this course will provide students with the knowledge and skills required by contemporary protected area conservation professionals working in middle or senior governance or management roles. this course covers governance, planning and management practice in government, private and community-based protected areas, as well as broader landscape contexts. terrestrial, freshwater and marine protected areas are addressed. students will apply skills in governance, planning, and management to address complex conservation problems across landscapes and within protected areas.

the course has been designed to meet international competencies for protected area planners specified by the iucn world commission on protected areas, with a particular focus on middle and senior governance and management roles. the structure of the degree ensures that graduates have the full range of required skills for protected area planners and managers in senior roles. experiential learning is facilitated through field components within the core units, which involve practical experience of working world activities in natural environments. students are offered further opportunity to customize their learning through an elective facilitating exploration of conservation topics in tasmania as well as a capstone professional placement unit in the final year of study.