Postgraduate Diploma in Environment

The Postgraduate Diploma in Environment is a flexible, multidisciplinary course that enables students to develop knowledge for professional practice in environment or sustainability. Depending on their academic background, interests and career aspirations students can choose from over 200 subjects taught by 10 different faculties. The course is 100 points (equivalent to eight subjects or one full time year of study).

Students who complete the 441 AA Postgraduate Diploma in Environment will have:

• Knowledge to undertake professional practice in environment or sustainability, including:
• Specialised knowledge in an environmental discipline or field of practice
• Knowledge of the cross-disciplinary nature of environmental issues and professional practice to promote sustainable futures
• Skills for collaborative and creative problem solving in environmental practice, including:
• Ability to critically analyse and synthesise environmental knowledge
• Ability to envision environmental change and propose pathways to realise this change
• Ability to communicate complex environmental knowledge effectively to a range of audiences
• Ability to work effectively in cross-disciplinary teams
• Technical skills for professional practice in field of specialisation
• Demonstrated capacity to exercise well developed judgement, adaptability and responsibility as a practitioner in an environmental discipline or professional field.

Students who undertake the Postgraduate Diploma in Environment must complete one core subject and choose 87.5 points of subjects selected from an approved subject list in consultation with an academic advisor. For a complete list of available subjects, please click here: https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/view/2014/%21441ME-MAJ%2B1014

Core Subject

Students must complete the following subject:

Elective subjects

Students must choose a further 87.5 points of subjects selected from an approved subject list in consultation with an academic advisor. For a complete list of available subjects, please click here: https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/view/2014/%21441ME-MAJ%2B1014

1.The Selection Committee will evaluate the applicant’s ability to pursue the course successfully using the following criteria:

• an undergraduate degree in a cognate discipline with at least H3 (65%) average in the final year or equivalent; or
• an undergraduate degree in any discipline with at least H3 (65%) average, or equivalent, and at least two years of documented professional work experience since graduation related to the degree.
• a Postgraduate Certificate in Environment with at least H3 (65%) average in the Certificate.

2. The Selection Committee may conduct interviews and tests and may call for referee reports and employer references to elucidate any of the matters referred to above.

The Melbourne School of Land and Environment (MSLE) welcomes applications from students with disabilities. It is University and School policy to take reasonable steps to make reasonable adjustments so as to enable the student’s participation in the School’s programs. MSLE contributes to the New Generation degrees and offers a broad range of programs across undergraduate and post-graduate levels many of which adopt a multi-disciplinary approach.

Students of the School’s courses must possess intellectual, ethical, and emotional capabilities required to participate in the full curriculum and to achieve the levels of competence required by the School. Candidates must have abilities and skills in observation; motor in relevant areas; communication; in conceptual, integrative, and quantitative dimensions; and in behavioural and social dimensions.

Adjustments can be provided to minimise the impact of a disability, however students need to be able to participate in the program in an independent manner and with regard to their safety and the safety of others.

I. Observation: In some contexts, the student must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic and applied sciences. More broadly, observation requires reading text, diagrams, maps, drawings and numerical data. The candidate should be able to observe details at a number of scales and record useful observations in discipline dependant contexts.

II. Communication: A candidate should be able to communicate with fellow students, professional and academic staff, members of relevant professions and the public. A candidate must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively. Communication includes not only speech but also reading and writing.

III. Motor: Candidates should have sufficient motor function necessary for participation in the inherent discipline-related activities. The practical work, design work, field work, diagnostic procedures, laboratory tests, require varying motor movement abilities. Off campus investigations may include visits to construction sites, urban, rural and/or remote environments.

IV. Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem solving, the critical skill demanded of professionals in land and environment industries, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, the candidate should be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures.

V. Behavioural and Social Attributes: A candidate must possess behavioural and social attributes that enable them to participate in a complex learning environment. Students are required to take responsibility for their own participation and learning. They also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative learning environments, demonstrating interpersonal skills and an understanding of the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students.

Students who feel their disability will prevent them from meeting the above academic requirements are encouraged to contact the Disability Liaison Unit.

Master of Environment.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Environment enables students to become:

1. Academically excellent, with in-depth knowledge of a specialist environmental discipline, the capacity to solve environmental problems, and remain self-directed in their learning in this field.
2. Knowledgeable across disciplines, with a critical appreciation of the variety of disciplines that contribute to environmental practices, and the ability to evaluate this knowledge in collaborative contexts.
3. Leaders for sustainable futures, with excellent interpersonal and decision-making skills, who are respectful of diversity in cultural experiences of environmental change and have a capacity to initiate positive change and advocate for sustainable societies.

Skills for collaborative and creative problem solving in environmental practice, including:

• Ability to critically analyse and synthesise environmental knowledge
• Ability to envision environmental change and propose pathways to realise this change
• Ability to communicate complex environmental knowledge effectively to a range of audiences
• Ability to work effectively in cross-disciplinary teams
• Technical skills for professional practice in field of specialisation