Course Catalogue

Master of Applied Spatial Science (SSPSC1)

2026

Course Structure

This program (160 credit points) contains 70cp of core studies in geospatial science (a statistical unit, five spatial science units, and a research skills unit), 40cp of the research project, and 50cp of specialist electives. The special electives include 20cp of research methodology electives and 40cp of electives selected from disciplines such as Environmental Science, Health, Disaster & Emergency Management, Information Technology, Engineering, Project Management, or Indigenous Knowledge.

There is a range of flexible delivery options which include online units, face-to-face tutorials, and for those balancing life, work and family responsibilities, there is the option to study this degree 100% online. There are also opportunities to access scholarships to support your study.

A candidate must successfully complete units totalling 160 credit points (cp) as detailed below. All units are valued at 10 credit points unless otherwise indicated.
Students must complete 60cp Core Units, 60cp Specialist Elective units, and 40cp Research Units.
Students must consult with the Course Coordinator for the selection of specialist elective units.

Unit type	Credit Points	Specific requirements
Core (6 units)	60cp	Compulsory Core units totalling 60 credit points as detailed below. HIT137 Software Now (replaces SID403 Research Skills from 2026) ENV502 Remote Sensing ENV506 Environmental Monitoring and Modelling ENV508 Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Thinking ENV511 Real-World Statistics and Data Reasoning (SBI209 has been removed as an alternative for ENV511 from 2024) ENV518 Applied Spatial Analysis for Real-World Problems
Specialist Electives (6 units)	60cp	Specialist Elective units totalling 60 credit points from one or more of the specialisations below: Research Methodology SID403 Research Skills (moved from core from 2026) EMG505 Research Methodologies in Education (unit title change 2022) IAS501 Research Methods (20cp) IAS521 Principles of Indigenous Research IAS522 Indigenous Research Methodologies MPP503 Realist Research and Evaluation (not offered 2026) PHM526 Research Design PHM527 Research Ethics and Impact PHM552 Epidemiology PHM553 Biostatistics PHM588 Qualitative Research Methods Environmental Science ENV501 Tropical Invaders and Biosecurity ENV503 Ecological Restoration and Connectivity ENV507 Fire Ecology and Management ENV509 Ecological and Management of Tropical Forests and Savannas ENV515 Desert Field Ecology ENV516 Ecosystem Function: Field Studies in North Australia ENV517 Natural Resources and Indigenous Livelihoods ENV519 Aquatic Resource Management ENV520 Wildlife Management ENV527 Earth Observation Data Programming (new from 2025) SID500 Professional Practice in Environmental Management 1 (title change from 2026) SID515 Professional Practice in Environmental Management 2 (new from 2026) Humanitarian Aid, Emergency and Disaster Management DEM511 Emergency and Disaster Management in Context DEM512 Interdisciplinary Aspects of Emergency and Disaster Management DEM513 Leadership in Emergency and Disaster Management DEM514 Cultural, Social and Psychological Aspects of Emergency and Disaster Management DEM516 Reflective Case Study: Humanitarian, Emergency and Disaster Management (no longer available from 2024) Health HEA515 Health Informatics PHM526 Research Design PHM527 Health Research Skills PHM536 Health Systems, Planning and Evaluation PHM553 Biostatistics PHM554 Public Health Economics and Decision Making PHM570 Epidemiology and Control of Communicable Diseases PHM592 Global Health Information Technology HIT140 Foundations of Data Science HIT234 Database Concepts (assumed knowledge for PRT563) HIT333 Cyber Security PRT531 Business Intelligence and Data Mining PRT551 Project Management, Risk and Reliability PRT563 Advanced Data Management PRT564 Data Analytics and Visualisation PRT565 Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Algorithms PRT571 Asset Security and Risk Management Civil and Structural Engineering ENG215 Surveying and Construction ENG311 Geomechanics ENG515 Water Resource Engineering ENG516 Road and Traffic Engineering ENG564 Geotechnical Engineering ENG566 Design of Concrete Structures Business and Project Management PRT551 Project Management, Risk and Reliability BUS504 Sustainable Enterprise (no longer available 2026) BUS506 Global Megatrends (no longer available 2026) MKT504 Marketing for Managers (replaces BUS507 from 2026) BUS508 Business Analytics The following units are no longer available in this course: EMG505 Research Methodologies in Education (no longer available) MAN508 Organisational Strategy and Leadership (no longer available) MAN515 Operations Management (no longer available) MAN506 Organisational Behaviour (no longer available) Indigenous Knowledges IAS225 Cultural Resource and Site Management IAS223 Representing and Recording Country IAS353 Indigenous Cultures and the Environment IAS354 Impact Assessment and Management of Cultural Sites (not offered 2026) IAS530 Neo-colonialism, Advocacy, and the Critique of Development IAS531 Indigenous Policy Agendas in Federal and State Politics IAS532 Indigenous Knowledges, Property Rights and Economic Participation IAS533 Indigenous Knowledges and Epistemologies IAS547 Indigenous Knowledges and Wellbeing
Research Units (2 units)	40cp	Research totalling 40 credit points as detailed below: ENV821 Research Proposal (20cp) ENV822 Research Thesis (20cp) (ENV821 (20cp) and ENV822 (20cp) replace ENV820 Research Project x 2 (20cp repeatable unit) from 2025)
	160cp

Course Rules (unless otherwise indicated in the above course structure)

See the Higher Education Course Rules (Award Requirements) in the Units and Courses Policy.

COURSE CHANGES AND TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS - 2026

Core unit SID403 Research Skills is replaced by HIT137 Software Now. Students who have completed SID403 prior to 2026 do not have to complete HIT137.
SID515 Professional Practice in Environmental Management 2 (new from 2026) has been added as a Specialist Elective unit.
Specialist Electives: students are no longer required to complete 20 credit points of Research Methodology units plus 30 credit points from one or more of the available specialisations. Students are required to complete 60 credit points of Specialist Electives.

COURSE CHANGES AND TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS - 2025

ENV527 Earth Observation Data Programming has been added as a specialist elective unit within the Environmental Science grouping.
Research unit ENV820 Research Project (20cp repeatable) is replaced by ENV821 Research Proposal (20cp) and ENV822 Research Thesis (20cp). Students who have completed ENV820 once should enrol in ENV822 Research These (20cp).

COURSE CHANGES AND TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS - 2024

SBI209 Design and Analysis of Biological Studies has been removed as a core unit. Students who have completed SBI209 do not need to complete ENV511.
DEM516 Reflective Case Study: Humanitarian, Emergency and Disaster Management is no longer available from the Humanitarian Aid, Emergency and Disaster Management specialisation. Students who have completed this unit prior to 2024 will have it counted towards their Specialist Electives.

Further Assistance

For further assistance please contact Student Central on 1800 061 963 (freecall) or student.central@cdu.edu.au. Student Central staff will assist you with applying for or enrolling in a course and provide assistance with timetables, fees, HELP (Higher Education Loan Program), external materials, enrolment changes and many other issues.

Unit Catalogue - provides general information about each unit including a brief description, the semester and mode offered as well as the fees for Commonwealth Supported places.
Timetables - provides information about individual class times for units offered internally. Timetables for the following academic year are published early in December each year.
Bookshop - if text books have been prescribed, recommended or ordered for units in this course, details are available by unit code through the Casuarina Campus Bookshop.