Human Sciences

Convener: Mr Dumaresq, Geography

Introduction

The Human Sciences Program is founded on two beliefs first, that the search for a relationship between humans and their global environment that will prove sustainable in perpetuity has become a matter of critical urgency, and second, that because of the systemic nature of the problem, information and discoveries provided by means of the reductionist analysis used by specialist disciplines must be balanced by an emphasis on whole systems. Only by using a holistic framework to integrate data and analyses from different academic disciplines and other sources can citizens and policymakers gain the insights and general understanding of local and global problems that they need and now actively seek.

The Program has two closely related foci, the health and well being of the environment and the health and well being of people. Each of the core units deals with specific aspects of these interdependent problem areas, draws theoretical ideas and factual information from several disciplines (exposing underlying assumptions) and integrates analyses and conclusions by means of case studies.

Human Sciences' integrative approach complements a wide variety of specialist disciplinary studies in the Faculty of Arts and in other faculties. This approach, as well as the organisation of the undergraduate units, gives considerable rein to the interests of individual students and assists the development of coherence across the range of disciplines within the degree as a whole.

The education provided by Human Sciences is an excellent preparation for a wide number of generalist positions in many fields of employment, including the Commonwealth and State public services, as well as providing a valuable complement to the specialist training of students intending to pursue professional practice.

The pass degree

It is not possible to offer all units every year.

For details of ECOS and SCCO core units see:

ECOS Geography and Human Ecology, Faculty of Arts

SCCO Science in Context Program, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science

Assessment: The pattern of assessment in all units will be decided in consultation with students.

The major

The major consists of a prescribed sequence of units comprising no fewer than 42 credit points as set out below. Normal prerequisites apply.

(a) Two 1000 level units selected from ANTH1002, ANTH1003, PREH1111 and 1112, GEOG1005, BIOL1001, 1002, 1003.

(b) ECOS2001.

(c) A further three 2000 or 3000 level units from Human Sciences core units: ECOS2002, 2004, 3001, 3002, 3014, SCCO2103, 3102.

(d) One unit selected from:

1. A further Human Sciences core unit, or

2. A unit related to human ecology selected from, for example:

ECHI2003 Development, Poverty and Famine

FSTY3059 Participatory Resource Management

FSTY3056 Farm Forestry

GEOG2013 People and Place

GEOG2014 Population and Resources

GEOG3010 Environmental Policy and Planning

LAWS3103 Law and the Environment

POLS2011 Development and Change

POLS2043 Pressure Groups and Australian Public Policy

POLS2087 Green Governance

POLS2067 Australian Political Parties

POPS2001 Population and Society

PREH2039 The Origins and Dispersal of Agricultural Populations

PREH2041 Intro to Environmental Archaeology

SOCY2022 Energy, Environment and Society

3. Or a unit related to human well being selected from, for example:

LANG2015 Language and Culture

ANTH2026 Medical Anthropology

PRAN2015 'Race' and Human Genetic Variation

PRAN2019 Nutrition, Disease & the Environment

PRAN2020 Culture, Biology and Population Dynamics

PREH2011 Human Evolution

PSYC2002 Development and Individual Differences

PSYC2007 Biological Basis of Behaviour

PSYC3010 Abnormal Psychology

A major may consist entirely of 2000 and 3000 level units, but if so, it must include at least five core units and the remaining points must come from those listed under (d).

Other majors: Particular Human Sciences core units can be counted towards several other majors: Development Studies, Environmental Studies, Population Studies, Human Ecology and Geography.

The degree with honours

Intending honours students in Human Sciences who are enrolled in the Faculty of Arts should first read the general statement 'The degree with honours' in the introductory section of the Faculty of Arts entry.

The course for students in the Faculty of Arts extends over four years and normally consists of

Completion of BA degree requirements to include:

(a) major in Human Sciences, together with another unit to a value of 6 credit points from among those listed for the major.

(b) Another major in a cognate area of study. The department or program responsible for that major may require completion of an additional unit to a value of 6 credit points.

Intending honours students in Human Sciences should normally contact the convener of the Human Sciences program no later than the beginning of the third year of the degree. They should plan the third and fourth years of their degree in consultation with the convenor of Human Sciences and with the head of the department or program responsible for their cognate major.

Admission to Human Sciences IV(H) is approved by Faculty on the recommendation of the Head of the Department of Geography acting on the advice of the Convener of Human Sciences. The normal requirements for entry are:

(a) ECOS2001 at Credit level or better, and two Human Sciences core 3000 level unit, and

(b) Two other Human Sciences units or one other Human Sciences unit and one of the optional units listed for the Human Sciences major (see above). Two at least of the Human Sciences core units must be passed at Distinction level.

(c) Later-year units to a value of at least 30 credit points (5 units) from a cognate major.

Admission is possible only if a suitable supervisor is available.

The course for Human Sciences IV(H) will normally consist of

(a) Human Sciences Honours and Graduate Seminar, together with an associated reading program and/or course work.

(b) Course work approved by the cognate department.

(c) An original investigation, presented in a seminar and as a subthesis of approximately 15,000 words, due at the end of the first week of November.