ANU - STUDYAT - Human Ecology Major

Offered By:	Faculty of Asian Studies, ANU Medical School, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, Faculty of Economics and Commerce, School of Art, Faculty of Arts, and Faculty of Law
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

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.

Human Ecology Major - Overview