Overview | Honours | Summary of Courses

Offered By:	ANU Joint Colleges of Science
Academic Contact:	Dr Karen Hussey
Areas of Interest:	Development Studies, Environmental Studies, Geography, Interdisciplinary Studies - Sustainability, Policy Studies, and Resource Management and Environmental Science

Description:

Policy expertise is scarce in the rapidly expanding areas of natural resource management, urban environmental management, and sustainable development. There are significant career opportunities in all three levels of Australian government, as well as in the expanding regional organisations, and in the private sector. In particular, graduates with substantial policy skills matched with a sound background in areas such as climate science, water science, landscape ecology and similar areas are highly sought after, in Australia and internationally. The minor in Environmental Policy offers foundational knowledge in public policy, placed firmly within the context of some of the big challenges in areas such as climate impacts and adaptation, landscape management and water resource management, including research-intensive courses and methods training. Details of environmental policy positions that many former ANU students are now working in are at http://fennerschool-people.anu.edu.au/richard_baker/resources/formernow.html

Learning Goals:

On completion of the minor in Environmental Policy students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Describe and critically assess environmental policy and planning theory and practice at scales from the local to the global.
2. Analyse specific environmental planning and policy issues in theoretical frameworks and over different time scales.
3. Employ advanced research, writing and presentation skills, including the preparation of written material relevant to the public policy sphere (i.e. ministerial policy briefs and/or policy submissions).
4. Describe and evaluate key environmental public policies related to: (inter alia) the Murray-Darling Basin, climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainability in business and industry, regional planning, land care, public participation, cultural heritage, and the role of Indigenous people in environmental policy and planning.
5. Engage constructively and in an informed manner in environmental policy debates. 

Requirements

This minor requires the completion of 24 units, which must include:

A total of 6 units from the following compulsory course:

ENVS3028  Environmental Policy

A total of 18 units to be chosen from the following courses including:

• A maximum of 6 units from:

ENVS2007  Economics for the Environment

• A minimum of 12 units chosen from the following 3000 level courses:

ENVS3020  Climate Change Science and Policy

ENVS3033  International Environmental Policy

LAWS3103  Law and the Environment

SOCY3123  Policy and Program Evaluation

Advice to Students:

What 1st year courses should you enrol in? Students interested in Environmental Policy are encouraged to take as part of their degree program at least one of ENVS1001 Environment and Society: Geography of Sustainability and ENVS1008 Sustainable Development.

Science students undertaking this minor in a combined degree will be restricted to courses offered or approved by Science.

Students should seek further course advice from the academic convener of this Environmental Policy minor.

The information published on the Study at ANU 2011 website applies to the 2011 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2010 website.