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Environmental Sustainability (MULT90004)

Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

Availability
Semester 1
July
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Environmental Sustainability is one of two core subjects for the Master of Environment degree. This subject provides students with a strong foundation in interdisciplinary understanding of critical environmental sustainability issues, and how and why they have emerged, in the context of policy, management, and governance across scales and sectors.

Exploring environmental sustainability through an interdisciplinary lens, this subject considers concepts and principles fundamental for understanding the complex nature of the environmental crises facing humanity and, in turn, for developing solutions. Environmental Sustainability will cover:

• The fundamental earth system processes that provide humanity’s life-support system;
• The conditions that have led to the Anthropocene, and its implications for life as we know it; 
• Global and local environmental challenges, including for biodiversity, water, energy,  and food, in relation their natural and social environments;
• Complex social-ecological systems and their role in contributing to and solving critical environmental sustainability issues;
• Different perspectives, and the influence of worldview, values and beliefs on sustainability;
• The role of individuals, governments, business and innovation in building a sustainable future; and
• Management, governance, and social-ecological issues for achieving environmental sustainability.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, students will have:

  • Developed a critical and interdisciplinary understanding of the conceptual and practical dimensions of sustainability as they apply to a range of different scales and contexts and their implications for governance and leadership; and
  • Extended their capacities for leadership and understanding of governance through the further development of their skills of analysis, interpretation, communication, collaboration, problem-solving and decision-making appropriate to the field of environmental sustainability.

Generic skills

In this subject, students will build the skills to enable them to: 

  • Enhance their interdisciplinary thinking and learning skills, including skills for understanding complex systems, collaboration, and communication; 
  • Further develop their critical thinking and analysis though weekly readings, class discussions, and assessment tasks; 
  • Confidently conduct independent research on environmental sustainability topics; 
  • Improve visual, verbal and written communication skills. 

Last updated: 31 January 2024