Bachelor of Natural Resource Management with Honours

The Bachelor of Natural Resource Management with Honours is the 4th year of the degree course and offered at the Parkville campus of the University. Students will need to travel to the Burnley campus for some subjects. The honours year in Natural Resource Management is a very valuable year of study. It comprises advanced coursework and an individual research project designed to extend students' knowledge and research into sustainable management of our natural resources. After successfully completing the program, students will be prepared to either enter the workforce and pursue a career in environmental and resource management, or enrol for further research study through applying for a masters or doctor of philosophy degree.

Students who have completed this course should have acquired:

• an understanding of natural resources, and how land, flora, fauna and water systems function;
• an understanding of social systems and human behaviour as these relate to the use and conservation of natural resources and ecosystems;
• an understanding of the concept of sustainable development and the interrelationship between the environment and social and economic constructs;

• an understanding of technical and social strategies and tools for assessing and improving management of natural resources and ecosystems.

The honours course is comprised of coursework and a research project. The coursework subjects consist of core subjects, and electives to be selected essentially from 400-level subjects offered by the Melbourne School of Land and Environment and other faculties of the University. They will enable students to gain sufficient familiarity with the fields relevant to their research project. Up to two subjects not appearing on the recommended list can be taken for credit, subject to course coordinator approval. Students may select two 300-level subjects for credit, subject to course coordinator approval. Applicants to the program will need to demonstrate the completion of appropriate prerequisite subjects in their undergraduate courses when selecting coursework subjects. Students will also be expected to participate in research discussion groups or 'journal clubs' and to attend the School's research seminar series.

HONOURS RESEARCH PROJECT

Students will select a project from a list formulated by supervisors through the Honours Research Project subject coordinator. Some of these projects may be offered in collaboration with industry, and collaborating institutions. Project proposals detailing the experimental plan and a literature review will be presented before the Honours Panel for discussion and approval prior to commencing experimental work. Students will be required to present seminars on both their project proposal and the outcomes of their research. The expected length of the thesis (including references) will normally be limited to 20 000 words (approximately 50 A4 pages).

Honours Research Project (202-401 - year long) may be replaced by 202-402 in Semester 1 or Semester 2; or 202-403 Honours Research Project mid-year entry.

FOURTH YEAR

208-411 Research Philosophies and Statistics or 207-414 Social Research Methods.

Plus and additional two elective subjects.

ELECTIVE SUBJECTS

Two electives from Semester 1 or Semester 2.

Electives can be chosen from the following list or from approved subjects from other courses.

Students in the Bachelor of Natural Resource Management with Honours

1. Must have achieved an average of 65% in the third-year (300-level) subjects in their pass degree
2. Must achieve a minimum of 100 credit points, with an Honours Grade Score of at least 65%
3. May take up to 2 electives not on the approved elective list for that degree (in the University Undergraduate Course and Subject Catalogue), provided these are approved by the course coordinator
4. Must complete Honours Research Project in an area approved by the course coordinator as being relevant to the particular degree undertaken
5. Must meet the defined work experience requirements for the pass degree before starting honours.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. This course requires all students to enrol in subjects where they must actively and safely contribute to field excursions and laboratory activities. Students who feel their disability will impact on meeting this requirement are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Subject Coordinator and Disability Liaison Unit (8344 7068 or DLU-enquiries@unimelb.edu.au).

The Faculty offers excellent opportunites for students to pursue postgraduate studies in the fields of agricultural science, forestry, natural resource management, urban horticulture, food science, animal welfare, wood science, agribusiness, wine technolgy and viticulture, forest ecosystem science. Programs available include Graduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas, Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas, Masters (by coursework), Masters (by research) and Doctoral degrees

• have a strong sense of intellectual integrity and the ethics of scholarship
• have in-depth knowledge of their specialist discipline(s)
• reach a high level of achievement in writing, generic research activities, problem-solving and communication
• be critical and creative thinkers, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning
• be adept at learning in a range of ways, including through information and communication technologies
• be advocates for improving the sustainability of the environment
• have a broad global understanding, with a high regard for human rights, equity and ethics
• examine critically, synthesise and evaluate knowledge across a broad range of disciplines
• expand their analytical and cognitive skills through learning experiences in diverse subjects
• have the capacity to participate fully in collaborative learning and to confront unfamiliar problems
• have a set of flexible and transferable skills for different types of employment

• a profound respect for truth, intellectual and professional integrity, and the ethics of scholarship
• a capacity for independent critical thought, rational inquiry and self-directed learning and research identification and description of the business environment in which rural and regional businesses operate
• identification and description of the biophysical, social and economic resources of natural and modified ecosystems
• an ability to derive, interpret and analyse ecological, biological, social, technical or economic information from primary sources
• an ability to integrate information across a broad range of disciplines to solve problems in applied situations
• highly developed written communication skills to allow informed dialogue with individuals and groups from industry, government and the community
• an ability to plan work, use time effectively and manage small projects