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Course and Subject Handbook 2024

Course and Subject Handbook 2024 Courses Postgraduate Courses Graduate Diploma of Science

Graduate Diploma of Science

Handbook year

Information valid for students commencing in 2024.

Course code

105006

Course type

Graduate Diploma (AQF Level 8)

Owner

Academy

College

Science and Engineering

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 in 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 ÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û 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:

  1. Integrate and apply advanced theoretical and technical knowledge in one or more science disciplines
  2. Retrieve, analyse, synthesise and evaluate knowledge from a range of sources
  3. 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
  4. Organise, analyse and interpret complex scientific data using mathematical, statistical and technological skills
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. Explain and apply regulatory requirements, ethical principles and, where appropriate, cultural frameworks, to work effectively, responsibly and safely in diverse contexts
  8. Reflect on current skills, knowledge and attitudes to manage their professional learning needs and performance, autonomously and in collaboration with others

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 Science.

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

:03 Career Planning

PLUS

Select one of the following 12 credit point discipline streams

PLUS

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

Stream 1: Aquaculture Science and Technology

Select 6 credit points of subjects from:

:03 Aquaculture: Feeds and Nutrition

:03 Aquaculture: Propagation

:03 Aquaculture: Principles and Practices

:03 Sustainable Aquaculture

PLUS

:06 Hatchery Techniques

Stream 2: Environmental Earth Science

Select 6 credit points of subjects from:

:03 Hydrology

:03 Soil Properties and Processes

:03 Earth and Environmental Geochemistry

:03 Earth's Climate: Past, Present and Future

PLUS

:03 Field Studies in Tropical Land and Water Science

PLUS

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

Stream 3: Environmental Management

Select 6 credit points of subjects from:

:03 Human Dimensions of Nature, Environment and Conservation

:03 Natural Resource Management

:03 Coastal and Marine Management and Conservation

PLUS

:03 Environmental and Social Impact Assessment

PLUS

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

Stream 4: Fisheries Science and Management

Select 6 credit points of subjects from:

:03 Human Dimensions of Nature, Environment and Conservation

:03 Fisheries Science

:03 Managing Tropical Fisheries

:03 Fishing Gear and Technologies

:03 Grand Challenges in Fisheries

PLUS

:03 Design and Analyses in Ecological Studies

PLUS

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

Stream 5: Geology

Select 6 credit points of subjects from:

:03 Minerals and Magmas

:03 Structural Geology and Tectonics

:03 Earth Resources, Exploration and Environment

:03 Energy Resources and Basin Analysis

:03 Earth and Environmental Geochemistry

PLUS

:03 Geological Mapping

PLUS

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

Stream 6: Global Change Biology

Select 6 credit points of subjects from:

:03 Climate Change and Biodiversity

:03 Conservation in a Changing World: Issues and Solutions

:03 Ecophysiology

:03 Evolutionary Adaptation in a Changing World

PLUS

:03 Design and Analyses in Ecological Studies

PLUS

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

Stream 7: Marine Biology

:03 Advances in Marine Biology

:03 Evidence and Controversy in Marine Science

PLUS

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

Note: Students articulating into the Master of Marine Biology degree should select skills and elective subjects that align to the structure of the Masters program.

Stream 8: Tropical Biology and Conservation

Select 6 credit points of subjects from:

:03 Behavioural Ecology

:03 Conservation Biology

:03 Population and Community Ecology

:03 Ecological Research Methods

:03 Biological Invasions

:03 Wildlife Ecology and Management

:03 Tropical Entomology

PLUS

:03 Design and Analyses in Ecological Studies

PLUS

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

List 1 (Skills)

:03 Advanced Bioinformatics

:03 Modelling Ecological Dynamics

:03 Technological Applications In Ecology

:03 Ecological and Conservation Genetics

03 Toolkit for the Field Biologist

:03 Analytical Chemistry

:03 Field Studies in Tropical Land and Water Science

:03 Geological Mapping

:03 Field Techniques in Geology

:03 Advanced Petrology

:03 Introductory Outback Field Mapping

:03 Advanced Marine Geoscience Technologies and Applications

:03 Human Dimensions of Nature, Environment and Conservation

:03 Environmental and Social Impact Assessment

:03 Advanced Geographic Information Systems

:03 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

:03 Remote Sensing

:03 Data Mining

:03 Quantitative Methods in Science

:03 Design and Analyses in Ecological Studies

Location

COURSE AVAILABLE AT

NOTES

JCU Cairns

Only Environmental Earth Science, Global Change Biology, and Tropical Biology and Conservation Streams are available

Mid-year entry is available

JCU Townsville

Mid-year entry is available

Candidature

Expected time to complete

1 year full-time or part-time equivalent

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

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

Credit will only be granted for subjects aligned to the current course’s learning outcomes and if the applicant demonstrates sufficient prior knowledge and skills to achieve the course learning outcomes in the time available in the course.

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, Master of Science (Professional), and Master of Marine Biology and may be granted credit for all subjects completed under the Graduate Diploma.

Special awards

Students may receive an Award of Recognition in accordance with the Recognition of Academic Excellence Procedure