About us

Welcome to UNSW Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences. 

Palaentology students and bones

Welcome from the Head of School

In the School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences (BEES), we teach a broad range of disciplines and conduct high quality, curiosity-driven research to understand the physical and biological processes that shape our world. Our academics and students explore ecosystems and landscapes from microbes to whales, the tropics to the poles, mountain tops to deep underground. We study past and present environments, using a wide variety of technologies to understand and predict environmental change. 

Our staff are passionate about finding solutions to environmental problems in Australia and around the world. They work with a wide variety of government and non-government agencies and with industry to achieve positive outcomes. 

Our undergraduate and postgraduate teaching covers the disciplines of biology, climate science, conservation biology, ecology, evolution, geology, geography, marine science and palaeontology. We provide students with hands-on experience in the skills needed for a career in science and many opportunities for experiencing the natural world through fieldwork and excursions. 

We welcome you to a friendly and inclusive environment where staff and students are able to pursue their interests in the natural sciences.  

- Professor Alistair Poore

Join the best

Our staff include some of the most prominent scientists in Australia commenting on issues of national importance. Our school is also home to some of the world’s most highly cited researchers, with four academics who are recipients of the Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers award.

Our research is highly regarded globally*, with Environmental Sciences ranked 19th, Earth and Marine Sciences ranked 40th, Geography ranked 65th and Biological Sciences ranked 86th. The Shanghai 2018 academic ranking of world universities placed UNSW 5th in the world for Water Resources, 16th for Remote Sensing and Marine/Ocean Engineering, 22nd for Atmospheric Science, 23rd for, Oceanography, 40th for Earth Sciences, 44th for Environmental Science and Engineering and 49th for Geography.

*2021 QS World University Rankings

Each year, we have more than 3500 students in our courses and provide research training to more than 160 postgraduate students. Our graduates find employment in a wide range of industries, state and federal government agencies, and research institutions.

School executive team

View a list of our school’s executive team members and contact us for any enquiry or request you have relating to our work.

Facilities

Explore our internationally renowned facilities, including the John T. Waterhouse Herbarium and Smiths Lake Field Station. Our herbarium is home to more than 50,000 specimens, including plants and fungi, and our field stations promote the study and preservation of native flora and fauna.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Our school aims to provide a safe, supportive and welcoming environment for all staff and students. See how we’re committed to reducing barriers that impede equity, diversity and inclusion.

Our people

Get to know the people who make up our school and view our researcher profiles and contacts.

Advisory Board

The UNSW Biological, Earth & Environmental Advisory Board is made up of stakeholders from government agencies and industry bodies. View information on our purpose and current members.

Kickstart your career

Our award-winning academics will encourage you to open your mind and expand your knowledge in the biological, earth and environmental sciences. Explore how you can examine life from the core of our planet to its upper atmosphere. Look deep in time, through to the present day and onwards to the future. Be a part of changing the world for the better and solving Earth’s most pressing challenges.

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