Outline

Overview

This unit of study uses a data driven approach to explore the impact of climate change in civil engineering design. Students will study the most up to date assessments of the impacts of climate change on our environment, while simultaneously developing the analytical skills to quantify the impacts of climate change for infrastructure design. The student’s ability to apply their learnings will be evaluated through a series submitted technical reports assessing the impact of climate change on a hypothetical engineering project.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Civil Engineering
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	Basic familiarity with computer programming and statistical concepts
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Conrad Wasko, conrad.wasko@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Conrad Wasko, conrad.wasko@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 1 September 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Practical skill	Short written assignment/test The student will be required to answer either short form questions or copy and paste screenshots of their coding exercise to demonstrate progress in the subject.	10%	Week 02 Due date: 17 Aug 2025 at 23:59	1-2 pages	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Practical skill	Short written assignment/test The student will be required to answer either short form questions or copy and paste screenshots of their coding exercise to demonstrate progress in the subject.	10%	Week 04 Due date: 31 Aug 2025 at 23:59	1-2 pages	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Practical skill	Short written assignment/test The student will be required to answer either short form questions or copy and paste screenshots of their coding exercise to demonstrate progress in the subject.	10%	Week 06 Due date: 14 Sep 2025 at 23:59	1-2 pages	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Q&A following presentation, submission or placement	Final presentation (Q & A) Students will be asked to answer questions on their assignment.	10%	Week 13	5-10 minutes	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Assignment (final) Quantitative climate change impact assessment for a climate hazard.	30%	Week 13 Due date: 07 Nov 2025 at 23:59	20 pages	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Final presentation This will be a presentation that mimics the presentation of your final findings to a client. The presentation slides need to be uploaded one day before the presentations.	20%	Week 13 Due date: 02 Nov 2025 at 23:59	10-15 minutes	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Evaluation	Personal reflection A personal reflection on the group work assessing team contribution.	5%	Week 13 Due date: 09 Nov 2025 at 23:59	1 page	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Attendance - accreditation or faculty requirement	Attendance There will be some guest lectures or weeks where attendance will be mandatory.	5%	Week 13	NA	Not applicable
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Fortnightly hand in: This will require you to integrate information from lectures and practicals as well as perform your own literature search to answer a series of short questions.
Written work (literature review): This will require you to perform your own research to produce a short report on a climate change hazard.
Written work (final report): This assignment will sythesise the learnings from the entire subject, requiring statistical analysis to present a draft client consulting report on the impacts of climate on a particular hazard.
Personal reflection: This will require you to assess your work and your team mate's work, as well as reflect on the subject as a whole in the form of a short written assessment.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas. (e.g. assessment rubrics) and submission instructions are published on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date: Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date. After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Multiple weeks	Students need to spend roughly 5-6 hours each week on independent study to deeply engage with the material covered in that week	Independent study (65 hr)
Week 01	1. Overview of the impacts of climate change	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	1. Overview of the impacts of climate change (cont.)	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	2. The Earth’s energy balance	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	2. The Earth’s energy balance (cont).	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	3. Evidence for, and modelling of, climate change	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	4. Introduction to hydrologic modelling	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	5. Statistical analysis for climate change (bias correction)	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Case studies on climate change impacts	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 09	5. Statistical analysis for climate change (parametric methods)	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	5. Statistical analysis for climate change (non-parametric methods)	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	6. Uncertainty in decision making and adaptation options for climate change impact assessments	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	7. Mitigating the impacts of climate change	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	In class final presentation	Presentation (2 hr)
Weekly	Discussion of practical aspects of lectures. Continuing feedback on project progression.	Practical (2 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Demonstrate literacy of terminology used in climate change impact studies
LO2. Find and interpret literature to understand the environmental impacts of climate change
LO3. Demonstrate understanding of concepts related to data analysis
LO4. Calculate the impact of climate change using data analysis techniques
LO5. Contribute to a team to report on an engineering project
LO6. Apply critical thinking to evaluate the impact of climate change on an engineering project

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Feedback will sought through an online poll on Canvas and incorporated for the following year.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

CIVL6001: Civil Engineering in a Changing Climate

Semester 2, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links