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Course details

Graduate Diploma in Environmental Management
NZQF Level 7

About the course

Comprising three elective options: renewable energy auditing, mineral resources management, and sustainable food systems, the programme will provide students with both the knowledge and practical skills to develop a broad understanding of environmental management.

Successful completion by students who may have a degree in a different discipline will ensure they are equipped with the knowledge required to fulfil the expectations of the environmental management industry.

Students study elective option A or elective option B or elective option C      

Elective Option A: Renewable Energy Auditing          

EM110 Introduction to Renewable Energy
Introduces students to concepts of sustainability and renewable energy in the context of energy production and utilisation. Learn to review existing and emerging renewable energy sources.

EM200 Research and Statistics
Prepares students for professional practice by presenting research as a uniting strategy for practice, theory, and scholarship. Both scientific and interpretive knowledge will be drawn on in preparing the student to become a competent practitioner of research. Students will also be assisted in developing skills as a beginning researcher.

OR

EM209 Geographic Information Systems 
This paper provides a foundation for understanding and applying what GIS is, its functionality and applications in a real world GIS context.

(students will choose between either EM200 OR EM209)

EM210 Renewable Energy Technologies
Expands on EM110 and extends students' knowledge of the concepts and principles associated with renewable energy technology with an emphasis on commercially available and small-scale applications. This paper will include terminology and measurement units employed and basic manipulation of data relating to energy systems.

EM300 Research I
Students will apply their knowledge and gain industry experience within an environmental management related context. The cooperative experience is structured to allow the student to critically reflect on the relationship between academic studies and practice and to develop the capabilities of teamwork and problem solving. Students will prepare a proposal for an industry related project which will be research orientated and beneficial to the environmental management context.

EM301 Research II
Students will complete a project which will be research orientated. This paper will provide an opportunity for students to extend their knowledge and gain further industry experience.

EM306 Case Studies in Environmental Management and Sustainability
This is an over-arching paper that brings together the elements developed during the degree programme.  The paper emphasises governance at the national and local level coupled with the legal, scientific, management, economic, and societal constraints in relation to various environmental problems confronting the world, the nation, and Southland.  Students will be encouraged to explore issues from various points of view (society at large, local Iwi, various management levels in the public and private sector, and stakeholders) and to propose consultation methods, solution pathways, management indicators, and scientific solutions.

EM310 Energy Auditing
Provides students with knowledge and skills in procedures required to conduct an energy audit. This will involve site inspections, identifying and documenting energy requirements for that site, recording energy utilization details, and measuring, quantifying, and reporting energy consumption needs.

Elective Option B: Mineral Resources Management   

EM202 Earth Science and Environmental Management
Students will learn to relate earth architecture, earth cycles, and earth geomorphology to the current environmental situation. They will investigate the relationship between surface features, surface processes, chemical constraints, and ecology and habitats.  This paper introduces students to the concepts and applications of remotely sensed data and the application of these data to geological and environmental problems.

EM200 Research and Statistics
Prepares students for professional practice by presenting research as a uniting strategy for practice, theory, and scholarship. Both scientific and interpretive knowledge will be drawn on in preparing the student to become a competent practitioner of research. Students will also be assisted in developing skills as a beginning researcher.

OR

EM209 Geographic Information Systems 
This paper provides a foundation for understanding and applying what GIS is, its functionality and applications in a real world GIS context.

(students will choose between either EM200 OR EM209)

EM300 Research I
Students will apply their knowledge and gain industry experience within an environmental management related context. The cooperative experience is structured to allow the student to critically reflect on the relationship between academic studies and practice and to develop the capabilities of teamwork and problem solving. Students will prepare a proposal for an industry related project which will be research orientated and beneficial to the environmental management context.

EM301 Research II
This paper will provide an opportunity for students to extend their knowledge and gain further industry experience with the environmental management context selected in Research I. Students will complete a project which will be research orientated.

EM304 Advanced Environmental Impact Assessment and Monitoring
Students will learn to discuss and expand upon concepts, principles, and skills associated with environmental impact assessments.

EM306 Case Studies in Environmental Management and Sustainability
This is an over-arching paper that brings together the elements developed during the degree programme.  This paper emphasises governance at the national and local level coupled with the legal, scientific, management, economic, and societal constraints in relation to various environmental problems confronting the world, the nation, and Southland.  Students will be encouraged to explore issues from various points of view (society at large, local Iwi, various management levels in the public and private sector, and stakeholders) and to propose consultation methods, solution pathways, management indicators, and scientific solutions.

EM307 Mineral Resources Management
This paper expands on 100 and 200 level related papers and investigates both mineral and energy resources. Learn to differentiate between renewable and non-renewable earth resources, to explore how these resources form and to explore methods used to manage the exploitation of the resources in an environmentally responsible manner.

Elective Option C: Sustainable Food Systems

EM200 Research and Statistics
Prepares students for professional practice by presenting research as a uniting strategy for practice, theory, and scholarship. Both scientific and interpretive knowledge will be drawn on in preparing the student to become a competent practitioner of research. Students will also be assisted in developing skills as a beginning researcher.

OR

EM207 Catchment Evolutions, Soils and Hydrogeology

Extends first year environmental studies and introduces more complex catchment evolution, soil and hydrology concepts.

(students will choose between either EM200 OR EM207)

EM211 Sustainable Food Systems 1

This paper examines the issues, theories and concepts that are involved in the development of sustainable food systems. Learning through field trips exploring local food initiatives and sustainable agriculture systems, through research and lectures, this paper equips students with in-depth understanding of different types of food systems from local to global.

EM300 Research I
Students will apply their knowledge and gain industry experience within an environmental management related context. The cooperative experience is structured to allow the student to critically reflect on the relationship between academic studies and practice and to develop the capabilities of teamwork and problem solving. Students will prepare a proposal for an industry related project which will be research orientated and beneficial to the environmental management context.

EM301 Research II
This paper will provide an opportunity for students to extend their knowledge and gain further industry experience with the environmental management context selected in Research I. Students will complete a project which will be research orientated.

EM304 Advanced Environmental Impact Assessment and Monitoring
Students will learn to discuss and expand upon concepts, principles, and skills associated with environmental impact

EM311 Sustainable Food Systems II

Building on what was learned in EM211, this paper develops the concepts of food sovereignty, food security and food justice into the analysis of definitions and approaches to addressing food poverty and developing local sustainable food systems. Students learn about this cutting edge subject  through field trips, hands-on projects, lectures and guest speakers.

EM306 Case Studies in Environmental Management and Sustainability
This is an over-arching paper that brings together the elements developed during the degree programme.  This paper emphasises governance at the national and local level coupled with the legal, scientific, management, economic, and societal constraints in relation to various environmental problems confronting the world, the nation, and Southland.  Students will be encouraged to explore issues from various points of view (society at large, local Iwi, various management levels in the public and private sector, and stakeholders) and to propose consultation methods, solution pathways, management indicators, and scientific solutions.

About the provider

Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) provides quality tertiary education and training across a wide range of subjects and qualifications. From certificates to postgraduate studies, we offer NZQA programmes for students to learn at a level and pathway that suits them.

We are home to the Zero Fees Scheme and are the only tertiary provider in New Zealand to offer a no tuition cost education to domestic NZ students for every year of study, at all levels.

We offer SIT programmes at campuses in Invercargill, Christchurch, Queenstown, Gore, Auckland and online through SIT2LRN Distance Learning.

We also have specialised faculties in music and rural education - MAINZ – Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand (Auckland & Christchurch) and Telford in Balclutha, South Otago.

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