Postgraduate: Course rule and topic information

Graduate Diploma in Biodiversity

(GradDipBiod)

INTRODUCTION

The Graduate Diploma in Biodiversity is a 36-unit program offered by the Faculty of Science and Engineering on a Commonwealth Supported basis.

The course articulates with the Graduate Certificate in Biodiversity and the Master of Biodiversity and the sequentially developed topics allow progression through the three awards.

Students who have completed the Graduate Certificate in Biodiversity are awarded up to 18 units of credit towards the graduate diploma. Students who have completed the graduate diploma are awarded credit for related topics towards the masters.

COURSE AIMS

The primary aims of the graduate diploma are to provide:

• advanced studies to students with an undergraduate degree who would like to broaden their expertise or specialise in the field of biodiversity,
• further specialisation within a systematic and coherent body of knowledge relating to biodiversity, and
• vocational knowledge and skills in the field of biological diversity for environmental professionals.

• knowledge of the extent of the world's biodiversity and a critical awareness of the threat to biodiversity posed by human activities and current levels of extinction;
• an advanced level of knowledge of the biological principles underlying biodiversity assessment, conservation and management;
• knowledge in a breadth of subject areas relating to biological diversity;
• the capacity to apply theory to the practical conservation of biological diversity;
• competence in a range of commonly employed field, laboratory and computational methods used in the study of biological diversity; and
• written and oral communication, problem-solving and critical thinking skills that will promote lifelong learning.

COURSE RULE

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants who do not hold the Graduate Certificate in Biodiversity must hold an approved degree with appropriate biological content, or equivalent qualification from an approved tertiary institution.

The Faculty Board may, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature.

PROGRAM OF STUDY [November, 2007]

To qualify for the Graduate Diploma in Biodiversity a student must complete 36 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the following program of study.

Not all topics are necessarily available in a given year.

STREAM 1: TERRESTRIAL BIODIVERSITY

Students must complete 6 units from the following core topics:

BIOD8003	Advanced Skills in Field Ecology*#	6
BIOD8101	Conservation Biology and Restoration Ecology GE*	6

plus 30 units from the following optional topics:

BIOD8005	Advanced Vertebrate Palaeontology	6
BIOD8006	Advanced Community Ecology	6
BIOD8007	Australian Floral Diversity	6
BIOD8008	Australian Reptiles	6
BIOD8009	Biodiversity Research Project A	6
BIOD8010	Australian Birds #	6
BIOD8011	Australian Mammals	6
BIOD8012	Fungal Biodiversity #	6
BIOD8014	Marine Biodiversity	6
BIOD8015	Australian Frogs #	6

STREAM 2: MARINE BIODIVERSITY

Students must complete the following core topic:

BIOD8014

Marine Biodiversity

6

plus 30 units from the following optional topics:

BIOD8005	Advanced Vertebrate Palaeontology	6
BIOD8006	Advanced Community Ecology	6
BIOD8007	Australian Floral Diversity	6
BIOD8008	Australian Reptiles	6
BIOD8009	Biodiversity Research Project A	6
BIOD8010	Australian Birds #	6
BIOD8011	Australian Mammals	6
BIOD8012	Fungal Biodiversity #	6
BIOD8015	Australian Frogs #	6
BIOD8101	Conservation Biology and Restoration Ecology GE*	6

STREAM 3: ECOTOURISM AND BIODIVERSITY

Students must complete 6 units from the following core topics:

BIOD8002	Ecotourism: Principles and Practice*	6
BIOD8101	Conservation Biology and Restoration Ecology GE*	6

plus 30 units from the following optional topics:

BIOD8005	Advanced Vertebrate Palaeontology	6
BIOD8006	Advanced Community Ecology	6
BIOD8007	Australian Floral Diversity	6
BIOD8008	Australian Reptiles	6
BIOD8009	Biodiversity Research Project A	6
BIOD8010	Australian Birds #	6
BIOD8011	Australian Mammals	6
BIOD8012	Fungal Biodiversity #	6
BIOD8014	Marine Biodiversity	6
BIOD8015	Australian Frogs #	6

* Any topic with an asterisk may also be taken as an elective topic if not taken as a core topic.

# Topic not offered in 2008.

Except with permission of the Faculty Board:

• No topic may be attempted more than twice;
• A student may not include a topic which repeats work previously undertaken at the undergraduate level.

There will be some variation in the configuration and timing of the coursework topics, including some topics offered in intensive workshop mode.