Throughout the world there are over 160,000 protected areas that are managed with the aim of ensuring the long term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.

Good governance, planning and management are essential if protected areas are to achieve this aim.

This course equips students with the knowledge and skills required by contemporary protected area 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. Terrestrial, freshwater and marine protected areas are addressed.

Australian domestic candidates can study the course on-campus in Hobart or by Distance Education. For some units, distance students will have the option of attending field-based sessions, or undertaking the field work through virtual on-line exercises.

International candidates study the course on-campus in Hobart.

The course has been developed as part of an initiative to establish a protected area learning and research centre. This initiative is being led by a Steering Committee comprising representatives from UTas, Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service, Tasmanian Land Conservancy, Parks Victoria, Parks Australia, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, James Cook University, Murdoch University and Charles Darwin University.

Graduates will have governance, planning and management knowledge and skills sought by government protected area agencies, private and NGO protected area managers, and community-based organisations. 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.

Professional Recognition

Professional recognition will be sought from the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas once their proposed accreditation system has been established.