The course is designed to engage students in the practice of collaborative, integrative multidisciplinary research needed for tackling complex multi-scale issues involved in creating viable human futures. Topics will include the ‘science wars' and knowledge systems, justice and fairness dimensions of interventions for sustainability,  the role of institutions and civil society in regulating human behaviour, and patterns of consumption, , resource use versus conservation, living with risk and uncertainty, balancing individual wants and social needs, global equality of access and opportunity.

The course involves student projects that investigate a future issue in a collaborative partnership with an external agency, institution, company or enterprise. Seminars will concentrate on the practice and application of research methodologies, methods and tools for doing and integrating research across many discipline areas. Attendance at seminars is a course requirement.

Honours Pathway Option

Subject to the approval of the course convenor; students taking this option will be expected to complete additional weekly readings and to be prepared to discuss this advanced material in tutorials. In addition, students will be expected to make a tutorial presentation on one week's reading and to lead the subsequent discussion (a minimum of 15% of overall assessment). All other assessment and requirements remain the same. 

Students who fail to submit work by the due date or fail to participate in classes, practicals and tutorials may be excluded from examination.

• Seminar presentation and practice report (35%)
• major field research report (45%)
• Critical journal review (20%) 

65 contact hours, comprising lectures, tutorials and seminars

72 units towards a degree, including ENVS2011

with ECOS3006 or SRES3021

Brown, V., Harris, J., and Russell, J. (2010) Tackling Wicked Problems London: Earthscan