Graduate Certificate of Sustainability

2023 Deakin University Handbook

Note: You are seeing the 2023 view of this course information. These details may no longer be current. [Go to the current version]

Year	2023 course information
Award granted	Graduate Certificate of Sustainability
Course Map	The course map for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2023. The course map for new students commencing from Trimester 2 2023. Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central.
Campus	Offered at Burwood (Melbourne)
Online	Yes
Duration	0.5 year full-time or part-time equivalent
Deakin course code	S527
Approval status	This course is approved by the University under the Higher Education Standards Framework.
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS – Please note that due to Australian Government regulations, student visas to enter Australia cannot be issued to students who enrol in Deakin online.

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Humanity is placing increasing pressure on the environment through growing consumption, resource use, and the increased degradation of natural capital. Issues of sustainability are complex and the need for skilled professionals capable of developing appropriate cost-effective and targeted solutions to these challenges are crucial for our future.

During the Graduate Certificate of Sustainability you will build a solid understanding of issues in sustainability, environmental science and global change. You will develop tools to measure and report on complex sustainability challenges and identify solutions that balance environmental, social and economic considerations.

Career opportunities

As a graduate of this course you will be equipped with the skills to build a rewarding career affecting positive change. You will be well positioned to engage in the development and implementation of practical solutions to the complex problems facing an increasingly resource-constrained society. You may choose to seek employment as an environmental officer, manager or consultant for government, non-government organisations or in the private sector.

Participation requirements

It is important to note that some elective units may include compulsory placement, study tours, work-based training or collaborative research training arrangements.

Pathways

Upon completion of the Graduate Certificate of Sustainability you could use the credit points you’ve earned to enter into further study, including:

Graduate Diploma of Sustainability (S627)

Master of Sustainability (S727)

Master of Sustainability (Professional) (S728)

Course Learning Outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities	Demonstrate specialist knowledge of natural and social sciences related to sustainability, environmental management, health and environment and sustainable regional development.
Communication	Present a reasoned argument that highlights essential details of sustainability, environmental management and sustainable regional development, theory and application, key observations, results and conclusions of scientific research in a professional manner using appropriate style, language and references including local, national, and international contributions or contexts. Apply listening skills and effective communication skills to accommodate, encourage and answer questions from a range of audience and to defend research/project findings and sustainability implementation propositions. Interpret the boundaries or limits of social and scientific information, data, discuss error, probability, uncertainty, conclusions and arguments to justify theoretical propositions, methodologies, methods, techniques, conclusions and professional decisions.
Digital literacy	Use well-developed technical skills, judgement and responsibility to independently locate, analyse, evaluate the merits of, synthesise and disseminate sustainability data, information and literature in the planning and implementation of projects to a range of stakeholders in sustainability, environmental management and sustainable regional development.
Critical thinking	Appraise complex social, economic and scientific methodologies and information from a broad range of interdisciplinary sources using critical, analytical and logical reasoning from multiple perspectives for evaluating and providing solutions to sustainability issues that incorporate the holistic principles.
Problem solving	Demonstrate complex problem-solving skills by identifying and creating solutions to real world sustainability through social, economic and/or scientific inquiry.
Self-management	N/A
Teamwork	N/A
Global citizenship	Apply principles of sustainability and environmental management knowledge and skills with a high level of autonomy, judgement, responsibility and accountability in collaboration with the supervisor to articulate the place and importance of social and scientific inquiry in the local and global context.

Approved by Faculty Board 10 June 2021

Course rules

To qualify for the Graduate Certificate of Sustainability, students must successfully complete 4 credit points from the units listed below.

Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.

Specialisations

Refer to the details of each specialisation for availability.

Course structure

Core

Year 1

STP050

Academic Integrity (0 credit points)

STP710

Career Tools for Employability (0 credit points)

SLE761

Professional Research Practice ^

Plus one unit from:

SLE756

Sustainability in the Anthropocene

SLE757

Environmental Science and Global Change

Plus any 2 course elective units from the specialisations below.

Students intending to articulate into the Graduate Diploma or Master of Sustainability are recommended to choose their course elective units from within the same specialisation.

^ Students undertaking this unit must have successfully completed STP710 Career Tools for Employability (0 credit point)

Details of specialisations

Environmental Management

Campuses

Burwood (Melbourne), Online

Unit set code

SP-S000084

Overview

Environmental Management involves a multidisciplinary approach to examining why environmental impacts occur and developing appropriate solutions to managing these impacts. Contemporary approaches require a multifaceted combination of techniques that address environmental, social and economic issues. Balancing resources and employment against environmental impacts requires specialised knowledge and skills, such that environmental managers need to be able to understand government policy direction, legislative compliance issues and analyse risk to the environment, often on a global scale. This specialisation prepares students to address the unique issues and challenges faced in this field.

Units

SLE720

Risk Assessment and Control

SLE721

Policy and Planning for Sustainable Development

SLE740

Climate Change, Adaptation and Mitigation

SLE725

Environmental Management Systems

Health and Environment

Campuses

Burwood (Melbourne), Online

Unit set code

SP-S000097

Overview

Human health and wellbeing is intricately linked to the health of the natural environment. Climate change, environmental degradation and unsustainable living are causing a range of physical and mental health impacts that require evidence-based, systems thinking and co-designed interventions. This specialisation enhances your understanding of the complex relationship between human health and the environment through exploration of topics in public health, health promotion, health equity and human rights, social impact assessments, and community consultation and participation.

Units

HSH701

Principles and Practice of Public Health

HSH703

Health Promotion

HMC703-OD Promoting Human and Planetary Health (0.5 credit points) ^

Plus one from:

HSH736

Community Consultation and Participation

HSH728

Health Equity and Human Rights

Plus one from:

MMC706-OD Change tools (0.5 credit points) ^
MMC705-OD Innovation and leadership (0.5 credit points) ^
MMC714-SY Emergency and Consequence Management (0.5 credit points) ^

^ Students complete these Deakin approved microcredentials (Stackable Short Courses) to count towards the Health and Environment specialisation. These fully online microcredentials suit professionals with busy lives and work commitments, allowing you to complete microcredentials anytime and anywhere. Please refer to Microcredential learner support for more information.

Sustainable Regional Development

Campuses

Burwood (Melbourne), Online

Unit set code

SP-S000082

Overview

Sustainable Regional Development is critical to the economic performance of both developed and developing countries, especially in the face of globalisation, population growth, economic structural adjustments and climate change. Two thirds of Australia’s export earnings come from regional industries such as agriculture, tourism, retail, services and manufacturing. As such, demand has risen sharply for professionals with the ability to undertake regional socioeconomic and environmental planning that looks to the long-term competitive advantages of regional areas, and propose appropriate policy responses.

The specialisation is appropriate for developed and developing country contexts, and the second year research project can be focused on international (overseas) regional development situations. Graduates will develop an in-depth understanding of the key biophysical, socioeconomic, geographic and infrastructure factors that influence the development of regions, as well as the strategic and technological tools to analyse and act on information to sustainably guide regional economic development.