Key facts
UNE unit code: BOTY390
*You are viewing the 2026 version of this unit which may be subject to change in future.
- Trimester 3 - Online
- Yes
- Yes
- No
- 6
Unit information
Add value to your career by enhancing your botanical skills with a broad range of world’s best practice methods and techniques. This unit combines online study with a mandatory intensive school, integrating planning, executing and write-up of field-based ecological-botanical-taxonomic studies.
This unit extends your botanical field skills across assessment, monitoring, experimentation and sampling, set within a science-based conceptual framework. Throughout the online component of the unit you will be introduced to professional botanists who come from a diverse range of botanical fields and employment.
During the intensive school, you will experience hands-on plant identification skills in both rainforest and temperate forests. A final day at UNE will test your new-gained skills. The unit will provide opportunities to hone your critical thinking, communication and problem-solving skills, equipping you with the ability to respond to the challenges you may encounter in diverse field settings.
Offerings
For further information about UNE's teaching periods, please go to Principal Dates.
| Teaching period | Mode/location |
|---|---|
| Trimester 3 | Online |
*Offering is subject to availability
Intensive schools
| Start | Finish | Duration | Attendance | Offerings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | TBA | 6 days | Mandatory Intensive School | All offerings | The off-campus Intensive School may incur additional expenses, for further information please contact the unit coordinator. |
Enrolment rules
Notes
There will be a 6-day mandatory intensive school with 5 days spent at a remote field camp and the last day spent on UNE campus completing a Plant Identification test.
The off-campus Intensive School may incur additional expenses, for further information please contact the unit coordinator.
Please refer to the student handbook for current details on this unit.
Unit coordinator(s)
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
- plan and undertake field-based botanical studies thereby demonstrating an ability to work autonomously and use well-developed judgment within the subject;
- analyse, assess, identify and report on plant communities which will also demonstrate the ability to transmit knowledge/ideas to others;
- demonstrate the ability to use well-developed cognitive skills by being able to identify, database and voucher plants;
- assess status of plants species at a particular location thereby also demonstrating the ability to apply advanced theoretical and/or technical knowledge of the subject; and
- demonstrate the ability to analyse, generate and transmit solutions to complex problems by conducting experiments that assess plant trait function; communicate this knowledge through oral presentations and written reports.
Assessment information
Assessments are subject to change up to 8 weeks prior to the start of the teaching period in which you are undertaking the unit.
| Title | Must Complete | Weight | Offerings | Assessment Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Yes | 20% | All offerings | No. Words: 800 |
| Oral Presentation - Assurance Task | Yes | 25% | All offerings | Presentation and Q&A. Approximately 10 minutes. To pass this unit, you must achieve at least 50% in this task, and meet all other passing requirements in the unit. |
| Plant Identification Test - Assurance Task | Yes | 25% | All offerings | The plant Identification test will be conducted face-to-face during the intensive school. No. Words: equivalent to 2000 To pass this unit, you must achieve at least 50% in this task, and meet all other passing requirements in the unit. |
| Report | Yes | 30% | All offerings | No. Words: 1500 |
Learning resources
Textbooks are subject to change up to 8 weeks prior to the start of the teaching period in which you are undertaking the unit.
Textbook information will be displayed approximately 8 weeks prior to the commencement of the teaching period. Please note that textbook requirements may vary from one teaching period to the next.
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We understand the challenges faced by busy adults studying at home. We know that a vital part of online study is your engagement with the learning community. Communication with your classmates, teaching staff and university support staff will enhance your study experience and ensure that your skills extend beyond the subject matter. UNE’s teaching staff are experts in their field which is why UNE consistently receives five stars from students for teaching quality, support and overall experience.*
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