Course description
The program of study for this course changed in 2008 and again in 2009. Students who commenced prior to this time who wish to complete according to the previous rule should view the revised program of study and consult with the Course Coordinator at the time of enrolment.
The Bachelor of Ecotourism combines the study of:
* earth sciences and biology, complemented by selected topics from archaeology, geography and environmental studies
* tourism and business material, including the practical skills required to successfully manage a tourism venture.
Extended fieldwork in national parks and remote areas is included and you'll spend 4 weeks on work experience during the summer breaks following 1st and 2nd year.
Students develop critical thinking skills and the ability to deliver technical information in an accessible, jargon-free way.
What is Ecotourism?
The national industry body Ecotourism Australia defines Ecotourism as, ‘Ecologically sustainable tourism with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas that fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation'.
Ecotourism normally involves educating people about the natural environment by interpreting and explaining nature. It often has a degree of overlap with adventure tourism.
Why study Ecotourism at Flinders?
* Introduced at Flinders in 1996, after consultation with the tourism industry and relevant government agencies, our Bachelor of Ecotourism has previously been a joint winner of the South Australian Tourism Award for Best Industry Education with the Flinders Bachelor of Cultural Tourism.
* Our course is firmly based in the Faculty of Science and Engineering rather than - as is common at other universities - within a business, tourism or hospitality school. This means our course has a unique science emphasis, focusing on the importance of the natural sciences and related conservation issues.
* Flinders is an excellent base for the Ecotourism program because there are a wide variety of habitats within easy reach of the campus. Students gain experience in a broad range of ecosystems such as marine and freshwater, arid lands and forests.
* A strong research program complements our teaching. For example, we have assessed the role of the National Ecotourism Accreditation Program in the industry and the impacts of a tour that takes tourists to swim with sea lions and dolphins. As a part of the course, students conduct small research projects on the environmental and social impacts of ecotourism and the implementation of effective interpretation through signage and brochures.
Duration (full-time equivalent)
Bachelor of Innovation and Enterprise 4 years
Refer to Ecotourism combined degrees for further information.
The Bachelor of Ecotourism requires three years of full-time study (or the equivalent part-time) and the honours program an additional year (or the equivalent part-time). The course is offered by the Faculty of Science and Engineering.
Enrolment in the honours program may be offered to a student who meets certain academic criteria and subject to the school/department being able to provide appropriate resources and staff to supervise the program of study.
PROGRAM OF STUDY [December, 2008]
To qualify for the Bachelor of Ecotourism, a student must complete 108 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the program of study below.
Not all topics are necessarily available in a given year.
Except with the permission of the Faculty Board, students may not enrol in Second Year topics until they have completed 18 units of First Year topics and may not enrol in Third Year topics until they have completed all First Year requirements for their Second and Third Year programs. No more than 45 units of First Year level topics may be included in the 108 units for the degree.
First Year
36 units comprising:
ECOT1101
Ecotourism 1
4.5
BUSN1001
Accounting for Managers
4.5
BIOL1102
Molecular Basis of Life, OR
4.5
BIOL1112
Biology and Society
4.5
EASC1101
Earth and Environment 1
4.5
AUST1004
An Introduction to Aboriginal Studies
4.5
ENVS1702
Environment, Economy and Culture
4.5
BIOL1101
Evolution of Biological Diversity
4.5
BUSN1005
Introduction to Management
4.5
Second and Third Year
comprising:
ECOT2001
Ecotourism Practicum 1
3
ECOT2101
Ecotourism 2
6
BIOL2162
Functional Biology and Experimental Design
6
ECOT3001
Ecotourism Practicum 2
3
ECOT3101A
Ecotourism 3 Part A, and
3
ECOT3101B
Ecotourism 3 PartB §
3
At least 18 units from the BIOL, CPES and CHEM selective list *
18
Electives *
30
* Students intending to enrol in the BSc (Honours) program in the Biological Sciences must complete a minimum of 36 units of BIOL topics in Second and Third Year. Students are advised to consult with the Course Coordinator about the selection of topics that will meet the BSc (Honours) program admission requirements.
§ Students must enrol in, and complete, Part A and Part B of this topic in one calendar year as both topics are taught and assessed as a continuum.
In their choice of electives, students may focus their electives in particular areas of study, or opt for a broad range of electives across disciplines. For more focused study, students may opt for an emphasis in Business, Development Studies, Education, Language, Tourism, Environmental Management, or Biology.
THIRD YEAR PROGRAM FOR CONTINUING STUDENTS COMPLETED ACCORDING TO THE PRE-2009 COURSE RULE
Third Year
36 units comprising:
ECOT3001
Ecotourism Practicum 2
3
ECOT3101A
Ecotourism 3 Part A, and
3
ECOT3101B
Ecotourism 3 Part B §
3
PROF2102A
Business Planning for Projects
6
12 units of Biology and Earth Sciences topics from Selected List
12
6 units of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Studies topics from Selected List
6
3 units of Electives
3
§ Students must enrol in, and complete, Part A and Part B of this topic in one calendar year as both topics are taught and assessed as a continuum.
# Students who completed the Second Year topic ECOT2312 prior to 2007 are encouraged to enrol in the core topic PROF2102A but will find they are revising some material from ECOT2312. If preferred they may select another 6 units of PROF topics in place of PROF2102A in consultation with the Course Coordinator.
SELECTIVE LIST OF BIOL, CPES, and CHEM TOPICS
18 units from the following list in Second or Third Year:
BIOL1102
Molecular Basis of Life, OR #
4.5
BIOL1112
Biology and Society #
4.5
BIOL1201
Introduction to Aquaculture #
4.5
BIOL2112
Aquatic Life Histories
3
BIOL2121
Genetics, Evolution and Biodiversity
6
BIOL2122
Comparative Physiology
6
BIOL2142
Disease and Immunology
6
BIOL2161
Plant and Algal Biology: From Environment to Biotechnology
6
BIOL2171
Behaviour and Ecology
6
BIOL2271
Marine and Terrestrial Animal Diversity
3
BIOL2272
Marine Biology and Ecology
3
BIOL2341
Animal Disease and Defence
3
BIOL2424
Physiological Systems
3
BIOL3003
Research Project in Biology A
3
BIOL3004
Research Project in Biology B
3
BIOL3101
Marine Ecological Processes
6
BIOL3102
Marine Vertebrates
6
BIOL3151
Plant Ecology and Evolution
6
BIOL3152
Conservation and Restoration
6
BIOL3380
Animal Behaviour
3
BIOL3390
Vertebrate Palaeontology
6
STAT2304
Statistics for Biology
3
CHEM1101
Chemistry 1A #
4.5
CHEM1102
Chemistry 1B #
4.5
CHEM1201
Introduction to ChemistryA #
4.5
CHEM1202
Introduction to Chemistry B #
4.5
CPES1102
Science and Society #
4.5
CPES1201
Physics for the Life Sciences A #
4.5
CPES1202
Physics for the Life Sciences B #
4.5
CPES2015
Water and Environment
3
CPES2020
Geological Processes
6
CPES2023
Sedimentary Processes
6
CPES2032
Physical Basis of Biological Systems A
3
CPES2033
Physical Basis of Biological Systems B
3
CPES2039
Earth and Environment 1A
3
CPES2101
Fundamentals of Advanced Chemistry
6
CPES2102
Analytical Chemistry 2
6
CPES2131
Coasts and Oceans
6
CPES2152
Global Climate Change and Natural Hazards
6
# No more than 45 units of first year topics can be taken.
RECOMENDED ELECTIVES
Students are free to select 30 units of electives from any area of the university where they meet the prerequisites. Examples of possible elective topics grouped according to area of study are listed below.
ARCHAEOLOGY
ARCH1002A
World Archaeology
6
ARCH2001
Archaeology of Indigenous Australia
6
ARCH2002
Historical Archaeology of Australia
6
ARCH2003
Cultural Heritage Management
6
ARCH2004
Australian Maritime Archaeology
6
ARCH2005
Human Evolution: Bio-Cultural Perspectives
6
ARCH2301
The Museum
6
ARCH3004
Historical Archaeology in Global Perspective
6
ARCH3005
Underwater and Coastal Archaeology
6
ARCH3013
The Archaeological Imagination: Fact, Fantasy and Fiction in Archaeological Interpretation
6
AUSTRALIAN STUDIES
AUST1004A
An Introduction to Aboriginal Studies
6
AUST2000
Australian Languages: Issues and Debates
6
AUST2004
Indigenous Australian Art Today
6
AUST2006
Reconciliation and Indigenous Knowledges
6
AUST3998
Issues for Australians
6
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
EASC1102
Marine Sciences 1
4.5
ENVS1701
Environmental Studies
4.5
ENVS2704
Environmental Systems
6
ENVS3721
Issues in Environmental Management
6
GEOGRAPHY
GEOG1001
Water Resources and Society
4.5
GEOG1002
Cities as Human Environments
4.5
GEOG2005
Asian Regional Development
6
GEOG2006
Australian Environmental Change
6
GEOG2010
Computing Methods in Geography
6
GEOG3007
Cities, Geography and Policy
6
GEOG3008
Regional Development
6
GEOG3013
Geographical Information Systems
6
GEOG3014
Introduction to Remote Sensing
6
GEOG3015
Image Analysis in Remote Sensing
6
GEOG3017
Advanced GIS
6
GEOG3018
Advanced Digital Image Analysis
6
TOURISM
TOUR1001
An Introduction to Cultural Tourism and Ecotourism
4.5
TOUR1002
Interpretive Guiding and Marketing
4.5
TOUR1003
Essentials of Tour Guiding
4.5
CUTU1005
International Cultural Tourism Management
4.5
CUTU1006A
Event Design and Practice
6
CUTU2000
Place, Culture and Tourism
6
CUTU3000
International Principles and Practices for Sustainable Tourism
6
CUTU3002
Cultural Theory: Tourism Perspectives
6
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL
BUSN1007
Introductory Microeconomics
4.5
BUSN2004
Cost and Management Accounting
6
BUSN2009
Human Resource Management
6
BUSN2010
International Business Management
6
BUSN2012
Introductory Environmental Economics
6
BUSN3009
Environmental Economics
6
BUSN3020
Multinational Corporations: America, Japan and Australia
6
LEGL2100
Small Business: Legal Issues
6
LEGL2101
Small Business: Legal Foundations
3
LEGL2102
Small Business: Legal Applications
3
LEGL2103
Technology, Regulation and Society
6
LEGL3106
Law and Urban Change: The Impact of Built Heritage
6
LEGL3023
Cultural Heritage and the Law
6
LEGL3028
Regulating Environmental Change
6
PROF2101
Professional Writing
6
PROF2102
Business Planning for Projects
3
PROF2103
Managing Project Budgets
3
PROF2104
Finding Money: Researching and Submitting Grant Proposals
3
PROF2105
Tenders: Understanding the Tender Process
3
PROF2106
Preparing Professional Presentations
3
PROF2107
Project Management Essentials
3
GLOBALISATION
GLOB1001
Introduction to Globalisation
4.5
GLOB1002
Making Globalisation
4.5
GLOB2002
Globalisation and Environmental Issues
6
GLOB2003
Globalisation and Business
6
GLOB3001
Media, Power and Globalisation
6
GLOB3002
Globalisation Practicum
6
HIST2054
Globalisation in History
6
POLI3060
Globalisation and Ethics
6
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
DVST1001
The Political Economy of International Development
4.5
DVST1002
Culture and Development
4.5
DVST2001
Sustainable Development
6
DVST3002
Intellectual Traditions in International Development
6
POLI2014
The Politics of Third World States
6
POLI3049
Environmental Politics
6
POLI3054
Power and Political Violence in Latin America
6
POLI3055
Indigenous People and Politics
6
POLI3057
Music and Politics in the Americas
6
PPHR2001
Demography
6
WMST2003
Gender and Development
6
LANGUAGES AND COMMUNICATION
ENGL1001A
Professional English
6
ENGL2110
Writing and Designing for the Web
6
ENGL2503
Introduction to Creative Writing
6
ENGL2705
'Wish you were here': Workshopping Travel Writing
6
FREN1121
French 1, Part 1
4.5
FREN1122
French 1, Part 2
4.5
FREN2121
Upper Level French A, Part 1
6
HUMN2201
Settling in Australia: The Italian, Greek and French Experience
6
ITAL1121
Italian 1, Part 1
4.5
ITAL1122
Italian 1, Part 2
4.5
ITAL2121
Italian 2, Part 1
6
ITAL3502
Italians in Australia
6
LING2702A
Language, Culture and Communication
3
MGRE1121
Modern Greek 1, Part 1
4.5
MGRE1122
Modern Greek 1, Part 2
4.5
MGRE2121
Upper Level Modern Greek A, Part 1
6
MGRE2502
Special Topic in Modern Greek Culture
6
SCRN2007
Multimedia Design
6
SCRN3000
Cross-cultural Media
6
SPAN1121
Spanish 1, Part 1
4.5
SPAN1122
Spanish 1, Part 2
4.5
SPAN2121A
Spanish 2, Part 1
6
HONOURS PROGRAM
A student who has completed all the requirements of the Bachelor of Ecotourism, or another qualification which the Faculty Board agrees is equivalent, may be accepted as a candidate for the honours degree providing a sufficiently high standard has been achieved in fulfilling the requirements for the bachelors degree.
To qualify for the honours degree, a student must complete satisfactorily 36 units of study in an approved program.
36 units comprising:
ECOT7001 Bachelor of Ecotourism Honours Research Project (24 units). Students should enrol in a combination of sub-topics chosen from the following, ensuring that they enrol in 24 units overall.
ECOT7001A
Bachelor of Ecotourism Honours Research Project (6/24 units)
6
ECOT7001B
Bachelor of Ecotourism Honours Research Project (9/24 units)
9
ECOT7001C
Bachelor of Ecotourism Honours Research Project (18/24 units)
18
ECOT7001D
Bachelor of Ecotourism Honours Research Project (12/24 units)
12
ECOT7001E
Bachelor of Ecotourism Honours Research Project (15/24 units)
15
plus 12 units as follows:
BIOL7005
Critical Readings in Biology
3
and a further 9 units from other higher level undergraduate or honours level topics that are relevant to their studies, as approved by their assessment panel in consultation with the student.
