Master of Sustainability

2025 Deakin University Handbook

Year	2025 course information
Award granted	Master of Sustainability
Deakin course code	S721
Faculty	Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment
Campus	For students who commenced prior to 2023
Online	No
Duration	2 years full-time or part-time equivalent
CRICOS course code	096752K Burwood (Melbourne)
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9
The final intake to this course version was in 2022. Students should contact a Student Adviser in Student Central for course and enrolment information. Further course structure information can be found in the handbook archive.

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Globalisation, population growth and climate change are dramatically impacting the natural environment, economies, and societies around the world. Issues of sustainability are critical to our future and humanity is placing increasing pressure on the environment through growing consumption, resource use, and increased degradation of natural capital such as land, water, air and biodiversity.

The Master of Sustainability prepares you to address the complex and interacting social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability issues and challenges faced globally. Throughout this course, you will develop advanced knowledge and contemporary skills in the multidisciplinary approaches to examining why environmental impacts occur and developing appropriate cost-effective and targeted solutions to managing these impacts.

Want the skills to develop and implement sustainability strategies across a range of sectors?

A key focus of the Master of Sustainability is developing an in depth understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals, which every member country of the United Nations is committed to achieving by 2030.

Explore options for how humanity can meet its growing needs without limiting the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Graduate with the skills to develop successful sustainability strategies by applying multidisciplinary approaches and taking a ‘triple bottom line’ approach to policy and management solutions, balancing environmental, social and economic considerations.

The flexible structure of the course provides you with the opportunity to specialise in either environmental management or sustainable regional development. You will also have the option to study a range of sustainability issues via electives spanning cities, health, indigenous management, data science and more.

The course provides you with the foundations of sustainability science. In second year you can pursue an industry-based placement or a research pathway, involving industry-linked research projects that align to your personal interests and career aspirations.

Connections to industry are an integral part of this course and ensures you have the opportunity to gain an industry perspective and establish professional networks prior to graduation. Guest lectures from key industry partners are embedded into the course to provide you with an understanding of sustainability issues in a real-world context.

Indicative student workload

Approximately 150 hours of learning and assessment activities per Deakin credit point.

Students will have access to a range of elective units from a variety of relevant discipline areas across the Faculty and University. This will allow them to tailor a program relevant to their specific interests, subject to academic approval. As a pathway to PhD, the proposed courses have a key component in the form of a research project. The thesis should offer a significant contribution to knowledge in the discipline concerned and demonstrate the student’s capacity to carry out independent research.

Students not wishing to pursue further studies in research will have the opportunity to undertake a 4-credit point industry practice placement during their second year of studies, along with 4 course electives that will allow them to complement their studies with a range of relevant options.

Career opportunities

As a graduate of this course, you will be uniquely positioned to commence a PhD or actively pursue research roles in industry, education, government, NGOs, policy developments and teaching. Depending on your chosen area of expertise, you may choose to seek employment as an ecologist, environment consultant, communications specialist, researcher or science journalist. Potential employers include CSIRO, planning and research officers for state/federal government, government planning and environment departments, environmental protection agencies, cultural and natural heritage management, environmental conservation, land and water management, natural resource management, , private research institutes, private commercial companies, industrial research companies, universities, NGOs, schools, agriculture and food sector, local councils and public service.

Participation requirements

Elective units may be selected that include compulsory placements, work-based training, community-based learning or collaborative research training arrangements.

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.

Mandatory student checks

Any unit which contains work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, Working with Children Check or other check.

Pathways

Graduates will be uniquely positioned to commence a PhD.

Alternative exit

Graduate Diploma of Sustainability (S621) (Exit option only)

Graduate Certificate of Research Management (S521)

Course Learning Outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities	Demonstrate mastery and specialist knowledge of natural and social sciences related to sustainability, environmental management and sustainability regional development. Plan and execute a substantial research or industry based project to demonstrate a deep understanding and mastery within the sustainability, environmental management and sustainable regional development disciplines. Demonstrate well-developed judgement and responsibility to review, analyse and develop sustainability strategies based on holistic principles.
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. Reflect on information, data and results and develop strategies for disseminating research outcomes in a digital world.
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. Formulate research questions to test and/ or contest ideas, concepts and theoretical propositions through an evidence-based well-structured project.
Problem solving	Plan and implement sustainability research investigation by using traditional and emerging techniques and technologies to identify problems and by applying analysis and synthesis skills, and triple-bottom line principles to solve research and/or practical problems. Demonstrate complex problem-solving skills by identifying and creating solutions to real world sustainability through social, economic and/or scientific inquiry. Contribute to advancements in scientific knowledge through mastery in the use of traditional and emerging instruments and techniques to device an investigation, and in the collection, interpretation, analysis, synthesis and dissemination of issues pertaining to the identification of issues and solutions to improve sustainability in general and/or environmental management and/or sustainable regional development.
Self-management	Take personal, professional and social responsibility within changing national and international professional contexts to develop autonomy as researchers and evaluate own performances. Work autonomously, responsibly and safely to solve unstructured problems and actively apply knowledge of social frameworks and scientific methodologies to make informed choices based on the triple-bottom line principles.
Teamwork	Work independently and collaboratively with advice from the supervisor towards achieving the outcomes of a project and thereby demonstrate interpersonal skills including the ability to brainstorm, negotiate, resolve conflicts, managing difficult and awkward conversations, provide constructive feedback and work in diverse professional, social and cultural contexts.
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 27 June 2019

Course rules

To complete the Master of Sustainability students must pass 16 credit points and meet the following course rules to be eligible to graduate.

DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in their first study period
Completion of STP050* Academic Integrity (0-credit-point compulsory unit).

Year 1 (8 credit points):

Two (2) core units (2 credit points);
One (1) specialisation (advanced disciplinary study area) (4 credit points);
Two (2) credit points of elective units;

Year 2 (8 credit points):

Research pathway or Industry Practice pathway (8 credit points).

Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements. See the enrolment codes and terminology to help make sense of the University’s vocabulary.

Specialisations

Refer to the details of each specialisation for availability.

Course structure

Core

Year 1

STP050 Academic Integrity (0 credit points) [No longer available for enrolment from 2024, alternate unit DAI001]

SLE761

Professional Research Practice

SLE763

Research Project Planning

Plus 4 credit points from a specialisation (Advanced Disciplinary studies)

Plus two level 7 elective units (two credit points)

Year 2

Chosen from the following pathways:

Research Pathway

SLE764

Research Project (4 credit points)

SLE765

Research Project (Advanced) (4 credit points)

Industry Practice Pathway

SLE768

Industry Practice A (2 credit points)^

SLE769

Industry Practice B (2 credit points)^

SLE766 Industry Practice (4 credit points) [No longer available for enrolment from 2025, alternate unit SLE768 Industry Practice A (2 credit points) and SLE769 Industry Practice B (2 credit points)]

plus four credit points of level 7 units

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

Recommended Electives

Any level 7 units chosen from existing units offered across many courses. In some cases you may even be able to choose elective units from a completely different discipline area (subject to meeting unit requirements).

Students are encouraged to discuss their elective selections with their course director.

Work experience

Students will have an opportunity to complete an industry practice pathway, equivalent to 4 credit points, in place of a research pathway.

Details of specialisations

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.

Units

SLE740

Climate Change, Adaptation and Mitigation

SLE741

Regional Development Economics for Sustainability

SLE742

Systems Thinking for Sustainability and Resilience

SLE743

Spatial Analysis and Geographic Information Systems

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 [No longer available for enrolment]

SLE740

Climate Change, Adaptation and Mitigation

SLE725

Environmental Management Systems

Course duration

Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as failing of units or accessing or completing placements.

Further information

Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.

Contact Student Central

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, and their study discipline or your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

Estimate your fees

For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.