Mission

The mission of the Environmental Sciences master program is to prepare qualified experts for leadership roles in environmental disciplines. The study program is multidisciplinary and is designed in such a way that an interested individual, with B.Sc. degree in science, which in fact represents the theoretical basis of all environmental sciences, can join the program and contribute effectively in their fields to solve emerging and aggressive environmental problems. The program covers areas of general environmental sciences including natural resources management, environmental law, public health and sanitation, environment social impact assessment, applied statistics, wildlife protection and management, soil-water-plant relationship, land reclamation, environmental pollution and pesticides, waste management, instrumental analysis, mathematical ecology, water resources management, water quality control, and air pollution control. Students will be taught to address problems based on solid technical foundations while taking advantage of advanced technologies. Our graduates will adhere to high technical and ethical standards in service to the public. Graduates will be prepared for the pursuit of advanced learning in environmental sciences and related fields with a special focus on practical aspects at the highest professional levels.

Vision

The Environmental Sciences master program offered at WESI at ANU is designed to generate qualified candidates with a solid theoretical and applied tools, skills, and understanding of environmental sciences to serve the Palestinian community's needs in terms of studying, monitoring, describing, modeling, controlling, and following up all issues and aspects related to the present and future state of environmental problems with special emphasis on the Palestinian environment. 

Industry

The master program in water and environmental engineering and sciences promote learning technical and technological skills and social development and economic tools and work with individuals and groups from and in the Palestinian communities using a range of formal and informal methods with will lead to better relations andengagement between people, industry, and government in relation to issues of social and economic development as well as the environment.

By improving graduate's knowledge, skills and confidence, tools, organizational ability and various computational and modeling resources, graduates from the programs would help industry solving their problems and cope with and develop with time.. These skills, abilities, and tools would help solving the various problems of local industries as well as constituting the basis for innovative initatives to develop the sector. This program would contributes to strengthening social capital by improving the knowledge, skills, tools, abilities, confidence, motivation, networks and resources that the individuals, groups  and industries in a community or a country have.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching and learning methods adopted and used in water and environmental engineering and sciences include direct instructor lecturing through best available teaching techniques and practices and infrastructures (buildings, teaching assistances, and labs). These methods are aimed at knowledge building (new text books-up to date-used and presented to students in course works), comprehension (demonstrating understanding of terms and concepts of water and environmental engineering and sciences), application (solving problems by laboratory and field demonstration), analysis (breaking things down into their elements, formulating theoretical explanations or mathematical or logical models for observed phenomena of water and environmental engineering and sciences), synthesis (creating, design, and make-up problem solving techniques and mechanisms, and combining elements and processes in novel ways), evaluation (choosing, determining, and selecting from among alternatives).Active learning approach is practiced in this program resulting in and emphasizing recalling prior material, responding to questions, problem solving, explaining written material, analytical, critical, and creative thinking, , and generating questions and summarizing .  In addition, cooperative learning is employed in this program by involving students to work in teams to accomplish an assigned task and produce a final product. This cooperative learning include the following elements: positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face promotive interaction, appropriate use of teamwork skills, and regular self-assessment of team functioning.

Coursework and Assessment

The program is totaled at 36 credit hours: 30 credits of coursework and 6 in thesis-research work.Continuous student opinions and feedbacks are essential for checking program learning outcomes. Also these feedbacks are important and included/considered in program and teaching meaningful evaluation andprogram assessment plan. Written exams are used in all courses (first, second, and final exam) are used to evaluate and grade students in this program. An-Najah national university uses end-of-course web-based student surveys to evaluate teaching quality. While student opinions are important and should be including in any assessment plan, meaningful evaluation of teaching must rely primarily on assessment of learning outcomes. In addition to exams, projects and lab reports are used as measures to obtain an accurate picture of students’ content knowledge and skills.