Course overview
Have you got what it takes to change the world?
“We need a new generation of science graduates equipped with a broad set of skills and experiences that push the boundaries of what is possible.”
Course Director Djuke Veldhuis
The Monash Bachelor of Science Advanced – Global Challenges (Honours) is a one of a kind degree in Australia that pushes the boundaries of science and uses science to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges from climate change and food insecurity to responsible consumption and production. Using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as our platform for understanding we combine our love of science with society. We want to know “How do we get from ideas to workable realities?”
This undergraduate course is for science students who have the drive and passion to use science to influence business, government, the not-for-profit sector and the wider community to affect real change. Big solutions to even bigger challenges need more than just brilliant scientific minds; we need leaders, deep thinkers, adventurers and innovators.
We need a new generation of science graduates equipped with a broad set of skills and experiences that push the boundaries of what is possible and bridge the boundaries that exist between industries.
Our global graduates will be equipped to look at the world from multiple perspectives, step into the shoes of those experiencing global challenges and consider how to solve them by collaboratively drawing on industry, government and scientific practices.
An industry-based approach to learning
The Global Challenges course takes an industry-based approach to learning. From day one our students meet and collaborate with leaders across industry, government, not-for-profit and research sectors. Doing so provides our students with the skills, networks and confidence to tackle the pressing issues that our society faces today. This approach is known as ‘Work Integrated Learning’ (WIL) and the concept is specifically aimed towards creating meaningful and positive benefits for both partner organisations and our students. By harnessing the energy and expertise of Global Challenges students, organisations gain by having access to highly engaged, advanced science students with class-leading communication skills, a holistic perspective as well as a keen desire to gain experience that will contribute to their future careers.
How we teach
We encourage you to think differently. Our educational approach is hands-on, highly interactive and often pushing the boundaries of what a classroom is or should look like. Our view is that if you want to foster change makers, you’ve got to get them to think outside of the box.
During the course, students will learn to think and act like global change advocates and leaders, not necessarily leading from the front, but nonetheless driving meaningful and systemic change within organisation and broader society. Our responsive program design provides an absorbing and creative learning environment where students can stretch their thought processes and find new ways of creatively approaching the same challenge.
By using retreats, play-based learning, mindfulness practice, community/industry excursions and leadership activities conducted only within the degree, Global Challenges brings a strong multidisciplinary framework to a science-based course. Students are equipped to pursue industry-based work and/or further study beyond their undergraduate degree. . This is because today it takes more than just a strong scientific background to affect change; in addition to studying the scientific discipline of your choice – from the broad range available at Monash – you'll receive in-depth training in leadership, persuasive communication, entrepreneurship, policy, ethics and corporate social responsibility.
Activities like student-led seminars, dialogues with business and government leaders, working with leading scientific researchers and undertaking internships both locally and overseas, highlights the unique intersection of communication, leadership, business and science that Global Challenges integrates together.
