Fast Facts
Commencing
- Online: February, July
- Cairns: February, July
Fees
$34,120.00+
+estimated annual tuition fee for a full-time study load
Plus Student Services and Amenities fee
Scholarships and financial aid available if eligible
Duration
1 year full-time
Part-time study available for online students
Entry Requirements
AQF level 7 bachelor degree; or equivalent
English language requirements
Band 1
If your native language is not English, you must meet the minimum English language requirements for this course.
CRICOS Code
098477G
Course detail
Cultivate the interdisciplinary skills and expertise required to address pressing development issues relevant to tropical Australia and the Asia-Pacific. JCU’s Graduate Diploma of Global Development is highly attuned to both current and future decades and its subjects align with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly conservation and restoration, and economic and sustainable resource management. Gain an in-depth understanding of the urgent issues facing vulnerable communities through JCU’s unique position as a university for the Tropics that has worldwide impact.
As you study this Graduate Diploma of Global Development degree, you will gain conceptual and practical skills to understand and respond to the shifting landscapes of human development. Learn how to critically analyse, evaluate and generate solutions to complex development problems — from infrastructure to systemic issues — for tropical, remote and inter-cultural settings through informed and evidence-based methodologies. Throughout this degree, you will learn to integrate and apply advanced theoretical and technical knowledge in global development policy and practice, ensuring your ability to make a difference at both a community and policy level.
Develop the knowledge and skills that will allow you to work in the priority areas of poverty alleviation, sustainable planning, social justice, climate responsive systems, sustainable resource management and global health — areas identified by the UN as key global challenges for future sustainability.
In the Graduate Diploma of Global Development, you will study two core subjects — Development in Practice and Critical Issues in Global Development — and two elective subjects that align with your interests and passion. Elective subjects cover a broad range of topics including development and conservation, disaster resilience and natural resource management, public health, sustainable development planning and policy, Indigenous futures, governance and social change, leadership and management, and research techniques specific to development.
Help build a brighter tomorrow and improve global, social and cultural wellbeing. Global Development graduates are innovative world-changers who make a difference in many contexts and settings.
View the Handbook for a detailed overview of available subjects
Inherent requirements
Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University’s learning, assessment,and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession. For more information please review the inherent requirements for the Graduate Diploma of Global Development.
JCU Global Development graduates are multi-skilled and are employed in various local and global settings.
Graduates pursue careers in a range of industries, including national and international nongovernment organisations, local councils, multilateral organisations, and global governance institutions.
You could find employment as an advocate, business planner and developer, fundraiser, disaster recovery specialist, research assistant, teacher, engineer, or health professional.
For a more advanced qualification, go on to study the Master of Global Development.
Handbook year | Information valid for students commencing in 2024 |
Course code | 118206 |
Course type | Graduate Diploma (AQF Level 8) |
Owner | Academy |
College | Arts, Society and Education |
Award Requirements
Admission Requirements
Course pre-requisites | Completion of an AQF level 7 bachelor degree; or Other qualifications or practical experience recognised by the Dean, College of Arts, Society and Education as equivalent to the above. |
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 | For external delivery option, computer and internet access is required |
Academic Requirements for Course Completion
Credit points | 24 credit points |
Course learning outcomes | On successful completion of the Graduate Diploma of Global Development, graduates will be able to:
|
Inherent Requirements
Inherent Requirements | Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University's learning, assessment, and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession. For more information please visit: Graduate Diploma of Global Development. |
Reasonable adjustments | All JCU students have the opportunity to demonstrate, with reasonable adjustments where applicable, the inherent requirements for their course. For more information please visit: Student Disability Policy and Procedure. |
Course Structure
CORE SUBJECTS
EV5951:03 Development in Practice
EV5952:03 Critical Issues in Global Development
AN5006:03 Asia Pacific Development: Culture and Globalisation
PL5153:03 Politics and Foreign Relations
PLUS
Select 12 credit points of subjects from List 1
LIST 1
Disaster Resilience, Conservation and Natural Resource Management
BZ5215:03 Conservation Biology
BZ5220:03 Population and Community Ecology
BZ5225:03 Technological Applications in Ecology
BZ5480:03 Restoration Ecology
BZ5740:03 Wildlife Ecology and Management
MB5004:03 Marine Conservation Biology
EC5218:03 Economics and Sustainable Resource Management
EV5020:03 Human Dimensions of Nature, Environment and Conservation
EV5107:03 International Environmental Policy and Governance
EV5209:03 Principles and Practices of Protected Area Management
EV5606:03 Disasters, Communities and Planning
EV5614:03 Leadership in Disaster Management
EV5200:03 Natural Resource Management
Public Health
TM5502:03 Tropical Public Health
TM5514:03 Environmental Health
TM5536:03 Public Health in Humanitarian Emergencies
TM5552:03 Global Health and Development
TM5562:03 Reproductive Health in Developing Countries
TM5513:03 Public Health Management, Leadership, Planning and Policy
TM5510:03 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
TM5557:03 Disaster Health Management
TM5526:03 Public Health Economics
Sustainable Development Planning and Policy
BZ5755:03 Climate Change and Biodiversity
EV5001:03 Environmental and Regional Planning
EV5003:03 Environmental Economics
EV5015:03 Sustainability in Practice
EV5110:03 Environmental and Social Impact Assessment
EV5301:03 Urban Geography and Design
EV5953:03 Research Methods for Global Development
LB5229:03 Economics for a Sustainable World
PL5002:03 Policy Analysis and Management
TO5004:03 Sustainable Tourism Management
WS5005:03 Social Policy Analysis
Indigenous Futures
IA5013:03 Indigenous Australians
IA5022:03 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People as Colonial Subjects
IA5029:03 Comparative Indigenous Studies
IA5030:03 Navigating the Cultural Interface
Economics, Governance and Social Change
EC5202:03 Cost Benefit Analysis
EC5216:03 Econometrics and Big Data Analysis
EC5205:03 Economic Growth and Sustainable Development
EC5206:03 Macroeconomic Policy
EC5207:03 Economics of Social Policy
EC5218:03 Economics and Sustainable Resource Management
HI5005:03 Regional Environmental History
LB5231:03 Corporate Responsibility and Governance
LB5236:03 International Political Economy
PL5110:03 Shifting Geopolitical Environments in Emerging States
PL5006:03 Political Communication; Ecology and Environmentalism
Development Leadership and Management
CP5641:03 Design Thinking Principles
SC5200:03 Career Planning
LB5241:03 Leadership Futures
LB5243:03 State Society and Governance
LB5514:03 Cross-Cultural Conflict Resolution
LB5525:03 Conflict Analysis
LB5530:03 Conflict Resolution Processes
LB5536:03 Ethical Decision Making and Reflective Practice
LB5205:03 People in Organisations
LB5240:03 Cross-Cultural Leadership
LB5500:03 Negotiation
LB5501:03 Facilitative Mediation Practice
LB5526:03 Sustainable Conflict Management
LB5714:03 Leadership and Management Skills
SC5008:03 Professional Placement
Location
COURSE AVAILABLE AT | NOTES |
JCU Cairns | |
External |
Candidature
Expected time to complete | 1 year full-time or part-time equivalent |
Maximum time to complete | 3 years |
Maximum leave of absence | 1 year |
Progression
Course progression | Nil |
Course includes mandatory professional placement(s) | No |
Course includes mandatory Fieldwork | No |
Special assessment | Nil |
Professional accreditation | Nil |
Supplementary exam for | 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 | 12 credit points |
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 13 years after the date of the examination upon which the credit is based if, by then, the student has not completed this course. |
Other restrictions | Not applicable |
Award Details
Award title | GRADUATE DIPLOMA OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT |
Approved abbreviation | GDipGlobDev |
Exit with lesser award | Students who exit the course prior to completion, and have completed the appropriate subjects, may be eligible to receive the following award:
|
Course articulation | Students who successfully complete this course are eligible for entry to the Master of Global Development, and will be granted credit for all subjects successfully completed under this course. Entry requirements for this course are consistent with the Pathways to Qualifications in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF level 8) Guidelines for Masters degrees. |
| Special Awards | Students may receive an Award of Recognition in accordance with the Recognition of Academic Excellence Procedure |
Estimated annual tuition fee: $AUD34,120.00
Course fees are charged per year of full-time study. International course fees are reviewed annually and subject to change.
A Student Services and Amenities Fee is payable per subject up to a maximum amount per year.
Student Visa holders must have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of their Student Visa (except Norwegian, Swedish and Belgian citizens). Costs depend on the length of study and the number of dependents accompanying the student. For more information see Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
Scholarships and financial aid are also available for international students.
Application dates vary between courses, whether they're delivered in semester, trimester or carousel study modes. View our Application due dates page for more information.
Gather the documents you need to apply and submit an application via JCU's online application portal.
Real stories
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Student
Joyce Gehr
Master of Global Development
The Global Development program offered me a great blend of theoretical knowledge and opportunities for professional development through hands-on learning and work-placement opportunities. It truly made my postgraduate experience memorable, enriching, challenging and a worthwhile investment.
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Alumni
Rachel Young
Master of Global Development
Wanting a career change, I chose to study the Global Development program. The course has increased my perspective and critical understanding of what ‘development’ means and the realisation that social, political, economic and cultural inequalities are faced everywhere, not just in so-called ‘developing countries'.
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Lecturer
Kearrin Sims
Course Coordinator, Global Development
The Global Development suite of courses is a university-wide study program that provides expertise and skills development across multiple sectors. You will acquire complex theoretical knowledge and the practical skills required to work locally, nationally or globally in a meaningful career.