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Master of Science (Ecosystem Science) (MC-SCIECO) // Course structure

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Course structure

Students must complete a total of 200 credit points, comprised of:

  • Discipline Core subjects (25 pts)
  • Discipline Elective subjects (25 pts)
  • Professional Skills subjects (25 pts)
  • Research Project undertaken consecutively in sequence (125 pts)

Subject options

Discipline Core (25 points)

One of:

Code Name Study period Credit Points
AGRI90075 Research Methods For Life Sciences
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
NRMT90003 Social Research Methods
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
BIOL90002 Biometry
June (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
MAST90007 Statistics for Research Workers
Winter Term (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5

and one of

Code Name Study period Credit Points
EVSC90019 Graduate Seminar: Environmental Science
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
ZOOL90007 Graduate Seminar in Ecology & Evolution
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5

Discipline Electives (25 points)

Overview:

Students will select 25 points of discipline elective subjects appropriate to their research project, in consultation with their supervisor. A student may complete a third-year level subject if no suitable alternative is available at the graduate level. Students wishing to take a second-year subject or more than one third-year subject will need the approval of the MSc Coordinators and the Associate Dean.

 

Code Name Study period Credit Points
ABPL90337 Managing Urban Landscapes
July (On Campus - Burnley)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
AGRI90075 Research Methods For Life Sciences
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
DEVT90003 The Political Ecology of Development Not available in 2017 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
ENST90002 Social Impact Assessment and Evaluation
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
ENST90004 Climate Change Politics and Policy
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
ENST90005 Environmental Policy
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
ENST90031 Bushfire Interface Design Workshop Not available in 2017 25
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
ERTH90028 Urban Soils, Substrates and Water
Semester 2 (On Campus - Burnley)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
EVSC90015 Environmental Impact Assessment
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
FRST90015 Forest Ecosystems
January (On Campus - Creswick)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
FRST90017 Bushfire Planning & Management
June (On Campus - Creswick)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
FRST90019 Forest Assessment and Monitoring
May (On Campus - Creswick)
 12.5
 

Code Name Study period Credit Points
FRST90022 Forests and Water Not available in 2017 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
FRST90023 Forest Health Not available in 2017 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
FRST90025 Bushfire & Climate
February (On Campus - Creswick)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
FRST90026 Bushfire & Biodiversity Not available in 2017 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
FRST90029 International Forest Policy
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
FRST90030 Forests in the Asia Pacific Region
November (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
FRST90031 Timber, Sustainable & Renewable Material Not available in 2017 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
FRST90032 Forests, Carbon and Climate Change
Semester 2 (On Campus - Burnley)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
FRST90033 Farm Trees & Agroforestry
October (On Campus - Creswick)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
FRST90034 Ecological Restoration
September (On Campus - Creswick)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
FRST90035 Forest Internship Project
Year Long (Online)
 25
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
GEOG90003 Integrated River & Catchment Management
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
 

Code Name Study period Credit Points
GEOG90008 Advanced Reading in Geography Not available in 2017 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
GEOG90018 Contemporary Geographical Thought
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
GEOG90019 Indigenous Land Management Not available in 2017 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
GEOG90020 Risk Management and Public Participation
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
GEOG90021 Conservation and Cultural Environments
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
GEOG90022 International Internship in Environment
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 25
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
HORT90003 Plants and the Urban Environment
Semester 1 (On Campus - Burnley)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
HORT90004 Plant Production and Establishment
Semester 2 (On Campus - Burnley)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
HORT90006 Garden History & Design Not available in 2017 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
HORT90008 Horticultural Plant Science
Semester 1 (On Campus - Burnley)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
HORT90011 Therapeutic Landscapes Not available in 2017 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
HORT90033 Plants in the Landscape
Semester 1 (On Campus - Burnley)
 12.5
 

Code Name Study period Credit Points
HORT90038 Food Production for Urban Landscapes
Semester 1 (On Campus - Burnley)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
HORT90039 Green Infrastructure for Liveable Cities
February (On Campus - Burnley)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
HORT90045 Garden Design and Graphics Not available in 2017 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
HORT90046 Designing Green Roofs and Walls
September (On Campus - Burnley)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
HORT90047 Short Research Project
Semester 1 (On Campus - Burnley)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Burnley)
 25
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
NRMT90002 Management of Plant and Animal Invasions
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
NRMT90003 Social Research Methods
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
 
Code Name Study period Credit Points
NRMT90007 Community Natural Resource Management
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
NRMT90014 Sustainable Landscapes
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5

Professional Skills (25 points)

Students will select two professional skills subjects (25 points). These may include:

Code Name Study period Credit Points
SCIE90013 Communication for Research Scientists
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
SCIE90012 Science Communication
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
SCIE90005 Ethics and Responsibility in Science
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
MAST90045 Systems Modelling and Simulation
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
EVSC90020 Environmental Modelling
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
EDUC90839 Science in Schools
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
MGMT90171 Leadership in Science
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5

Research Project (125 points)

This project provides students with the opportunity to design and conduct independent research in one or more disciplines within the broad field of ecosystem science. Students will also develop skills in critically evaluating new knowledge within one or more scientific paradigms.

Specific research projects will depend upon the availability of appropriate expertise, but may address questions in conservation biology, ecology, ecophysiology, environmental psychology, environmental and landscape management, forest science, genetics, horticulture, hydrology and/or soil science.

Students will take responsibility for their own research project, including the design and management of field and/or laboratory experiments, where appropriate; collection, analysis and interpretation of data; and communication of research findings through oral and written presentations.

The project will be taken over four consecutive semesters and will begin on the Monday of semester of entry (semesters 1 or 2) and continue for up to 88 weeks until the end of the fourth semester, minus recreation leave of between 4 and 8 weeks (22 weeks per semester over the four semesters). For how long and at what time within the enrolment the actual period of leave is to be taken needs to be negotiated with a student’s supervisor.

The Research Project will be due for submission by the end of the formal examination period of the fourth semester of enrolment if an earlier date is not specified.

Students will first enrol in Research Project In Ecosystem Science Part 1, and then progress through to Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. Students may only progress through Research Project In Ecosystem Science subjects upon successful completion of the earlier project component.

Code Name Study period Credit Points
EVSC90027 Research Project in Ecosystem Sci Part 1
February (On Campus - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
 25
EVSC90028 Research Project in Ecosystem Sci Part 2
January (On Campus - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
 25
EVSC90029 Research Project in Ecosystem Sci Part 3
January (On Campus - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
 25
EVSC90030 Research Project in Ecosystem Sci Part 4
January (On Campus - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
 50

Last updated: 18 December 2020