Overview 2023
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
View archived years for this course
For years prior to 2015, please view the Course and Unit Handbook Archive
View the current year's course page
Lisa studied the Science of Gardening unit available in the Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainable Living and it has changed the way she sees the environment around her.
"I love the way this unit has been structured, with modules, chapters, activities, videos, other readings and quizzes. It makes the unit easy to follow, to keep up and most importantly be engaged. I am constantly looking at my garden and other gardens in different ways!"
- Lisa G, Sustainable Living Student.
Throughout this course, you’ll learn practical knowledge about sustainability, and how to apply it to in your home, community, business or social enterprise.
The Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainable Living aims to give you a better understanding of your connection to sustainability as an individual, consumer, employee or citizen, and to enable you to make informed personal choices through being able to explain the key elements of sustainable living in contemporary society.
Study without tuition fees in 2023
Domestic students commencing the Undergraduate Certificate in 2023 may be eligible to receive a 100% HECS fee waiver. This means you can study the certificate without any tuition fees. HECS fee waivers will be automatically applied on enrolment.
Learning Outcomes
Practical experience
The practical experiences of this Certificate will depend on your choice of units. You could be:
- growing a bigger, healthier and more productive garden thanks to your understanding of the Science of Gardening
- using the principles of Sustainable Design for Houses to inform your house renovations with a focus on improving impact on the environment and your health
- identifying a range of fish species commonly caught in Australian recreational fisheries, as taught in the Science of Fishing unit
- Engaging in your community, exploring your local environment, and much more!
Career outcomes
Upon completing your Undergraduate Certificate of Sustainable Living, you will possess new skills, outlooks on living, and a deeper understanding of sustainability in an ever changing world which will complement your existing career direction.
Careers relating to Sustainable Living are also growing across many industries. If you wish to continue your studies towards a career in sustainability. the Diploma of Sustainable Living is available to help you further your skills and knowledge, further customising your learning journey towards a sustainability path that aligns with your interests.
Course structure
To graduate with the Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainable Living, you must complete the core unit, Communicating Sustainability, along with 3 elective units.
Core Unit
Sustainability is a central concept for communities pursuing social and economic goals within ecological limits. Yet the different ways sustainability is defined, communicated and enacted reflects the wide range of underlying values, perspectives and priorities at stake. In this unit,…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
Elective Units
Now, more than ever, everyone needs the skills to communicate and work effectively across different cultural systems, values, perspectives and behaviours—whether these differences arise from national, Indigenous, religious, ethnic, workplace or other cultural contexts. This includes developing the capacity to…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Health Study Period 1 | ||||
View all details for CZZ104 Living and Working with Cultural Diversity
This unit aims to develop an awareness of environmental and human health impacts of housing in order to inform critical and creative decision-making in the design and renovation of houses. You will explore how housing affects our own health and…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for KDA101 Introduction to Sustainable Design for Houses
This unit will build on your practical knowledge of sustainable design for houses, expanding your thinking to houses within landscapes - both natural and constructed - and interacting with climate, biodiversity, human health and urban and regional food systems. You…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for KDA102 Sustainable Design for Houses and Landscapes
Human-induced climate change is the most serious problem currently facing our planet - a global problem with increasingly obvious local impacts. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has said that the next 10 years will be critical to averting…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for KGA104 Introduction to the Science of Climate Change
The course of climate change can be altered, and science tells us the next decade will be crucial. Averting a climate catastrophe depends on rapid action to reduce greenhouse gases, as well as widespread adaptation to minimise the impact of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
In this unit, we are going to explore the science underlying what you do in your garden, why your plants respond to your gardening, and how plants grow and reproduce. What we hope that you will gain, is a much…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Winter school (late) | ||||
| Online | 12 Week Session Dec | ||||
This unit aims to develop your awareness of the ecological processes operating in your garden, to assist informed decision making about garden design and management. You will explore the environmental parameters of your garden (e.g. macro and microclimate, geology, and…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | 11 Week Session Apr | ||||
| Online | 11 Week Session Oct | ||||
Biodiversity is a critical component of sustainable living and is central to several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. At a local scale, biodiversity is important for healthy and sustainable living, and due to the complexity of biodiversity issues…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Winter school (late) | ||||
| Online | Spring school (extended) | ||||
| Online | 11 Week Session Feb | ||||
Living with Fire is a level-100 unit offered as part of the Diploma of Sustainable Living. Fire has shaped the evolution of the world we see around us and is fundamental to life. Yet wildfire can also be devastating to…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Spring school (extended) | ||||
In this unit you will not only learn about the science behind fishing techniques and how these interact with the biology and behaviour of a species, but also how recreational fisheries are sustainably managed and how you can be a…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
The challenge of ensuring adequate and sustainable food production and equitable access to food for a diverse human population in the 21st century is crucial and profoundly complex. This unit helps you contribute to meeting this challenge. The interdisciplinary skills…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
Earth is a lively and dynamic planet that is undergoing rapid changes wrought by the activities of humans. In what ways are these changes impacting on us and other species? Are we precipitating another mass extinction; the 6th major mass…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
In this unit, you will be introduced to the concept of sustainability starting with the transformations necessary for achieving the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a way that organises them into 6 logical groups. You will examine…
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 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | 5 Week Session Jan B | ||||
Entry requirements
For Domestic students
This Undergraduate Certificate is open to applicants from a broad range of backgrounds.
Domestic Applicants who have recently completed secondary education
- Completed the TCE (or equivalent)
Domestic Applicants with higher education study
- Completed at least one undergraduate unit (equivalent to 12.5 UTAS credit points).
Domestic Applicants with VET / TAFE study
- A completed VET Certificate III or higher
Domestic Applicants with work and life experience
If you have not successfully completed senior secondary, tertiary or TAFE/VET study, but have relevant work and life experience you can complete a personal competency statement. You may be eligible for an offer if you have work and life experiences that demonstrate a capacity to succeed in this course.
Prerequisites Nil
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.
Credit transfer
Passes in units in other incomplete courses in this University or another approved tertiary institution may be credited towards the undergraduate certificate.
Find out more information about how to apply for a credit transfer/advanced standing at Recognition of Prior Learning.
Articulation
Students completing the Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainable Living will receive advanced standing for four 12.5 credit point units of the Diploma of Sustainable Living.
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
International students should refer to the International Students course fees page to get an indicative course cost.
Scholarships
Domestic students
The Undergraduate Certificate of Sustainable Living is available with 100% HECS fee waiver for eligible domestic students commencing study in 2023. This means you can have NO tuition fees to pay.
Fee waiver details
For domestic students commencing study in 2023, we are pleased to offer this degree with a 100% HECS and SSAF fee waiver.
This waiver is valid for students admitted and commencing this course in 2023 provided the eligibility criteria are met. This waiver is valid for units offered in 2023 only.
If you are eligible, the HECS waiver will be automatically applied upon enrolment. The waiver is not available for OUA students.
- You are an Australian citizen or permanent resident (i.e. eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place [CSP]).
- You are enrolled in the Undergraduate Certificate of Sustainable Living and commence study 2023.
- You must be enrolled in a minimum of one unit and must remain enrolled until after the University Census Date relevant to the semester of study. If you are on an approved Leave of Absence (LOA), you are exempt from this requirement for the duration of your approved LOA.
- To retain this fee waiver, you must engage with your enrolled units. If you have not engaged and receive a result of AN (Absent deemed failed) for all enrolled units in a given study period, will not retain the waiver/discount from the following study period onward. You cannot then apply to have the waiver/discount reinstated.
- Not be excluded from the course based on academic progress or misconduct.
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
- 1300 363 864
- International
- +61 3 6226 6200
- Course.Info@utas.edu.au
- Online
- Online enquiries