Course and Subject Handbook 2020 Courses Postgraduate Courses Graduate Diploma of Science

Graduate Diploma of Science

Information valid for students commencing in 2020.

Graduate Diploma of Science

Handbook year	2020
Course code	105006
Course type	Graduate Diploma (AQF Level 8)
Division	Tropical Environments and Societies

Award Requirements

Admission Requirements

Course pre-requisites	Completion of an AQF level 7 bachelor degree in science or equivalent.
Minimum English language proficiency requirements	Applicants of non-English speaking backgrounds must meet the English language proficiency requirements of Band 1 – Schedule II of the JCU Admissions Policy.
Post Admission requirements	Some subjects require attendance at intensive mode subjects on either the Townsville or Cairns campus. Students may be required to attend intensive mode classes at a campus other than that at which they are enrolled, at their own expense.

Academic Requirements for Course Completion

Credit points

24 credit points

Course learning outcomes

The graduates of James Cook University are prepared and equipped to create a brighter future for life in the tropics world-wide.

JCU graduates are committed to lifelong learning, intellectual development, and to the display of exemplary personal, professional and ethical standards. They have a sense of their place in the tropics and are charged with professional, community, and environmental responsibility. JCU graduates appreciate the need to embrace and be acquainted with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of Australia. They are committed to reconciliation, diversity and sustainability. They exhibit a willingness to lead and to contribute to the intellectual, environmental, cultural, economic and social challenges of regional, national, and international communities of the tropics.

On successful completion of the Graduate Diploma of Science, graduates will be able to:

Integrate and apply advanced theoretical and technical knowledge in one or more science disciplines
Retrieve, analyse, synthesise and evaluate knowledge from a range of sources
Plan and conduct reliable, evidence-based laboratory and/or field experiments/practices by selecting and applying methods, techniques and tools, as appropriate to one or more science disciplines
Organise, analyse and interpret complex scientific data using mathematical, statistical and technological skills
Communicate complex scientific ideas, arguments and conclusions clearly and coherently to a variety of audiences through advanced written and oral English language skills and a variety of media
Identify, analyse and generate solutions to unpredictable or complex problems, especially related to tropical, rural, remote or Indigenous contexts, by applying scientific knowledge and skills with initiative and high level judgement
Explain and apply regulatory requirements, ethical principles and, where appropriate, cultural frameworks, to work effectively, responsibly and safely in diverse contexts
Reflect on current skills, knowledge and attitudes to manage their professional learning needs and performance, autonomously and in collaboration with others.

Course Structure

Select one of the following 15 credit point discipline streams:

PLUS

Select 9 credit points of any level 5 AQ, BS, BZ, CH, EA, EV, MA, MB, MI, SC or TV subjects

Stream 1: Aquaculture Science and Technology

Select 6 credit points from:

AQ5002:03 Aquaculture: Feeds and Nutrition

AQ5003:03 Aquaculture: Propagation

AQ5006:03 Aquaculture: Principles and Practices

AQ5015:03 Sustainable Aquaculture

PLUS

AQ5012:06 Hatchery Techniques

PLUS

Select 3 credit points of specified subjects from List 1 (Skills)

Stream 2: Environmental Earth Science

Select 6 credit points from:

EA5016:03 Hydrology

EA5017:03 Soil Properties and Processes

EA5046:03 Earth and Environmental Geochemistry

EA5404:03 From Icehouse to Greenhouse

PLUS

EA5018:03 Field Studies in Tropical Land and Water Science

PLUS

Select 6 credit points of specified subjects from List 1 (Skills)

Stream 3: Environmental Management

Select 6 credit points from:

EV5020:03 Human Dimensions of Nature, Environment and Conservation

EV5107:03 International Environmental Policy and Governance

EV5200:03 Natural Resource Management or EV5701:03 Managing Coastal and Marine Environments

EV5209:03 Principles and Practices of Protected Area Management

PLUS

EV5110:03 Environmental and Social Impact Assessment

PLUS

Select 6 credit points of specified subjects from List 1 (Skills)

Stream 4: Fisheries Science and Management

Select 6 credit points from:

EV5020:03 Human Dimensions of Nature, Environment and Conservation

MB5003:03 Fisheries Science

MB5014:03 Managing Tropical Fisheries

MB5610:03 Fishing Gear and Technologies

PLUS

MB5300:03 Sampling and Experimental Design or SC5502:03 Design and Analyses in Ecological Studies

PLUS

Select 6 credit points of specified subjects from List 1 (Skills)

Stream 5: Geology

Select 6 credit points from:

EA5048:03 Minerals and Magmas

EA5211:03 Structural Geology and Tectonics

EA5320:03 Earth Resources, Exploration and Environment

EA5650:03 Sedimentary Environments and Energy Resources

PLUS

EA5044:03 Geological Mapping

PLUS

Select 6 credit points of specified subjects from List 1 (Skills)

Stream 6: Marine Biology

Select 6 credit points from:

MB5004:03 Marine Conservation Biology

MB5055:03 Biological Oceanography

MB5190:03 Coral Reef Ecology

MB5270:03 Coastal, Estuarine and Mangrove Ecosystems

PLUS

MB5300:03 Sampling and Experimental Design or SC5502:03 Design and Analyses in Ecological Studies

PLUS

Select 6 credit points of specified subjects from List 1 (Skills)

Stream 7: Tropical Biology and Conservation

Select 6 credit points from:

BZ5061:03 Behavioural Ecology

BZ5215:03 Conservation Biology

BZ5220:03 Population and Community Ecology

BZ5230:03 Ecological Research Methods

BZ5235:03 Biological Invasions

BZ5740:03 Wildlife Ecology and Management

BZ5745:03 Tropical Entomology

PLUS

SC5202:03 Quantitative Methods in Science or SC5502:03 Design and Analyses in Ecological Studies

PLUS

Select 6 credit points of specified subjects from List 1 (Skills)

List 1 (Skills)

AQ5004:03 Aquaculture: Stock Improvement

BC5203:03 Advanced Bioinformatics

BS5260:03 Modelling Ecological Dynamics

BZ5450:03 Ecological and Conservation Genetics

BZ5990:03 Toolkit for the Field Biologist

CH5203:03 Analytical Chemistry (Advanced)

EA5018:03 Field Studies in Tropical Land and Water Science

EA5044:03 Geological Mapping

EA5330:03 Field Techniques

EA5640:03 Advanced Marine Geoscience Technologies and Applications

EV5020:03 Human Dimensions of Nature, Environment and Conservation

EV5110:03 Environmental and Social Impact Assessment

EV5502:03 Advanced Geographic Information Systems

EV5505:03 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

EV5506:03 Remote Sensing

MA5405:03 Data Mining

MB5300:03 Sampling and Experimental Design

SC5202:03 Quantitative Methods in Science

SC5232:03 Marine Sensor Technologies and Applications

SC5502:03 Design and Analyses in Ecological Studies

Campus

COURSE AVAILABLE AT

NOTES

Cairns

Only Streams 2 and 7 are available in Cairns

Mid-year entry is available

Townsville

Mid-year entry is available

Candidature

Expected time to complete	1 year full-time or equivalent part-time
Maximum time to complete	4 years
Maximum leave of absence	1 year

Progression

Course progression requisites	Nil
Course includes mandatory professional placement(s)	No
Special assessment requirements	Nil
Professional accreditation requirements	Nil
Maximum allowed Pass Conceded (PC) grade	Nil
Supplementary exam for final subject	Not applicable

Credit

Eligibility	Students may apply for a credit transfer for previous tertiary study or informal and non-formal learning in accordance with the Credit Transfer Procedure.
Maximum allowed	6 credit points, unless part of an approved articulation process
Currency	Credit will be granted only for studies completed in the 10 years prior to the commencement of this course.
Expiry	Credit gained for any subject shall be cancelled 14 years after the date of the examination upon which the credit is based if, by then, the student has not completed the course of study prescribed for the degree.
Other restrictions	Nil

Award Details

Award title	GRADUATE DIPLOMA OF SCIENCE
Approved abbreviation	GDipSc
Inclusion of majors on testamur	Not applicable - this course does not have majors
Exit with lesser award	Students who exit the course prior to completion, and have completed 12 credit points of study, may, depending on the subjects studied, be eligible to receive the award of Graduate Certificate of Science.
Course articulation	Students who complete the Graduate Diploma of Science are eligible for entry to the Master of Science, and may be granted credit for all subjects completed under the Graduate Diploma.