits: 24 | |
| Module presented in English | Module presented online | ||
| Purpose: To provide students with the analytical and technical skills as well as the practical experience necessary to investigate and assess manmade or natural environmental change and impacts in a scientific context. Different forms of pollution and how they impact environmental quality are examined. Through various case-studies and practical sessions, students are enabled to understand the value of scientific approaches when collecting, processing, and interpreting environmental data and information for various applications. | |||
| Ecotoxicology – HES4803 | |||
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| Honours | NQF level: 8 | Credits: 24 | |
| Module presented in English | Module presented online | ||
| Recommendation: First year Chemistry/Biochemistry | |||
| Purpose: To introduce the field of Ecotoxicology; the effect of pollutants on the ecosystem, routes of uptake, methods of testing for toxicity, factors influencing toxicity and remediation measures. Students will integrate this knowledge to make recommendations on the potential effects of pollutants and on remediation measures. | |||
| Environmental Remote Sensing and Modelling – HES4806 | |||
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| Honours | NQF level: 8 | Credits: 24 | |
| Module presented in English | Module presented online | ||
| Purpose: The student will use remote sensing as a tool to monitor and model terrestrial and aquatic environments, to detect environmental change and to utilise remote sensed images to solve environmental problems. | |||
