About the programme
The Bachelor of Science (Environmental Science) is an NZQF Level 7 programme at Lincoln University that prepares scientists to diagnose and address problems in soils, freshwater and land-based ecosystems. It carries 360 credits and takes 3 years of full-time study on campus.
The degree is framed around a central question: how food production and care for the land can be reconciled. Students study the natural processes behind soil and water systems, how ecosystems work and recover, and how land management affects water and soil quality and greenhouse gas emissions. They also learn to build, apply and critique the models used for scientific and management decisions, and to use statistics in experimental design.
Compulsory courses cover earth and ecological science, biology, chemistry, environmental physics, soil science, New Zealand ecology, water quality and quantity, and biometrics. The final year adds advanced field research, climate change and land use, and environmental pollution. Electives fill the rest of the plan and can reach into economics, policy, resource law, GIS and environmental monitoring. Teaching mixes field and laboratory work and is led by researchers active on New Zealand's environmental issues.
Students may add a second major; the university suggests pairing this one with Water Management or Conservation and Ecology, with a course advisor helping to plan electives.
It suits students with an interest in biology, chemistry and maths who want to work where science meets practical land and water management.
Entry requirements
- Domestic applicants: University Entrance through NCEA or an approved equivalent.
- Applicants with overseas qualifications are assessed under the university's international entry criteria.
- Separate English language requirements apply if English is not your first language.
- Recommended school subjects: biology, chemistry and maths/statistics (strongly advised), plus physics, English and geography.
What you study
- ENSC 101 Introduction to Earth and Ecological Sciences
- SOSC 106 Soil Science I and SOSC 222 Soil Science II
- ECOL 103 Ecology I: New Zealand Ecology and Conservation
- PHSC 103 Environmental Physics
- WATR 202 Water on Land: Quality and Quantity
- ENSC 201 Environmental Analytical Methods
- QMET 201 Biometrics
- SCIE 393 Advanced Field Research
- ENSC 301 Climate Change and Land Use
- ENSC 302 Environmental Pollution
Careers after graduation
- Environmental consulting
- Resource management
- Freshwater restoration
- Land rehabilitation
- Sustainability roles within the primary industries
Post-study work visa
Equal to the length of the programme, 3 years maximum
Depends on the qualification, the length of study and other Immigration New Zealand requirements.
This description is based on the official programme page, checked on 09/09/2026. Ask an NIU adviser about fees and intake dates — the programme page on the Lincoln University website