Kevin Roberts
Senior Environmental Specialist (Biodiversity)
NSW Roads and Traffic Authority

I am currently working for the Roads and Traffic Authority as a Senior Environmental Specialist. Since completing the Master of Environmental Studies degree in 1996 I have had a varied career with a number of NSW Government Agencies including the Department of Environment and Conservation. The degree at Macquarie gave me the confidence and skills to expand from my technical discipline to broader interdisciplinary roles in environmental policy and management. As a result I have been able to contribute significantly to major environmental reforms over this period.

Jim Cutler
Field Officer
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service

While studying the Master of Wildlife Conservation I gained a global perspective on environmental issues from fellow international students. The course has enabled me to handle beautiful animals like this Tamar wallaby at Macquarie University. This course will further my career in the National Parks and Wildlife Service as these days a postgraduate science degree is essential to work as a ranger or project officer. The Master of Wildlife Conservation gives both practical experience in surveys and handling wild animals as well as an understanding of management decision making processes.

Ruth Tregale
Sustainability Manager
U@MQ Macquarie University

I chose the GSE Master of Sustainable Development course because it offered exactly what I was looking for: core units in basic concepts of sustainability (as opposed to purely environmental studies), and the opportunity to individualise my study by choosing electives from other related disciplines too. Studying in a graduate school means that students are exposed to a wide range of current research projects, and we certainly benefited from close contact with a wealth of experts in their fields.

It was a fantastic opportunity to study with fellow students, both Australian and international, who all brought with them such rich experience in various aspects of sustainability. And although it was extremely hard work studying full time and working part time to support myself, it was great being able to step out of the stress of daily life and justify spending so much time reading and thinking for a change! I'm certainly a different person as a result, and have a clearer idea of what I want to achieve in my work.

I'm currently working as the Sustainability Manager for U@MQ at Macquarie University, and it certainly helps having studied the broader aspects of sustainability, including organisational change and community engagement, as well as environmental management. The focus of GSE units on creating a balance between course content and ways of learning and teaching prepared me very well for this position.

There's a very strong sense of community at the GSE, lots of opportunity to mix with students from other courses, and it's obvious that the lecturers really want students to get as much as they can out of the learning experience.

Polly Thompson
Perth Biodiversity Project Manager
WA Local Government Association

I chose to study at the GSE because I'd heard that it had a good, flexible postgraduate program and because Macquarie University was geographically easy for me. I also felt that they like to take students with solid experience in their field of study.

The Master of Environmental Science course was very good for expanding my knowledge and learning different ways to approach management issues. I am sure that the extra qualification I gained has helped my credibility as a professional in my environmental area of expertise (biodiversity conservation) and raised my existing profile. Personally, it helped my confidence because I achieved the degree and have been very proud of that, especially since I'm over 50.

In addition, the science methodology and terminology and a better understanding of integrating science into management has been very useful in my current position. The GSE has a wide variety of students studying a lot of various things which exposed me as a student to a lot of different environmental areas. I think the different streams offered by the GSE with the ability to study a few things outside your area of expertise was enjoyable and stimulating.

Sandra Nichols
Project Officer Catchment Connections
Ryde Council

I chose to study Master of Environmental Planning at the GSE because the degree was accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia and I was particularly interested in its focus on the natural as well as the built environment, unlike other postgraduate planning courses.

Through the GSE's interdisciplinary approach, I was able to gain a good grounding in the core planning skills such as an understanding of the complex NSW planning system, as well indulge my interest in the natural environment through studying units such as Semi-Arid Land Management. I particularly enjoyed studying the core GSE unit, Attitudes to the Environment, as my experience in working in the environmental area has confirmed for me that environmental management is as much about understanding people as it is about understanding the issues and the science!

Since graduating I have worked for both state and local government primarily on a number of varied and interesting contract based projects such as the National Pollutant Inventory and developing guidelines for greener subdivisions in western Sydney. Even though I now work in the area of sustainability education, my degree in environmental planning was a good choice as it maximised my employment opportunities as a mature age graduate and provided me with an excellent grounding in a range of environmental disciplines.

Jennifer Manefield
Town planner

I chose to study at the GSE because I liked the idea of a planning degree based primarily on the study of the environment rather than the study of design or architecture. Planning is supposed to bridge the gap between design and the biophysical, social, economic, political environments - to view it as a construct of the built environment can be a limiting perspective.

The Master of Environmental Planning is accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia and qualifies me for full membership of the PIA after a number of years of professional experience - this membership is often a mandatory requisite for employment as a planner and is subsequently invaluable in the industry. From a more personal perspective, the degree gave me a real appreciation of the importance of planning and an understanding of how and why good planning decisions can make such an immense difference - to individuals as well as to society as a whole.

I am currently working as a consultant planner for a company specialising in urban development with a focus on sustainability. I am involved in giving advice to developers on the planning controls applicable to their development as well as liaising with government authorities in seeking approvals. Macquarie's planning degree has ensured I am familiar with the basics of planning such as the NSW strategic and statutory planning frameworks. In addition, however, the degree has given me generic skills in areas such as report writing and presentation, evaluation and working in teams.

The flexible nature of the degree is a big plus - it ensures that students can work as well as pursue study and also ensures that a degree can be tailored to each individual's needs or professional interests.

Cita Wigjoseptina
Economic and social researcher
Indonesia

I enrolled in the Master of Sustainable Development in July 2006 and I graduated in July 2007. I was awarded a scholarship from APS (Australian Partnership Scholarships). Firstly, I want to say that it was very hard for me to study in Australia because English is not my first or second language. The first semester was very challenging, especially as there were many discussions and activities in class in the unit Education for Sustainable Development - I felt like I was in the film 'Lost in Translation'! However, no matter how hard it was, I had great experiences and met very nice people in the GSE.

I wanted to learn about sustainable development, and I found the list of units in the Master of Sustainable Development suited my interests and were multi-disciplinary. Moreover, I found from the MQ website that the campus was a 'green campus' and its location was not too far from the centre of Sydney, the capital city of NSW.

The teaching style in the GSE is different to that in Indonesia. It made me think differently to solve problems. I now always see good and bad impacts/effects and find different and more flexible approaches to environmental problems. Working and studying with people from different countries has given me an understanding of different ways of thinking, cultures and values. For example, a 'good transportation system' in a developed country like Australia differs from that in a developing country like Indonesia because of different safety principles or standards. I think understanding can prevent conflict between developing and developed countries when cooperating on environmental issues. Case studies from developing countries can also enrich courses. Furthermore, learning about sustainable development in the GSE has enabled me to consider some principles of sustainable development in my work, for instance, I add some 'traditional' development indicators when teaching others about sustainability indicators. I also understand that, to achieve sustainable development, each of us can try to contribute in a small way by our actions.

After I returned to Indonesia, I resumed work in the same job I had before I studied at the GSE, as a researcher at an institute for economics and social research. My role in research has not changed much. I still face difficulties in balancing economic and sustainable environment interests. However, I have been trying to implement some sustainability principles in my current work. I now consider a range of resources to support my research. I also get involved when people talk about climate change or carbon trading, as these topics were discussed frequently in the GSE and in Australia generally.

Niki Carey
Urban Sustainability Officer
NSW Local Government and Shires Association

I wanted to work as an environmental educator in local government but found that my science degree in environmental resource management and a few stints of volunteering didn't open any doors for me, so I decided to go back to uni to build my credentials. The GSE offered the most comprehensive postgraduate environmental education program. I enrolled in the Masters of Environmental Education in 2002 but I changed my program late in the degree and graduated in 2007 with a Masters in Environmental Management (with a strong educational flavour!).

Within 3 months of enrolling I got lucky and was employed as an Environmental Projects Officer at a council. The exposure to so many like-minded people at the GSE resulted in friendships with fellow students and staff that have developed into professional networks.

I was able to apply my learning from many of the courses directly to my work by basing my assignments on issues relevant to my council. My current role at the NSW Local Government and Shires Association works with an alliance of organisations to help councils across NSW progress towards sustainability. This role particularly benefits from the processes and skills I learnt in the sustainability education stream at the GSE.

Kerstin Bilgmann
Scientific Officer
Department of Biological Sciences
Macquarie University

Undertaking a PhD in Environmental Studies in the Graduate School of the Environment at Macquarie University was a wonderful experience and allowed me to fulfill my dream of researching dolphins. The experience was outstanding and I spent extended periods on boats working with a wide range of marine species. This experience has led me to an exciting future as a marine scientist, and today I work as a marine environmental consultant, scientific officer and casual lecturer in marine science.