Overview 2021
This course may not be available to international students. Please see the International Online Course Guide (PDF 809KB) for courses that are offered to international students
"I chose the University of Tasmania because the course was unlike any other environmental degree. The units are practical, applicable to the real world, and align with my interests. And as someone who loves the outdoors, what better place to be than Tasmania?"
Are you a high-achiever with a passion for the environment and wilderness?
The Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies Catalyst Program combines a Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies with extra experiences, activities and opportunities. It was created for outstanding students, just like you.
Understanding and protecting our environment is a global mission, with local impacts. To get you globally connected, you can apply for the Overseas Exchange Program and spend a semester learning at one of our international partner institutions. If you're accepted to the program, you'll be automatically supported by a $2,500 scholarship.
You can also apply for a Summer Research Project where you will work with a supervisor on a research topic of your choice. Again, upon being accept for a project you'll be supported by an automatic $3,000 scholarship.
You can even graduate with a custom built, multidisciplinary second degree, the high achiever academic extension Bachelor of Philosophy at no extra cost, with just a few additional units.
There is a $7,500 relocation scholarship available for domestic interstate students moving to Tasmania, and a $3,000 bursary for Tasmanian students to support the start of University studies.
If you want to get the most out of your University experience, set yourself apart in your chosen field, and give yourself an edge for future employment, the Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies Catalyst Program is for you.
Course objectives
The Catalyst Program gives you a world-class natural environment and wilderness education including hands-on research and field experiences and enriching overseas exchange and education opportunities.
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
The Catalyst Program is built with practical experience in mind. Field trips, research projects, specialist facilities and laboratories, work integrated learning, industry experience, international travel, and more. When you study with us, your learning experience extends well beyond the classroom.
Tasmania is literally a living laboratory
The University of Tasmania has with 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
Study overseas as part of your degree
Never mind a gap year when you can travel and study overseas and have it count towards your degree! The University exchange program provides students with the opportunity to gain an international experience as part of their current degree, with 150 partner institutes globally across 30+ countries, there is a program type for everyone offering programs from semester length to just 2 week international stints.
The exchange is typically undertaken in your second year, and you'll be fully supported by our dedicated Student Mobility team all the way. Upon successful application to the semester exchange, Catalyst students automatically receive a $3,000 scholarship to assist with costs. Other financial assistance is available for both domestic and international students.
Find out more by visiting the Student Mobility website.
Summer research project
Regardless if you choose to pursue a career in research, the Summer Research Project is a great way to set yourself apart for your future career. You apply to conduct a six to eight week research program on a topic of your choice during the summer, typically between your second and third year. If your is successful, Catalyst students receive a guaranteed $3,000 to assist with costs!
You have the advantage of working in some of Australia's best facilities, with access to leading researchers in whatever field of study you're interested in. This may become a pre-cursor to an honours year, or a great experience to add to your CV, either way it's putting you ahead when it comes to starting your career.
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."
The Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness StudiesCatalyst Program offers outstanding career advantages, giving you an edge over your competitors.
By combining our highly sought after Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies degree with a wealth of extracurricular opportunities, you graduate with a combination of knowledge, skills and experience that truly sets you apart.
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 component of the Catalyst Program normally takes three years to finish and requires the successful 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.
Bachelor of Philosophy
The Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies and Summer Research Project all contribute to the requirements for the Bachelor of Philosophy. This means that by successfully completing the Catalyst Program, you can be a few units away from attaining a second degree for no additional cost
Core Major
Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies
Year 1
This introduction to geography and environmental studies, KGA171 Global Geographies of Change integrates physical and social science inquiry. You study earth evolution, human development and their interaction, in light of questions about sustainability. You apply this knowledge to issues of…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This foundation unit in Geography and Environmental Studies develops yourknowledge of the ways in which people turn space into place, how patterns oflandforms, soils, plants and animals form on the surface of the earth, and howcultures, societies and economies manage,…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Year 2
A field-based unit taught in one of Tasmania’s distinctive island environments. Students who successfully undertake this unit will develop a wide variety of skills in environmental data recording in the context of a project designed both to increase knowledge of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Spring school (late) | ||||
| Launceston | Spring school (late) | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Spring school (late) | ||||
View all details for KGA213 Natural Environment Field Techniques
…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for KGA202 Placing Australia in the Asia-Pacific Region
All aspects of human life are geographical. Our lives take place in space. Spatial practices and ideas are central to individuals and societies: they help determine who and what belongs where, who controls and owns which resources, and who has…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for KGA205 Geographies of Economy, Politics and Culture
…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Year 3
A unit essential for those working towards a career managing natural environments and people in protected areas. For those with other vocational interests, the unit is a way to learn about natural ecosystems and the principles of conservation management. Fire,…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Summer school | ||||
View all details for KGA331 Fire, Weeds and Ferals: Conserving Nature in Protected Areas
This unit introduces legal, administrative, social and scientific aspects of environmental impact assessment (EIA) using case studies. The unit emphasises the practical aspects of environmental impact assessment in Tasmanian contexts, but EIA processes and legislation are similar in many parts…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for KGA300 Geography and Environment Research Project
Political ecology is a diverse area of study, professional practice and activism that integrates issues of justice, sustainability and development. Political ecology seeks explanations of root causes and transformative solutions in relation to environmental problems. Analysing nature and society as…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for KGA308 Political Ecologies of Development
Over six hundred million people live on the world’s 43 island nation-states and on hundreds of sub-national island jurisdictions. The ‘island-continent’ of Australia comprises over 12,000 islands, islets and rocky outcrops, while the island-State of Tasmania is an archipelago of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit will equip students with an interdisciplinary understanding of energy systems. Its focus is on how science and policy are interacting to shape Australia’s energy futures. The Australian energy sector is experiencing a period of change, prompted by the…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for KGA319 Science and Policy for Energy Futures
Human induced climate change is arguably the most serious problem currently facing our planet. Detection and attribution of human induced climate change requires an understanding of the mechanisms of natural climate variability as well as trends in climate. Earth's climate…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Coastlines and river catchments undergo processes of change, bringing complex management issues. Focus is on sedimentary environments of hill slopes, river channels, beaches and estuaries, including natural hazards such as flooding, landslides and coastal erosion. Vulnerability of different types of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit considers strategies to sample, understand, and address geoconservation and geotourism issues. By way of a series of field-based and problem-based learning experiences, you will develop the skills and knowledge to conduct and curate (geo)heritage inventories, assess prospective sites…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 1 | ||||
The conservation of nature needs to occur at the landscape scale as well as within protected areas. Landscapes can be wilderness areas, rural areas with highly varied land use or urban areas. Whatever their type - there are landscape processes,…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Choice of Minor
Earth Sciences
Year 1
Planet Earth is our home planet. It is the Goldilocks planet and the only one in our solar system that is habitable. In our lectures, we will explore our planet in time and space. Together we will examine the processes…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
The unit provides a broad understanding of the dynamic processes that are active at and near the surface of the Earth and is suitable for general science and arts students with an interest in the geological sciences. KEA102 is a…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
Year 2
Have you ever wondered about the tale that can be told by a grain of sand? Or why some volcanoes erupt violently and others effusively? Learn how to unlock the secrets held in minerals and rocks in KEA208. After an…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit provides students with an understanding of geological processes that shape the Earth and the tools and approaches used to map and interpret the geology of the Earth's crust and mantle. The unit provides introductions to structural geology, geophysics,…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
KEA230 provides an introduction to the techniques used in geophysical exploration with emphasis on practical aspects of data acquisition, processing and interpretation. Topics covered include gravity and magnetics, seismic refraction and reflection and electrical geophysics. This unit also provides a…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for KEA230 Introduction to Geophysics and Computer Applications
Marine geoscience is an integration of the disciplines of geology, geophysics and geochemistry. The aim of this course is to provide a broad understanding of the ocean basins and their structure with particular emphasis on the evolution of the oceans…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Emergency Management
Year 1
Emergency management is when our communities, the public sector (governmentagencies), the private sector (businesses) and the not-for-profit sector (charities) worktogether to strengthen society’s capacity to withstand, plan for, respond to and recoverfrom disasters. This unit will provide you with an…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for HSP101 Introduction to Emergency Management
x…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for HSP102 Emergency Management Policy and Governance
Year 2
x…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for HSP218 Decision Making in Emergency Management
This unit examines the application of general management principles to the particular context of emergency management where normal challenges are further complicated by system failures, inadequate information, complex multi-agency and whole of community approaches and a challenging political and social…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Society and Culture
Year 1
Sociology is essential for understanding the turbulence, change, diversity and mobility of the modern world. Sociology offers a precise way to understand, track and assess how ever-changing aspirations, technologies and economies impact on our social relations and cultures. In Sociology…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for HGA101 Sociology: Understanding the Social World
This unit introduces students to central concepts and methods used by sociologists to study society. Like HGA101, this unit develops an understanding of sociology by examining the major social institutions and processes, and sociological modes of inquiry. The unit explores…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for HGA102 Sociology: Experiencing Social Life
This unit provides an introduction to the fundamentals of political science. It introduces students to some of the central ideas, concepts, actors, institutions and processes which characterise politics in democratic nations. It uses examples and case studies from Australia and…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for HPP101 Introduction to Politics and Policy
Provides a detailed introduction to contemporary Aboriginal socio-economic experience across Australia from the final decades of the 20th century. Issues addressed include the extent of Aboriginal disadvantage; the experience of racism; aspects of contemporary Aboriginal cultures; child welfare, health and…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for HAB102 Contemporary Indigenous Australia
Year 2
Statistics generally indicate significant disparities between the health and well-being of Indigenous people and the broader non-Indigenous population in Australia. This unit explores reasons for this situation, including a 'social determinants' approach examining socio-economic, cultural and political factors impacting upon…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for HAB213 Indigenous Australian Health and Well Being
Perspectives on the Social World provides students with an understandingof the concepts and approaches developed by sociologists to explain major socialchanges in Western democracies from the end of the 18th century to the present. Theunit is divided into three parts:…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for HGA202 Perspectives on the Social World
This unit explores broad ranging and contemporary aspects of Australian politics and policy, including democratic principles and Australian institutions, values and Australian culture, the Australian electoral system and campaigns, forms of political representation and the role of lobby groups, the…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
This is the core intermediate unit for any students enrolled in the Bachelor of Justice Studies. The Unit combines knowledge of the international human rights framework with an understanding and appreciation of the complexities inherent in the pursuit of global…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Ecology
Year 1
Biology of Plants is a 1st year core unit for students specialising in plant science, biotechnology, and marine science. In Biology of Plants we introduce you to the origin, diversity, structure and internal processes of plants. In lectures and practical…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
KZA161 Biology of Animals is offered in Attending and Distance mode. In Attending mode, (offered in both Launceston and Hobart) student participation in fortnightly face to face practical classes is compulsory during the semester. Students enrolling in Distance mode will…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit presents series of lectures and associated practical classes introduces fundamentalconcepts in ecology of both plants and animals. It also introduces behavioural andevolutionary ecology and experimental methods. There is a strong emphasis placed ondeveloping skills in practical ecology and…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
Year 2
This core unit provides a broad training in fundamental aspects of population and community ecology and (with other core units in the School of Biological Sciences) forms an essential basis for specialist studies at third year level. This unit focuses…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for KPZ211 Population and Community Ecology
Plants in Action is a core unit for BSc students interested in botany (plant science) and is a valuable component of other biology-related degrees. The unit explores the interaction of plants with the environment at the organism, organ, tissue and…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
KZA212 Functional Biology of Animals is one of two core second year Zoology units providing a broad training in fundamental aspects of zoology, and with KPZ211, forms an essential basis for specialist studies in Zoology at level 3. This unit…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Natural Resource Management
Year 1
Practical, public policy-orientated lectures and workshops will explore a range of topics such as the management of water in a dry county, climate change, energy and biodiversity. This unit explores the concepts and theory for economic analysis, policy and related…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for BEA101 Introduction to Environmental Economics
BEA111 introduces the key concepts in economics, both microeconomics and macroeconomics. It demonstrates how these concepts can be used to describe and explain the decisions of businesses and individuals and their reactions to world events, social and economic change and…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Accelerated Study Period 1 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 1 | ||||
| Hong Kong Universal Ed | Semester 1 | ||||
| Shanghai Ocean University | Shanghai Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for BEA111 Introduction to Markets and the Economy
This unit provides students with an introduction to management concepts, functions and strategies. The unit outlines the key functions of management. The unit then explores the context surrounding management functioning, including an analysis of the broad environment in which organisations…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Accelerated Study Period 1 | ||||
Unravelling, and understanding, the links between the many different components of the systems that comprise tourism is the focus of this unit. The unit will introduce you to the global dimensions of tourism, and help you to understand the scale…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
The unit explores human population growth and the impending global food crisis by introducing agriculture as a managed ecosystem, from the earliest shifting cultivation systems to the most intensive systems currently practiced today. The ecological, economic and social sustainability of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
Year 2
The goal of this unit is to provide a thorough understanding of key topics in environmental and natural resource economics. While the emphasis is on the economic approach to issues and debates on environmental and resource problems, you are provided…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Tourism numbers worldwide are growing at a very fast rate. In 1950 there were 25 million international tourists, i2017, 1,323 million (United Nations World Tourism Organisation 2018). Such a growth is paralleled by changes in the way tourism is developed,…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms- how they work and their role in our world. Microorganisms encompass huge diversity and include bacteria, viruses, fungi and single-celled animals and algae. Although not visible to the naked eye, microorganisms have a profound…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit introduces soils of Tasmania and their formation, fertility, and hydrology. The unit links to concepts important in agronomy and horticulture and it aims to develop an understanding of land and soil resources as assets in Tasmanian landscapes. It…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Microorganisms, though invisibly small, collectively make up the majority of the living matter on Earth and have profound influences on many aspects of our lives. This unit will draw on contemporary, real-world examples to explore the influence and impact of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Spatial Sciences and Statistics
Year 1
Data Handling and Statistics 1 is the first of three applied statistics units offered by the School of Natural Sciences (Mathematics). Statistics is the science of decision making, and as such forms a key foundation of any scientific research. This…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 1 | ||||
Satellite images and aerial photographs are used to observe the earth and its atmosphere. These images are used for mapping and monitoring our natural and human environment. Remote sensing is an exciting field that is constantly changing with regular launches…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used in a wide range of disciplines toinvestigate and display characteristics of data that vary with location. Producing a mapto present spatial information is a skill that is itself valuable to scientists in visualisingsuch data,…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Year 2
Data Handling and Statistics 2 is the second of three applied statistics units offered by the School of Natural Sciences (Mathematics). This unit is designed to extend students' knowledge of statistical data analysis. It builds on the concepts introduced in…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
This unit builds on KGG102 GIS: Introduction and will give you more advanced skills in the analysis and presentation of spatial data. As more businesses and scientists get to grips with the advantages of using GIS to manage and interpret…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit builds on the theory and skills of KGG103 Remote Sensing: Introduction and focuses on advanced aspects of remotely sensed image analysis. These additional remote sensing analysis skills are highly valued by employers in the spatial industry. The unit…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Marine Environments
Year 1
KSA101 will provide a background to the science and management of the seas with focus on Antarctic and Southern Ocean. On the completion of this unit, students will demonstrate a knowledge and comprehension of the contemporary issues facing Antarctic, marine…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for KSA101 Introduction to Marine and Antarctic Science A
This unit introduces students to the science disciplines underpinning the study of marine and Antarctic environments and the application of science to solve problems in marine and Antarctic disciplines. It provides the foundational skills and knowledge for students in the…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for KSA102 Introduction to Marine and Antarctic Science B
KZA161 Biology of Animals is offered in Attending and Distance mode. In Attending mode, (offered in both Launceston and Hobart) student participation in fortnightly face to face practical classes is compulsory during the semester. Students enrolling in Distance mode will…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
Cell Biology, Genetics & Evolution is a core first year unit for BSc students majoring in Plant Science, and important for any student studying Biological Sciences. Cell biology, genetics and evolution are fundamental to an understanding of the processes of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for KPZ164 Cell Biology, Genetics and Evolution
Year 2
Microbiology is the study of single-celled organisms and viruses, which are ubiquitous on Earth and which are intimately involved in our lives, with both good and bad effects. General Microbiology is an introductory unit that gives students an overview of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
Marine geoscience is an integration of the disciplines of geology, geophysics and geochemistry. The aim of this course is to provide a broad understanding of the ocean basins and their structure with particular emphasis on the evolution of the oceans…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
The purpose of the unit is to provide students with an introduction to the ocean, its environments and how they function, including: Geological aspects of ocean basins, the seafloor and marine sediments; Physical processes, including ocean currents and waves; Chemical…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit is designed to expose students to the diversity of views about the state of the marine environment and the impact of extractive industries such as fishing. Students will gain experience exploring relevant questions using a variety of methodological…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for KSM201 Marine Resource Management and Conservation
In Marine and Antarctic Ecosystems you will be introduced to coastal and open ocean ecosystems from the tropics to the poles, covering water-column and benthic communities including reefs and the deep sea. The unit will cover fundamental concepts of marine…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
X…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for KSM203 Environmental and Spatial Data Analysis
Other Core and Electves
Other - Core and Electives
Year 1
Contemporary media is saturated with images of extreme weather events, hunger,poverty, conflict, pollution, austerity, and financial crisis. Mounting evidence suggeststhe 21st century will be defined by unprecedented challenges related to environmentalinstability, economic inequality and risks to social well-being on a…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Year 2
…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for KGA216 Catchment and Coastal Geomorphology
Society needs professional environmental managers who have the knowledge and skills to effectively tackle problems of sustainable resource use, climate change and biodiversity conservation. Environmental managers also play an important role in helping communities identify and move towards sustainable and…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
Year 3
Need help choosing your first year units? Try the Unit Selection Guide.
Entry requirements
Eligibility
We encourage you to apply for the courses you most want to study. If you’re not eligible to enter your chosen course right now, the UTAS admissions team will work with you to find the best pathway option.
Enquire online for advice on the application process and the available pathways to study at UTAS.
Domestic applicants
Domestic applicants who have recently completed secondary education (in the past two years)
Applicants are ranked by ATAR and offers made based on the number of places available. This course is new in 2020. An indicative ATAR for this course is 90.00.
It is recommended that school leavers also include the Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies (P3G) in your preferences when applying.
All other domestic applicants
Please note this course is for school leavers only. Students from other educations backgrounds can apply for the Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies (P3G), exactly the same degree that is in this program.
Special consideration
If your ability to access or participate in education has been affected by circumstances beyond your control, you can apply for special consideration as part of your application. We will consider a range of factors, including economic hardship, serious medical condition or disability.
We can only approve applications for special consideration where we are confident that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in your studies. If your application is not approved, the UTAS admissions team will work with you to find the best alternative pathway to your chosen course. Special consideration is not available for international applicants.
International applicants
Admissions information for international applicants, including English language requirements, is available from the International Future Students site. You can also enquire online to check your eligibility.
Articulation from
This degree does not formally articulate from another degree. See Credit transfer for information on advanced standing from other qualification and experience, or Alternative entry pathways for pathway options into this degree.
Articulation to
Successful completion of this degree meets the entry requirements for the Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies with Honours.
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.
Alternative entry pathways
If you aren’t eligible for an offer to this course you can apply for the Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies (P3G), exactly the same degree that is in this program.
In addition, if you wish to explore extracurricular study opportunities, the overseas study opportunities and Summer Research Program can be applied for independently, should you wish to undertake them.
Detailed Admissions Information
Detailed admissions information and advice for all undergraduate courses, including comprehensive, course-level student profiles, is available from UTAS Admissions.
Fees & scholarships
Domestic students
Domestic students enrolled in a full fee paying place are charged the Student Services and Amenities Fee but this fee is incorporated in the fees you pay for each unit you enrol in. Full fee paying domestic students do not have to make any additional SSAF payments.
Detailed tuition fee information for domestic students is available at the Domestic Student Fees website, including additional information in relation to a compulsory Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
International students
2021 Total Course Fee (international students): $105,456 AUD*.
Course cost based on a rate of $33,950 AUD per standard, full-time year of study (100 credit points).
* Please note that this is an indicative fee only.
International students
International students are charged the Student Services and Amenities Fee but this fee is incorporated in the annual rate. International students do not have to make any additional SSAF payments.
Scholarships
Catalyst Program scholarships
Interstate relocation scholarship (domestic students only)
There is a guaranteed $7,500 relocation scholarship available to domestic students who are relocating from interstate to Tasmania, and are commencing the Catalyst Program for the first time.
The scholarship will be delivered as $2,500 per semester for your first three semesters, provided you are fully enrolled in the Catalyst Program at census date, have successfully passed all your units in each semester.
Tasmanian Catalyst scholarship (domestic students only)
There is a $3,000 bursary available to domestic students from Tasmania to support the commencement of their university studies. The scholarship will be delivered as $1,500 per semester for your first two semesters, provided you are fully enrolled in the Catalyst Program at census date and have successfully passed all your units in each semester
Tasmanian International Scholarship (TIS) (international students only)
The Tasmanian International Scholarship (TIS) provides commencing international students with a 25% reduction in registered tuition fees for the duration of their course (provided satisfactory grades are maintained).
Overseas Exchange Scholarship
The College of Sciences and Engineering will give you a guaranteed $2,500 to assist with costs upon successfully applying for a semester overseas exchange. Note that other sources of funding are also available, including additional scholarships, funds through the Commonwealth OS Help Program and (if eligible). Domestic students can still claim Centrelink payments.
Dean's Summer Research Program
Typically taken in the summer of your third year, you have the opportunity to participate in a six to eight week research program working on a topic of your choice. You will work alongside your supervisor and graduate research students to gain experience in identifying and solving research programs. If your project is accepted for the program. You will need to apply to the program, and if successful, will receive a guaranteed $3,000 scholarship to assist with costs.
Additional scholarships
Each year, the University offers more than 900 awards to students from all walks of life, including those who have achieved high academic results; those from low socio-economic backgrounds; students with sporting ability; students undertaking overseas study; and students with a disability.
Although you receive guaranteed scholarships as part of the Catalyst Program, you can still apply for others. For information on all scholarships available at the University of Tasmania, please visit the scholarships website.
Applications for most awards commencing in Semester 1 open at the beginning of August and close strictly on 31 October in the year prior to study.
Important eligibility information
Program participants will be required to fulfil all the Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies and, if applicable, Bachelor of Philosophy requirements.
How can we help?
Do you have any questions about choosing a course or applying? Get in touch.
- Domestic
- 1300 363 864
- International
- +61 3 6226 6200
- Course.Info@utas.edu.au
- Online
- Online enquiries