Postgraduate study in plant biosecurity

Establishing a university course in plant biosecurity is a key indicator of success for the Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity’s Education and Training Program.

Through the CRC’s plant biosecurity curriculum project led by Associate Professor Tony Clarke from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), this success was realised in February 2010 when the first cohort of students were able to enrol at Murdoch University and begin their studies.

The curriculum is comprised of three new postgraduate degrees – a Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and a Masters. These are all delivered online, meaning that students can study in the comfort of their own home.

The National Plant Biosecurity Curriculum is a collaborative effort between five universities; University of Adelaide, Charles Darwin University, La Trobe University, Murdoch University and QUT. The project received the majority of its monetary support from the federal government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations through a Collaborative and Structural Reform Grant. It also received significant in-kind support through the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

CRC Education and Training program leader, Dr Kirsty Bayliss said the first semester was very successful and it was rewarding to see students coming from government departments who play key roles in Australia’s plant biosecurity system.

‘All the students this semester were employees of either Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Department of Primary Industries Victoria or Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. The curriculum is a great opportunity for staff to gain an understanding in areas of plant biosecurity where they may not have expertise,’ she said.

Units that were studied this semester were Plant Biosecurity in Practice and Detection and Diagnostics (taught by Murdoch), Biosecurity Plant Pests – Invertebrates (taught by QUT) and Biosecurity Plant Pests – Plant Pathogens (taught by LaTrobe).

Dr Bayliss said the first semester students have just finished their teaching surveys and the feedback has been extremely positive with many saying the course content and format is excellent and very relevant and useful to them.

‘We have one student who hasn’t studied for 15 years and never online, so the fact that they have found this a pleasant return to study is a great indicator for us,’ she said.

Mid-semester enrolments in the Diploma and Masters are currently being accepted at Murdoch University, enrol online NOW. La Trobe and QUT are expected to enrol students in 2011. For more information visit the curriculum website 

Content supplied by: Dr Kirsty Bayliss (Murdoch University) and Associate Professor Tony Clarke (QUT)