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You are an international student if you are:

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Deakin master of sustainability students in the field using equiptement for tests.

Master of Sustainability

Top 100 worldwide for sustainability

I am a domestic student ?Domestic students are Australian citizens, permanent residents, or New Zealand citizens.
Domestic International

Entry requirements for

I am a domestic student ?Domestic students are Australian citizens, permanent residents, or New Zealand citizens.
Domestic International

Check the entry requirements below to confirm your eligibility for this course, including academic qualifications and English language requirements.

View entry requirements

Check the entry requirements below to confirm your eligibility for this course, including academic qualifications and English language requirements.

View entry requirements
Campus
  • Burwood
  • Online
Duration 1.5 years full-time or part-time equivalent
Intakes Trimesters 1, 2 View how to apply
Fees Commonwealth Support Places (CSP) available View fees and scholarships
EnquireApply

#1 Victorian university for course satisfaction

#1 Victorian university for science facilities

Top 100 worldwide for sustainability

Why choose sustainability at Deakin

Do you want to build a rewarding career driving positive change? Study Deakin's Master of Sustainability and gain the skills to address national and global sustainability issues. Learn how to implement strategies that balance environmental, social and economic considerations. 
 
Graduates of Deakin's Master of Sustainability are well positioned to develop and deliver practical solutions to complex sustainability challenges. You will apply your learning through projects or practical experience that reflect current industry needs. With the sustainability sector projected to create up to 24 million new jobs globally by 2030, you could pursue employment opportunities across government, non-government organisations and the private sector. Be the catalyst for a more sustainable future.

  • Skills employers want

    Build skills to address complex environmental and social challenges. Graduate ready to contribute across the government, business and community sectors.

  • Work-integrated learning

    Apply your learning through practical projects that connect you with real sustainability challenges and industry contexts.

  • Interdisciplinary learning approach

    Explore sustainability across science, policy and systems thinking, giving you a broad skill set to solve industry problems.

  • Pathways to leadership roles

    Develop advanced knowledge and strategic thinking to support careers in sustainability management, consulting and policy.

Connected to industry

Deakin’s strong industry connections help shape your learning. Build practical experience in real workplace contexts through work-integrated learning, mentoring and networking opportunities. Industry advisory boards also help shape our degrees, which means what you study is current, relevant and aligned to what your future employers need.

A smiling postgraduate student walks down stairs on the Burwood campus.

Get more from postgraduate study at Deakin

Learn from industry experts, build valuable professional connections and develop the expertise to progress your career or take it in a new direction.

Deakin puts employability first

Career outcomes

Develop advanced skills to address complex sustainability challenges and drive meaningful change. Graduate ready to develop and implement practical solutions across government, non-government organisations and the private sector.

Environmental manager

Plan and oversee environmental programs that help organisations manage their environmental impact. Support compliance, assess environmental risks and implement strategies to improve environmental performance.

  • $180k

    Typical annual salary in Australia

  • 11.5%

    Projected job growth in 5 years

Sustainability officer

Evaluate community needs and environmental impacts, and develop programs that support more sustainable practices. Work with stakeholders to deliver projects and recommend ways to reduce negative impacts.

  • $100k

    Typical annual salary in Australia

  • 24%

    Net growth in Australia by 2030

Professional areas

  • Environmental protection
  • Natural heritage management
  • Land and water management
  • Natural resource management
  • Agriculture
  • Communications and planning

Key dates

Direct applications

Trimester 1 2027 applications close 7 February 2027

FAQs

Find answers to the most common questions about this course.

To start a career in environmental management, build capability in sustainability systems, climate change, policy, environmental governance and stakeholder engagement. Deakin’s Master of Sustainability develops these skills through applied sustainability learning, supporting pathways into sustainability advice, environmental management, climate policy, ESG and community sustainability roles.

A Master of Sustainability is a strong choice if you want to work on climate change solutions. Deakin’s course develops capability in sustainability systems, environmental management, climate policy and sustainable development, helping you prepare for roles in government, business, non-governmental organisations and community organisations responding to climate and sustainability challenges.

A Master of Sustainability can lead to roles such as sustainability adviser, environmental manager, climate policy adviser, ESG analyst, sustainability consultant or community sustainability coordinator. Deakin’s Master of Sustainability develops applied capability in sustainability systems, environmental management, climate change and policy, supporting professional pathways across public, private and community sectors.

Environmental science usually focuses on scientific understanding of natural systems, while sustainability brings together environmental, social, policy and organisational change. Deakin’s Master of Sustainability develops applied capability in sustainability systems, climate change, environmental management and sustainable development for public, private and community sector pathways.

Relevant professional experience may be considered for credit toward a Master of Sustainability if it aligns with course learning outcomes. Deakin’s recognition of prior learning process can help you prepare evidence of prior study, work or training in sustainability, environmental management, policy or related fields.

*Deakin references data from a range of government, higher education and reputable media sources. Learn more about our achievements on our University rankings page, or explore our sources page for supporting references.

What will I study in the Master of Sustainability?

The Master of Sustainability is typically completed in 1.5 years full-time or part-time equivalent. You will build advanced knowledge to address complex environmental and social challenges across global and local contexts.

Foundations in sustainability practice

Explore sustainability principles and systems

Understand environmental, social and economic systems and how they interact in real contexts.

Build interdisciplinary perspectives

Examine sustainability challenges through science, policy and social lenses to broaden your thinking.

Tailor your sustainability focus

Choose areas of interest to deepen your expertise and align your studies with your career goals.

This learning journey is intended as a guide only. Individual study journeys may vary.

Course structure

To complete the Master of Sustainability, you must pass 12 credit points. The number of credit points required may vary, depending on your entry point or how much credit you receive as recognition of prior learning (RPL) based on your professional experience and previous qualifications.

Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.

Are you a current student? For course information that applies to the year you started your degree, visit the handbook.

3
Core units
+
4
Specialisation units
+
5
Pathway units
=
12
Total

All students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements

Units

You are required to complete three core units (these are essential units for this degree)

In your first trimester you must also complete two 0-credit point units which are compulsory for this degree.

Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0 credit points)
DAI001
Career Tools for Employability (0 credit points)
STP710
Professional Research Practice
SLE761
Sustainability in the Anthropocene
SLE756
Environmental Science and Global Change
SLE757

Professional recognition

The Master of Sustainability is professionally accredited by the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ). As a student of this course, you are encouraged to apply for EIANZ student membership and connect with the professional network that can support your future career as an environmental professional.

Deakin student smiling and holding a bag, dressed in business wear.

What to expect while studying

You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.

Any unit which contains work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, Working with Children Check or other check.

You can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include lectures, seminars, workshops, site visits and online interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.

Elective units may be selected that include compulsory placements, work-based training, community-based learning or collaborative research training arrangements.

Students will have an opportunity to complete work experience as part of the industry practice pathway.

At Deakin, we're committed to ensuring an inclusive environment that supports all students to belong, thrive and succeed. We work closely with students, where needed, to identify potential barriers to participation and where possible, provide tailored support so students can engage with learning and assessment activities.

If you are neurodivergent, have a disability, health condition or mental health condition that may impact your study or participation in university life, and want to know how Deakin could support you, contact our Domestic students (opens in a new window) or International students (opens in a new window) or Disability Resource Centre (opens email client) teams for a collaborative and confidential discussion. This discussion is to support you to make plans for your studies and future career and will not have any bearing on your application to the course.

When can I start?

When you study depends on your course, location and available intakes. Check the table to see when you can start and how study is offered throughout the year.

Explore important dates

Campus
Trimester 1
Trimester 2
Trimester 3
BurwoodMelbourne
Online

Your course learning outcomes describe the knowledge, skills and capabilities you’ll develop and be able to demonstrate by the time you graduate. Built into your course through your units and assessments, they provide a clear picture of what you’ll be equipped to know, understand and do – preparing you to apply your learning with confidence beyond university.

Course Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate mastery and specialist knowledge of natural and social sciences related to sustainability, environmental management, health and environment and sustainable regional development.

Demonstrate well-developed judgement and responsibility to review, analyse and develop sustainability strategies based on holistic principles.

Present a reasoned argument that highlights essential details of sustainability, environmental management and sustainable regional development, theory and application, key observations, results and conclusions of scientific research in a professional manner using appropriate style, language and references including local, national, and international contributions or contexts.

Apply listening skills and effective communication skills to accommodate, encourage and answer questions from a range of audience and to defend research/project findings and sustainability implementation propositions.

Interpret the boundaries or limits of social and scientific information, data, discuss error, probability, uncertainty, conclusions and arguments to justify theoretical propositions, methodologies, methods, techniques, conclusions and professional decisions.

Use well-developed technical skills, judgement and responsibility to independently locate, analyse, evaluate the merits of, synthesise and disseminate sustainability data, information and literature in the planning and implementation of projects to a range of stakeholders in sustainability, environmental management and sustainable regional development.

Reflect on information, data and results and develop strategies for disseminating research outcomes in a digital world.

Appraise complex social, economic and scientific methodologies and information from a broad range of interdisciplinary sources using critical, analytical and logical reasoning from multiple perspectives for evaluating and providing solutions to sustainability issues that incorporate the holistic principles.

Formulate research questions to test and/ or contest ideas, concepts and theoretical propositions through an evidence-based well-structured project.

Plan and implement sustainability research investigation by using traditional and emerging techniques and technologies to identify problems and by applying analysis and synthesis skills, and triple-bottom line principles to solve research and/or practical problems.

Demonstrate complex problem-solving skills by identifying and creating solutions to real world sustainability through social, economic and/or scientific inquiry.

Contribute to advancements in scientific knowledge through mastery in the use of traditional and emerging instruments and techniques to device an investigation, and in the collection, interpretation, analysis, synthesis and dissemination of issues pertaining to the identification of issues and solutions to improve sustainability in general and/or environmental management and/or sustainable regional development.

Take personal, professional and social responsibility within changing national and international professional contexts to develop autonomy as researchers and evaluate own performances.

Work autonomously, responsibly and safely to solve unstructured problems and actively apply knowledge of social frameworks and scientific methodologies to make informed choices based on the triple-bottom line principles.

Work independently and collaboratively with advice from the supervisor towards achieving the outcomes of a project and thereby demonstrate interpersonal skills including the ability to brainstorm, negotiate, resolve conflicts, managing difficult and awkward conversations, provide constructive feedback and work in diverse professional, social and cultural contexts.

Apply principles of sustainability and environmental management knowledge and skills with a high level of autonomy, judgement, responsibility and accountability in collaboration with the supervisor to articulate the place and importance of social and scientific inquiry in the local and global context.
Award granted
Master of Sustainability
Year

2027 course information

Deakin code
S727
Level
Higher Degree Coursework (Masters and Doctorates)
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition

The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9

View detailed course and unit information in the Handbook

Your academic history, work and life experience, and individual circumstances will be considered. Meeting the minimum academic and English language requirements does not guarantee admission, but alternative pathways may be available.

Entry requirements

To be considered for admission to this degree you will need to meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • completion of a bachelor degree or higher in a related discipline
  • completion of a bachelor degree or higher in any discipline and at least two years' of relevant work experience.

Examples of related disciplines include, but not limited to: any aspect of environmental, biological, or biophysical science and management; social sciences, arts, communications, and humanities; business, law, commerce, accounting, project management, and economics; health science, management, policy, and practice; maths and computer science; architecture and construction; engineering, industrial processing and manufacturing.

Examples of relevant work experience include, but not limited to: any aspect of environmental, social, and economic science, policy, and management.

To meet the English language proficiency requirements of this course, you will need to demonstrate at least one of the following:

Get credit for your experience

We value your previous study and experience. Recognition of prior learning enables you to get credit for what you've already achieved. When you apply, we'll consider your previous study and experience for recognition of prior learning.

Admissions information

Learn more about Deakin courses and how we compare to other universities when it comes to the quality of our teaching and learning.

Not sure if you can get into Deakin postgraduate study? Postgraduate study doesn't have to be a balancing act; we provide flexible course entry and exit options based on your desired career outcomes and the time you're able to commit to your study.

Fees

Estimated tuition fee

$9,880

for 1 yr full-time - Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)

The estimated tuition (student contribution) fee above is based on a typical first-year full-time enrolment of 8 credit points and is provided as a guide only. Your student contribution is determined by the units you enrol in and will vary depending on the units you choose, your study load, the course duration, and any approved recognition of prior learning. You may also be eligible for a HECS-HELP loan to defer payment of all or part of your student contribution.

Check your eligibility or learn more about CSP or HECS-HELP.

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Scholarships

We want to help you excel at Deakin. Our scholarships recognise your dedication and achievements, providing financial support that can ease the cost of living and studying. With less pressure, you'll have more freedom to focus on what matters most – your education and future success.

Browse scholarships

Applications for 2027 are open

Ready to take the next step? Apply now to start your journey at Deakin and get ready for what’s next.

Key dates

Direct applications

Trimester 1 2027 applications close 7 February 2027

Apply now

Apply direct

Simply create an account in the Deakin Application Portal, enter your personal and educational details, upload your supporting documents and submit your application.

Apply through Deakin

Recognition of prior learning

We value your previous study and experience. Recognition of prior learning enables you to get credit for what you've already achieved. When you apply, we'll consider your previous study and experience for recognition of prior learning.

Recognition of prior learning may be granted to applicants based on prior studies and/or equivalent industry experience.

Pathways

Upon completion of the Master of Sustainability you could use the credit points you’ve completed to enter into the Master of Sustainability (Professional) (S728)

Alternate exits

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