Offered By	ANU College of Law, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, ANU Colleges of Science, ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science, ANU College of Business and Economics, and ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
Academic Contact	Dr Rob Dyball
Areas of Interest	Human Ecology

Human Ecology is an explicitly transdisciplinary major that addresses a key issue of the 21st Century, the maintenance of the health and well-being of our planet's ecosystems in the face of the socio-cultural demands placed on them. The major is open to undergraduates with a wide range of first year backgrounds.

The foundation course, ENVS2011 (Human Ecology), provides an introduction to the fundamental linkages between social and ecological systems that all humans live within, and introduces dynamic system science as a means of understanding how these coupled systems behave. The next core course, ENVS2012 (Cities and Their Hinterlands), applies dynamic systems approaches to understanding the rise and dominance of cities as our major habitat and the consequences of this on human health and the environment. ENVS3023 (Agroecology and Sustainable Systems) focuses on the sustainability of human food production systems. The final course in the program, ENVS3023 (Human Futures) is designed to engage students in the practice of collaborative, integrative, multidisciplinary research needed for the exploration of any human social or ecological system and for creating viable human futures.

Most Human Ecology courses have a field component and all involve a combination of practical and theoretical exercises. ENVS3010 provides the opportunity for senior students to undertake focused research on a human ecological topic of their choice. This may include the chance to work with a range of government, NGO and private sector organisations.

Requirements

A minimum of 42 units of courses including 18 units Group C from the following:

(a) no more than 12 units of first year ANTH, ARCH, BIOL, SOCY or ENVS courses.

(b) ENVS2011 Human Ecology and at least two of ENVS2012 Cities and Their Hinterlands, ENVS2014 Qualitative Research Methods for Sustainability, ENVS3023 Agroecology and Sustainable Systems or ENVS3021 Human Futures

(c) and up to 12 units chosen from:

•      BIOL2191 Ecology of Health and Disease
•      ENVS2016 Landform and Soils: Landscape Systems 2
•      ENVS2019 Vegetation Ecology: Landscape Systems 1
•      ENVS3010 Independent Research Project
•      ENVS3036 Integrative Research Methods

(d)           and if needed one of:

•      ENVS3007 Participatory Resource Management: Addressing Environmental Conflict
•      ENVS3018 Policy and Institutional Analysis in Environment and Sustainability
•      ENVS3028 Environmental Policy and Planning
•      ENVS3031 Murray-Darling Field School
•      ENVS3033 International Environmental Policy 

First Year course advice

Students should take ENVS1001, BIOL1003, ENVS1008 and BIOL1008. 

Notes: Students who commenced in 2006 or before should consult the Colleges of Science Sub Deans on acceptable courses for their major.

The information published on the Study at ANU 2010 website applies to the 2010 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2009 website.