This intensive field-based course will offer first-hand knowledge and experience of heritage management and tourism practices outside the ANU campus. The main focus of field school is the development of empirical research skills associated with community-based heritage and tourism management in the real world. The in-person course will provide valuable opportunities for students to meet heritage tourism officials, experts, managers, practitioners, planners, and managers. Moreover, students will be introduced to various techniques for conducting ethnographic research, including interviews, participant observation, and focus groups. Through group ethnographic research, they will obtain first-hand knowledge of cultural, social and political issues surrounding heritage tourism.
Students will only be permitted to travel upon completion of ANU-required documentation, including, where required, the travel to a high-risk destination form and the approval of all documentation by the relevant delegate.
Disclaimer: Applicants are advised that due to circumstances beyond the University's control (for example, specific international security concerns and international health crises), it may not be possible for students to commence or complete topics requiring international travel.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- assess heritage and tourism policies from the destination of the field school;
- apply ethnographic approaches to studying heritage tourism research;
- design and participate in group projects studying heritage tourism management and practices;
- analyse the role of policies in heritage tourism management practices at selected heritage sites; and
- identify the power relations among different heritage and tourism stakeholders at selected heritage sites.
Work Integrated Learning
Fieldwork
This intensive field-based course will offer first-hand knowledge and experience of heritage management and tourism practices outside the ANU campus. It will be available for domestic and international students.
Other Information
Some of the trip options may require students to safely traverse 2-3km over uneven ground at a moderate pace, and stay in basic cabins and dorms rooms.
An information session will be organised for students to prepare for the course.
Indicative Assessment
- Field school dairy (1500 words) (20) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Teamwork and daily participation in research projects (10) [LO 2,3]
- Individual presentation at the conclusion of Field School (15 mins) (20) [LO 2,3,4,5]
- Final essay (3000 words) (50) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:
a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 8 hours of lectures, 10 hours of workshop and workshop-like activities, and 18 hours fieldwork activities.
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing
Inherent Requirements
To complete this course, students must participate in the 3- week long field trip to a domestic and/or isolated field location. In order to participate in the trip, students must have the ability to:
- Undertake autonomous domestic travel;
- Monitor and manage their own health while studying with a group of people in an international and/or isolated field location; and
- to engage with local people, customs and practices.
Students who cannot meet these requirements will not be able to participate in the trip and therefore cannot complete the course.
For more information, please refer to the CASS trip information page.
Prescribed Texts
Zhu, Y. (2021). Heritage tourism: from problems to possibilities. Cambridge University Press.
Zhu, Y., & Maags, C. (2020). Heritage politics in China: The power of the past. Routledge.
Preliminary Reading
Zhu, Y. (2018). Heritage and romantic consumption in China (p. 205). Amsterdam University Press.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $4320 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $6360 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Spring Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9371 | 01 Oct 2025 | 24 Oct 2025 | 24 Oct 2025 | 31 Dec 2025 | In Person | N/A |