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Unit of study_

SUST5001: Introduction to Sustainability

This unit of study will introduce students to the concepts and multidisciplinary nature of sustainability, starting with the physical basis of climate change and its impact on the environment and human development. This will be followed by several case studies covering Energy, Health, Development and Environment. The case studies will be presented by industry professionals and will illustrate sustainability issues currently before Australia- their origins, impacts and industry responses. The unit of study will provide students with a holistic systems lens through which to view their learning throughout the Masters program. This will underpin understanding of the integrated nature of sustainability and facilitate the challenging of silo-based assumptions- their own and those of others. The intention is to ground understanding of complex systems in the real world through the use of case studies that will demonstrate organisational change and problem solving in a world with competing values and conflicting views of what it means to live sustainably. Students completing the unit of study will have a "sustainability tool kit" to apply to sustainability issues in their professional and community activities.

Code SUST5001
Academic unit Science Faculty
Credit points 6
Prerequisites:
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None
Corequisites:
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None
Prohibitions:
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None

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. define, discuss and understand various concepts of sustainability and sustainable development
  • LO2. articulate your own preferred understanding of sustainability and be able to justify this position
  • LO3. discuss a range of sustainability issues in different fields and academic disciplines
  • LO4. communicate through essays, reports and verbal presentations on aspects of sustainability
  • LO5. work effectively with group members to understand and communicate sustainability issues from different countries
  • LO6. undertake further study at Master level in specific aspects of sustainability and understand how this work articulates with the history, scope and debates within sustainability.