Overview 2024
Location
- What is an ATAR
- Course rules
- CRICOS: 113033G
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For years prior to 2015, please view the Course and Unit Handbook Archive
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In your first two years of study, in the Bachelor of Natural Environments and Conservation, you will develop ways of thinking, integrative knowledge, and practical field skills that enable you to tackle problems in conservation and environmental management. In your third year of study, you begin your Master of Protected Area Conservation studies which is designed to provide you with professional knowledge and skills specific to managing the significant global estate of protected areas.
You will apply these skills in governance, planning, and management to address complex conservation problems across landscapes and within protected areas. Collectively, the vertical double Bachelor Natural Environments and Conservation – Master of Protected Area Conservation provides you with the hard science, field techniques, and management skills needed to be employed in your preferred roles in conservation and environmental management.
You will be taught by experts in environmental science, ecology, and conservation biology who will guide you through your studies and share their knowledge and experiences with you. You will have access to state-of-the-art technology, and participate in field trips, practical exercises, and research projects that will enable you to put theory into practice.
With half the state in reserves and approximately half the area of these reserves being world heritage, Tasmania is the ideal place to undertake a degree focused on protected area governance and management. Within half an hour from the Hobart campus, we access marine, coastal, heathland, wetland, grassland, woodland, dry eucalypt, wet eucalypt, rainforest, subalpine and alpine natural environments, as well as urban nature. You will gain a deep understanding of the natural environment and the ways in which we can protect and preserve it for future generations. You will explore the complex relationships between humans and the environment, and learn how to balance economic, social, and environmental considerations when making decisions about land management and conservation.
Learning Outcomes
Practical experience
Place-based learning experiences are available in most units to allow for exploration of Tasmania's unique environments and world leading protected area conservation practices.
Experiential learning is facilitated through field components within the core units, which involve practical experience of working on world activities in natural environments.
Work placement
Workplace learning opportunities exist throughout the course through extensive use of real-world case studies, collaborations with industry (particularly local NGOs and government) and a lot of active problem solving.
The capstone KGA709 work placement unit offers the opportunity for you to focus on your passion and work with industry directly.
You will also have the opportunity to customise your learning through an elective unit facilitating exploration of conservation topics in Tasmania as well as a capstone professional placement unit your the final year of study.
This course has industry partnerships with Conservation Management Partners to co-deliver a capstone workshop in KGA531, an industry partnership with TLC to deliver a work placement project through KGA709 and is continuously building additional partnerships for similar work placement experiences.
Career outcomes
After graduation, you will have the skills to gain employment in a variety of areas including environmental advocacy, park management and planning, natural environment interpretation, environmental assessment, natural environmental research, environmental management, natural resource management, policy development and business enterprises, particularly those associated with natural area tourism.
This course has been designed to meet international competencies for protected area planners specified by the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, with a particular focus on middle and senior governance and management roles. This means you will graduate with the full range of required skills for protected area planners and managers in senior roles.
Whether you aspire to work in a government agency, a non-governmental organization, or in private industry, this course will prepare you with the skills and knowledge needed to make a positive impact on the natural world. With a Bachelor of Natural Environments and Wilderness - Master of Protected Area Conservation, you will be equipped to make a difference in the world and contribute to a sustainable future for all.
Course structure
The Bachelor of Natural Environments and Conservation component requires the completion of 250 credit points comprising:
· 100 credit point Major
· 100 credit points of Core units
· 50 credit points of Elective units
The major in Natural Environment Management and the core units ensure both a breadth and depth of relevant knowledge.
In your Elective component you can choose from any units marked as "Student Electives" which you meet the pre-requisites for, at any level, from across the university. To search for possible Elective units, use the Unit Search tool to search by the discipline that you are interested in.
Your electives can be used to add breadth to your degree, by exploring a variety of different subject areas from within or outside the College of Sciences and Engineering. Alternatively, you can deepen your engagement with specific subject areas, for example, by completing additional units in the same discipline as your major or related fields.
Progression to Master of Protected Area Conservation (Year 3)To progress into the Master of Protected Area Conservation component of the course students must attain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 5 or above (Credit average) in the first 200 credit points of undergraduate study.
The Master of Protected Area Conservation requires the completion of 150 credit points comprising:
· 100 credit points of Core units which includes a 12.5 credit point “Exploring Conservation in Tasmania” unit
· 50 credit points - Professional or Research Pathway.
If a student meets the requirements for entry into our independent research stream, then the units KGA742 Research Thesis A and KGA743 Research Thesis B will replace KGA703 Professional Research Methods and KGA704 Professional Research Practice. The independent research stream requires a coursework average of 75% or over in the first year of the Master of Protected Area Conservation (full-time equivalent) and approval of a research topic from both a supervisor and the Unit Co-ordinator.
We have a team of Course Information Officers available to help you structure your studies to meet your desired outcomes. For enrolment assistance please contact us via U Connect today.
Bachelor of Natural Environments and Conservation
Core Units
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 | ||||
Online | Semester 1 |
View all details for KGA205 Geographies of Economy, Politics and Culture
A field-based unit taught in one of Tasmania’s distinctive natural 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 | ||||
Hobart | Spring school (late) | ||||
Launceston | Spring school (late) | ||||
Cradle Coast | Spring school (late) |
View all details for KGA213 Natural Environment Field Techniques
This unit develops your ability to integrate theoretical knowledge, methodological approaches, and practical skills for undertaking research and practise in human geography and other social science fields. With a focus on researching island places and peoples, you will develop an…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Spring school (extended) |
View all details for KGA318 Researching Geographies of Island Places
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 is designed to give students a general overview of spatial information and its applications. Spatial information is becoming an increasingly prevalent part of our daily lives. The ability to incorporate spatial information into various applications is a valuable…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
Online | Semester 1 |
View all details for KGG102 Introduction to Spatial Information
This unit aims to provide you with an understanding of fundamental concepts in ecology focusing on the ways in which organisms interact with their environment. It will explore this organism-environment interaction at different levels of biological organisation – from individuals…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Launceston | Semester 2 |
Core Option Unit
This unit introduces students to the idea of ecosystem services by exploring the benefits that nature provides for people. Whether these benefits are traded in markets or occur in non-market settings, the ecosystem service framework is key to sustainable management…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Online | Semester 2 |
In this unit, you are invited to engage with Indigenous realities through an Indigenous lens. Using the key concept of Lifeworld, you will journey into Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing, with a particular focus on the perspectives and…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Online | Semester 2 |
View all details for HOS113 Introducing Indigenous Lifeworlds
This unit examines policy and governance in emergency management. Students will examine policy and governance frameworks and structures from a local, state, national and international perspective. The unit will explore the policy and governance processes, structures and frameworks that span…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Online | Semester 2 |
View all details for HSP102 Emergency Management Policy and Governance
Planet Earth has been shaped over 4.5 billion years by ever-changing dynamic processes. These processes can help us to understand how the Earth formed, has evolved, and will continue to change, from its deep internal structure to its more familiar…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Online | Semester 1 |
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 | ||||
Online | Semester 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 | ||||
Online | Semester 1 | ||||
Online | Semester 2 |
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 | ||||
Online | Semester 1 |
View all details for KSA101 Introduction to Marine and Antarctic Science A
BNatEnvCons Major
Natural Environment Management
This major provides graduates with the knowledge and skills to gain employment in a wide variety of sectors related to the natural environment and wild country. Through guided study, authentic experience and practice it enables students to understand the reciprocal relationships between people and wild nature and ways in which wild nature can be managed and interpreted by people.
Year 1
KGA171 Global Geographies of Change introduces you to the study of geography and environment by considering the critical intersections of climate, hazards, vulnerability, and sustainability alongside pressing issues related to population, development, and territory. In this unit, you will develop…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
Online | Semester 1 |
This introductory unit develops your knowledge of how people depend on nature, and how increasingly the conservation of nature depends on people. We will explore these relationships through a values lens: how nature is important for its own sake, how…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
Online | Semester 2 |
Year 2
The physical and living aspects of the global environment interact to produce the extraordinary variety of landscapes, ecosystems and species that occupy this planet. This unit highlights the interplay and conservation of controlling processes so that they continue to maintain…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
Online | Semester 1 |
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 | ||||
Online | Semester 2 |
Year 3
Political ecology is a diverse area of study, professional practice and activism that integrates the pursuit of justice, sustainability and development. Political ecology builds intellectual and emotional clarity by unearthing root causes of environmental problems and guiding transformative actions to…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Online | Semester 2 |
View all details for KGA308 Political Ecologies of Development
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 is a…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Online | Semester 2 |
Human activity has altered fifty percent of the Earth's surface, leading to various consequences, both positive and negative, on our landscapes. However, the opportunities to explore, conserve, and appreciate pristine and exposed landscapes are growing, giving rise to the fields…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
Online | Semester 1 |
This unit introduces legal, administrative, social and scientific aspects of environmental impact assessment using case studies. The unit emphasises the practical aspects of environmental impact assessment in Tasmanian contexts, but environmental impact assessment processes and legislation are similar in many…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Online | Semester 2 |
BNatEnvCons Electives
Master of Protected Area Conservation
Core
Organisations impact, and are impacted by, the societies in which they operate. That is, they are part of a broader social system. Society generally, and different groups of stakeholders specifically, expect an organisation to accept various responsibilities with respect to…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
Online | Semester 1 | ||||
Online | Semester 2 | ||||
Online | Term 3 | ||||
ECA Melbourne | Semester 2 |
View all details for BFA758 Organisational Social Responsibilities
This unit provides students with a practical understanding of key systems for protected area planning and management. Terrestrial, freshwater and marine protected areas are considered. The global context of protected areas is analysed, including issues of definition, scope and governance.…
Credit Points: 25
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Online | Semester 2 |
View all details for KGA517 Protected Area Planning and Management Systems
This unit provides you with the knowledge and practical skills to prepare management plans for protected areas. Particular emphasis will be given to accessing and deploying information; community engagement and collaboration; and developing plans that support an adaptive approach to…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Online | Summer school |
In this unit you will develop the knowledge and skills needed to undertake planning for protected area systems. We will explore the frameworks, processes and methods used to identify areas for inclusion in national reserve systems. Students will have the…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Online | Winter school |
Students in this unit will undertake the equivalent of an unpaid, professional placement of 80 hours duration, which gives them a work integrated learning experience – providing intended learning outcomes that could reasonably be expected from a placement within a…
Credit Points: 25
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Online | Semester 2 |
MPACons Exploring Conservation in Tasmania
This unit will explore the origins, elements and tensions inherent in sustainable tourism. You will explore the relevance of sustainable development to tourism, its application and the tensions that arise when theory is applied to practice. The unit will also…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 1 |
Unit Aim: To provide the student with the principles and practices necessary for the planning and management of marine protected areas. Within this unit students will study protected area management from a regulator’s perspective, covering the following broad concepts: 1.…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Online | Semester 1 |
View all details for JFA533 Marine Protected Area Management
As more businesses and scientists adopt geographical information systems (GIS), there is increasing demand for graduates with strong skills in collecting, managing, analysing, and visualising spatial datasets. GIS and spatial analysis skills will be indispensable for almost all careers in…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Online | Semester 2 |
View all details for KGG540 Environmental Geographic Information Science B
The unit provides an overview and instruction in a broad range of topics related to the marine and Antarctic environments. In IMAS, study and research are both discipline-based and multi-disciplinary—the latter reflecting the true nature of collaboration and cooperation in…
Credit Points: 12.5
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 2 |
View all details for KSA726 Marine and Antarctic Environments and their Management
Professional or Research Pathway
Professional Pathway
Professional Pathway
This unit focuses on learning research methods to solve real problems. You will come to understand how to design research, define an argument in response to the problems, use scholarly databases, consider ethical issues in data collection, generate field data,…
Credit Points: 25
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Online | Semester 2 |
This unit provides postgraduate students with the skills and knowledge to undertake policy-based research - a key transferable employability skill. Practical skills development focuses on undertaking research to inform evidence-based policy positions for a topical real-world issue. Upon completing this…
Credit Points: 25
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Online | Semester 1 |
Research Pathway
The independent research stream requires a coursework average of 75% or over to be achieved in the first year and approval of a research topic from both a supervisor and the Unit Co-ordinator.
Research Pathway
Research and project management skills are core professional competencies. Undertaking a thesis as part of your Masters will equip you with the experience needed to undertake research independently or as part of a team, and the skills to design and…
Credit Points: 25
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Online | Semester 1 | ||||
Online | Semester 2 |
Research and project management skills are core professional competencies. Undertaking a thesis as part of your Masters will equip you with the experience needed to undertake research independently or as part of a team, and the skills to design and…
Credit Points: 25
Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Online | Semester 1 | ||||
Online | Semester 2 |
Entry requirements
For Domestic students
Domestic applicants who recently completed secondary education
Applicants are ranked by ATAR and offers made based on the number of places available. This course has a Guaranteed ATAR of 65.
In 2022, the lowest ATAR to receive an offer into this course was 60.20. The lowest ATAR to receive an offer may change from year to year based on the number of applications we receive.
Applicants who have recently completed senior secondary studies but have not received an ATAR may still be eligible for admission. We will consider your subject results on a case-by-case basis when we assess your application.
Domestic applicants with higher education study
To be eligible for an offer, applicants must have:
- Partially completed an undergraduate course at Diploma level or higher (or equivalent). Applicants must have completed at least two units of study (equivalent to 25 UTAS credit points). If an applicant has failed any units the application may be subject to further review before an offer is made; OR
- Completed the UTAS University Preparation Program (or an equivalent qualification offered by an Australian University).
Domestic applicants with VET / TAFE study
To be eligible for an offer, applicants must have completed a Certificate IV (or equivalent) in any discipline.
Domestic applicants with work and life experience
Applicants without senior secondary, tertiary or VET / TAFE study can complete a personal competency statement.
Applicants may be eligible for an offer if they have relevant work and / or life experiences which demonstrate a capacity to succeed in this course.
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 for special consideration, including economic hardship, a 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.
Progression to Master of Protected Area Conservation
To progress into the Master of Protected Area Conservation component of the course students must attain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 5 or above (Credit average) in the first 200 credit points of undergraduate study. If students do not meet this GPA requirement they will be transferred into the Bachelor of Natural Environments and Conservation with full credit. On completion of the Bachelor of Natural Environments and Conservation they may apply to return and commence the Master of Protected Area Conservation as they have completed an undergraduate Bachelor degree which is the requirement for entry into MPACons.
For International students
Applicants must achieve the required grade in their qualifying studies, meet any prerequisite subjects, and meet English language requirements to be eligible for an offer.
Admission to undergraduate courses at the University of Tasmania requires the completion of qualifications equivalent to a 12th year of education in Australia. Please review the equivalent undergraduate entry requirements to see the minimum requirement relevant to your country. The ATAR information for this course is located in the “For Domestic Students” section of the entry requirements on this page.
English Language Requirements
For students who do not meet the English Language Requirement through citizenship or prior studies in English in an approved country, evidence of an approved English language test completed within the last 2 years must be provided. See the English Language Requirements page for more information.
Course Specific Requirements
International applicants who are nationals of and currently reside in a country where English is not the official language require an IELTS of 6.5 with no individual band less than 6.0 or equivalent.
Progression to Master of Protected Area Conservation
To progress into the Master of Protected Area Conservation component of the course students must attain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 5 or above (Credit average) in the first 200 credit points of undergraduate study. If students do not meet this GPA requirement they will be transferred into the Bachelor of Natural Environments and Conservation with full credit. On completion of the Bachelor of Natural Environments and Conservation they may apply to return and commence the Master of Protected Area Conservation as they have completed an undergraduate Bachelor degree which is the requirement for entry into MPACons.
Credit transfer
The maximum credit granted will be in accordance with the limits set down in the Student Participation and Attainment Ordinance. Credit for appropriate studies completed at TAFE and/or other university courses may be granted. Students can apply for advanced standing as part of the application process, or it can be assessed independently via a separate application.
Articulation
Graduates are eligible to apply for a Research Higher Degree program, including PhD, if they complete the research pathway in the last year of their course.
On completion of the equivalent of 300cp which includes the core and major units of the BNatEnvCons, students can exit with a BNatEnvCons.
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
Cost shouldn’t get in the way of you studying.
If you’re a domestic student, you may be eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place in this course. This means your fees will be subsidised by the Australian Government. You’ll only need to pay the student contribution amount for each unit you study within the course.
You may also be able to defer payment of the student contribution amount by accessing a HECS-HELP loan from the Government. If eligible, you’ll only have to pay your tuition fees once you start earning above a specific amount.
Further information is available at Scholarships, fees and costs.
Student contributionStudent contribution amounts are charged for each unit of study. This means that how much you’ll pay will depend on which units you choose. Find out more about student contribution amounts.
Further informationDetailed fee information for domestic students is available at Scholarships, fees and costs, including additional information in relation to the compulsory Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
International students
2024 Total Course Fee (international students): $153,635 AUD*.
Course cost based on a rate of $36,450 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
For information on general scholarships available at the University of Tasmania, please visit the scholarships website.
How can we help?
Do you have any questions about choosing a course or applying? Get in touch.
- Domestic
- 13 8827 (13 UTAS)
- International
- +61 3 6226 6200
- Course.Info@utas.edu.au
- Online
- Online enquiries