P3G Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies

The information on this page is for current students. If you are applying for our next intake, please view our active course offerings here.

Overview 2020

Entry Requirements: See entry requirements

Duration: Minimum 3 Years, up to a maximum of 7 Years
Duration
Duration refers to the minimum and maximum amounts of time in which this course can be completed. It will be affected by whether you choose to study full or part time, noting that some programs are only available part time.

Location

Hobart: Semester 1, Semester 2
Launceston: Semester 1, Semester 2

Commonwealth Supported places available

This course may not be available to international students. Please see the list of distance courses (i.e. online and taken outside Australia) that are offered to international students

"I chose the University of Tasmania because it offers such a practical Natural Environment and Wilderness studies course, there is a lot of field work and everything is right at your door."

David Heaton
Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies student

Due to the circumstances around COVID-19, you will begin your studies online. However, when Government guidelines change, on-campus studies will be reintroduced.

A Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies gives you a broad, multi-disciplinary approach to understanding and tackling environmental issues, and develops your skills to build a better future for us all.

Nature, and especially wild nature, has become increasingly important for human mental and physical well-being. At the same time, it is fast being displaced, degraded and destroyed. An ability to think critically and creatively across disciplines, in the intersection between nature and human society, is vital for informing the management, protection, and use of the natural environment. People with this knowledge will work to protect and restore nature on our one planet.

There is no better place to study natural environments and wilderness than Tasmania. Our state is a living laboratory, with a fifth of it in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Areas, and 42% in protected areas, plus all accessible straight from the campus door. Tasmania also offers a vibrant variety of urban, social, and environmental enjoyments and issues to engage with, learn from, and live amongst.

This wide, interdisciplinary degree will enable you to contribute your skills and experience to a wide variety of occupations in a wide variety of places. Every nation, regardless of their level of development, has a natural environment which must be managed and protected.

Course objectives

This degree combines a breadth of environment-related disciplines plus gives you the option to widen your studies and include other approaches to the study of wilderness and natural environments.

It is a practical, field-focused degree, providing many options related to the management of the natural environment and environmental policy.

The structure of the degree ensures that you gain a broad cross-disciplinary understanding of the natural environments and wilderness, while being able to specialise in areas of interest. In addition to specialist knowledge and skills, this degree also develops a wide range of general abilities applicable to careers across any sector, including communication, data collection, fieldwork, analysis, information retrieval and presentation, planning and policy development.

Graduates will be able to draw on their multidisciplinary range of knowledge and skills as they seek to address complex socio-environmental problems that have no obvious solution, and often generate considerable public interest. For example, we know that communicating climate change science is only part of the challenge and that professionals working in this area need to be able to navigate politics and social values to effect change.

You could also look to address challenges where the solution involves an understanding of multiple disciplines such as ecology, planning, and environmental impact processes, and the ability to engage with a range of stakeholders who all have different views and experience levels based, such as helping maintain healthy populations of endangered species like eagles.

Graduates are forging their way into their dream jobs, traversing landscapes ranging from sheep farms to World Heritage areas to suburban bushland, where they work indoors and outdoors on challenges that are close to their hearts and move us into a kinder era of environmental stewardship.

Learning outcomes

Gather, synthesise and critically evaluate information on natural environments and their relationships with people, by: demonstrating a capability to access information relevant to a problem; drawing out the major themes and connections; assessing the reliability and specificity of the information.
Demonstrate a well‐developed knowledge of the physical geography, politics and management of natural environments and wilderness by: articulating aspects of this knowledge on short notice; writing about aspects of this knowledge on short notice.
Professionally apply spatial, scientific and social science techniques and tools to answer questions related to the conservation and exploitation of natural environments by: demonstrating capability to produce publishable outcomes from research; demonstrating ability to produce professional documents; demonstrating ability to produce policy documents.
Effectively communicate about natural environments with other professionals and the public by: communicating data, information or recommendations to a range of audiences, for a range of purposes, and using a variety of modes; listening to, evaluating, and responding appropriately to the views of others.
Undertake and critique environmental assessments and formulate and critique natural environment management plans by: engaging in processes to produce environmental assessments in a realistic context; engaging in producing natural environmental management plans in a real world context.
Work ethically, effectively, responsibly, respectfully and safely in natural environments by: being independent and self-directed learners; working effectively, responsibly and safely in an individual or team context; understanding the ethical responsibilities and regulatory frameworks relevant to working in the environmental science professions.

Practical experience

Your study experience will be a combination of classroom, laboratory and in-the-field learning in the inspiring landscapes of Tasmania.

Tasmania is literally a living laboratory

The University of Tasmania has six diverse ecosystems all within 30 minutes of the Sandy Bay campus, and the world’s second largest temperate rainforest only an hour away. We’re the gateway to Antarctica and, as the birthplace of the green movement, celebrate our biodiversity and environmental sustainability. Many of your classes will be conducted outside in this natural environment, and your proximity to a wide range of pristine, diverse environments, and the researchers who travel from around the world to work in them, give you unparalleled practical field experience while you study. Plus, it makes Tasmania an amazing place to live!

Learn from the best, and learn by doing

Our world-class teaching staff bring their cutting-edge findings and examples to your lessons. And not just in the laboratory and classroom, but outside doing real-world tasks such as environment management plans and heritage assessments. Research in scientific fields of agriculture, chemistry, earth sciences, ecology, environmental science and management, fisheries sciences, oceanography, physical geography, plant biology, and zoology is ranked well above world-class*, meaning that you’re learning from some of the best in the world in the same environment where they conduct their world-class research.

*Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) 2018 National Report

STEM Student Ambassadors

Students can also serve as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Student Ambassadors. The goals of the program are to provide exceptional STEM education, outreach and community engagement in schools and elsewhere. The program provides opportunities and experiences that will lead to personal and professional growth for participants, particularly improving public speaking skills.

Study overseas at one of our partner institutions

Our international exchange program offers opportunities to study at universities around the world, and it counts towards your degree. Exchange can allow you to have an affordable educational and cultural experience in a foreign country for a semester, or a full year. To facilitate this, we offer a range of scholarships and financial assistance. You may also be eligible for OS-HELP Loans or scholarship funding to assist with their airfares, accommodation and other expenses.

Find out more about Student Exchange.

Work placement

Units in this degree, including KGA331 Fire, Weeds and Ferals and KGA381 Environmental Impact Assessment involve you working with teams of students, undertaking intensive field work, and producing natural environment management plans. These plans are often utilised by the owners and managers of the land on which the students are assessing, providing direct benefit to the environment and community while you study.

Career outcomes

"The multi-disciplinary content of the Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies has provided an excellent basis for working with diverse groups on improving ecological management."

Dr Steve Leonard, Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies graduate

This interdisciplinary degree provides you with the knowledge and skills to gain employment in a wide variety of sectors related to natural environments and wilderness, vital as we continue to expand our presence on the earth and need to live in harmony with the natural environment to ensure our survival.

Opportunities include nature-based tourism, natural area management and natural area interpretation, across government, private and not for profit industries.

The broad nature of the degree also provides more general employability in the same way as the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts. The skills you learn are applicable to industries and sectors all over the world. Anywhere there is interaction with the natural environment, your skills and knowledge can be utilised.

Career opportunities with natural environment and wilderness studies include:

Environmental protection
Environmental organisations and consultancies
Land and heritage management
Nature-based and eco-tourism
Parks planning and management
Resource-based industries such as forestry
Natural resource management

Postgraduate study

If you successfully complete this course, you may be also be eligible to apply for a range of other postgraduate courses including Graduate Certificates and Graduate Diplomas and Masters by coursework and research. Filter the Course list by Postgraduate to view the current courses available.

Course structure

The Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies usually takes three years to finish and requires the completion of 24 units.

Core units, combined with the Natural Environment and Wilderness major, give you a solid foundation in the relationships between people and the rest of nature and developing knowledge, experience and skills in natural environments and wilderness.

You can also customise your degree by selecting one minor from a range of environment related topics:

Earth Sciences

Learn how the rocks, sediments and soils that make up the surface of the earth have formed and how they can be conserved. The University of Tasmania is one of the few places that you can study geoheritage and learn to manage some of the non-living aspects of our natural environments. As well as an understanding of the earth and its processes, this is firmly situated in a management and conservation context (Hobart).

Ecology

Learn about the ways in which living things interact with their environment. You will study climate, soil, flora, fauna and geology, and have many opportunities to do fieldwork in a diversity of landscape. Our staff include Aboriginal Tasmanians who can give a deep perspective of place and value that is important for managing our environment. All these different skills and knowledge fit together to help make good decisions for maintaining landscape values, such as biodiversity (Hobart).

Emergency Management

Emergency Management is one of the essential activities of any organisation and especially those involved with managing the potential environmental consequences as a result of disasters impacting the wilderness. This involves the plans, structures and arrangements which are established to bring together the endeavours of those involved in a comprehensive and coordinated way to deal with the whole spectrum of environmental disasters.

Natural Resource Management

Learn about resource economics and the conservation of nature in productive landscapes. From wood to wool production, you will learn in the field and from people who have close connections with primary producers, regulators and other land managers. This minor will appeal to a range of people who want to work to balance conservation with production (Hobart).

Marine Environments

Conservation of marine ecosystems is becoming more important as the climate changes and resources and environments are under increasing pressure. Learn how these ecosystems work and the challenging problems in their ongoing management. We tackle these issues from an integrated perspective that includes physical, regulatory and social – all of which are important for getting good environments outcomes (Launceston, Hobart).

Society and Culture

Learn about the ways that politics, social systems and cultural beliefs affect the nature of our environment, and our ability to successfully manage it around the world). You will explore a range of complex problems, such as food security, energy futures, and climate warming, using a variety of tools including fieldwork and case studies. There is a growing understanding that professionals who are skilled at engaging with a range of stakeholders to manage and plan for wicked problems are key for meaningful change (Launceston, Hobart).

Spatial Sciences and Statistics

Develop critically important skills in using statistics, mapping techniques and remote sensing to improve policy, best practice, environmental protection, and ultimately, create better environmental outcomes. Many environmental management professions require a familiarity with managing and displaying data, particularly in Geographic Information Systems where maps can convey so much valuable and accessible information. A range of challenges like bushfire and other emergencies require quantitative and mapping skills but planning for medium and longer term change also requires a sound evidence-base (Hobart).

In addition, you can choose over a third of your units from the rich variety of offerings in the university as a whole, potentially even a six-month exchange overseas if you are interested. This provides you with both a solid foundation of learning, plus the ability to customise with multi-disciplinary perspectives towards your desired career.

Core Major

Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies

Year 1

KGA171

Location	Study period	Attendance options		Available to
Hobart	Spring school (late)
Launceston	Spring school (late)
Cradle Coast	Spring school (late)

Location	Study period	Attendance options		Available to
Hobart	Semester 1
Hobart	Semester 2
Launceston	Semester 1
Launceston	Semester 2

Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies (P3G)

Overview 2020

Entry Requirements

Duration

Duration

Location

Tasmania is literally a living laboratory

Learn from the best, and learn by doing

STEM Student Ambassadors

Study overseas at one of our partner institutions

Career outcomes

Postgraduate study

Course structure

Earth Sciences

Ecology

Emergency Management

Natural Resource Management

Marine Environments

Society and Culture

Spatial Sciences and Statistics

Global Geographies of Change

Space, Place and Nature

Natural Environment Field Techniques

Placing Australia in the Asia-Pacific Region

Geographies of Economy, Politics and Culture

Place and Landscape in Tasmania

Fire, Weeds and Ferals: Conserving Nature in Protected Areas

Environmental Impact Assessment

Geography and Environment Research Project

Political Ecologies of Development

Geographies of Island Places

Science and Policy for Energy Futures

Our Changing Climate

Rivers and Coasts

Geoheritage and Geotourism

Conserving Nature in Landscapes

Understanding Earth Systems

Earth Resources, Environments and Evolution

Earth's Materials and Interior

Earth's Surface

Introduction to Geophysics and Computer Applications

Marine Geosciences

Year 1

Introduction to Emergency Management

Emergency Management Policy and Governance

Year 2

Decision Making in Emergency Management

Emergency Management Cycle

Sociology: Understanding the Social World

Sociology: Experiencing Social Life

Introduction to Politics and Policy

Contemporary Indigenous Australia

Indigenous Australian Health and Well Being

Perspectives on the Social World

Australian Politics and Policy

Key Concepts in Social Justice

Biology of Plants

Biology of Animals

Ecology

Population and Community Ecology

Plants in Action

Functional Biology of Animals

Introduction to Environmental Economics

Introduction to Markets and the Economy

Introduction to Management

Dynamics of Tourism

Sustainable Resource Management

Ecological Economics

Sustainable Tourism

Microbiology

Soil, Nutrients and Water

Microbes and Man

Data Handling and Statistics 1

Remote Sensing: Introduction

GIS: Introduction

Data Handling and Statistics 2

GIS: Spatial Analysis

Remote Sensing: Image Analysis

Introduction to Marine and Antarctic Science A

Introduction to Marine and Antarctic Science B