This course has a limit on enrolments, which is on a first-come-first-served basis
What makes a mineral ‘critical’? Where are critical mineral deposits found? Who controls critical mineral supply chains? And what technologies do we need to mine and process critical minerals ethically and sustainably now and into the future?
These sorts of questions are crucial for the energy transition, and cannot be answered using a single disciplinary approach. This cross-disciplinary unit thus aims to provide students with a 360° perspective of the critical minerals value chain and its relevance to the energy transition. The course will be designed for a cohort of students from diverse academic programs, so no prior knowledge is assumed. The course will bring together ANU scholars from across disciplines to cover a broad range of topics including environmental science, geology and mining, environmental impacts, geopolitics and political economy, macroeconomics and sociology. Students will develop skills to critically evaluate, report and communicate on current topics relating to critical minerals and the energy transition. This unit will provide a timely, societally relevant, innovative, and well-rounded foundation for students to proceed onto more specific areas of relevant study.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Independently research and critically analyse contemporary key topics in critical minerals and the energy transition including technological, geological, geopolitical, economic, social and environmental aspects;
- Define critical minerals and evaluate in the context of the 21st century a range of societal, economic and environmental impacts of extractive technologies on indigenous Australian communities and broader Australian and global society;
- Describe the supply and demand of critical minerals, including geological settings in which the major types of critical mineral ore deposits form and how we find these deposits;
- List key technologies that use critical minerals and explain (in lay terms / scientific terms) their relevance to critical minerals and carbon emissions;
- Compare the geopolitical, environmental and macroeconomic implications of critical mineral dependencies, and assess the supply risks in relation to critical minerals;
- Apply research to generate original written work and present ideas in an effective and accessible manner, using an appropriate medium such as oral, poster, report, video etc.
Indicative Assessment
- Group written sub-reports handed in weeks 2-11, based on chosen critical metal or critical metal group, aligned with the learning for that week. It is anticipated these sub-reports will be 4-5 pages in length. (50) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
- Final written report which is an edited and structured compilation of the weekly reports (35) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
- Peer assessed presentation of the final report (oral, poster, video etc.) (15) [LO 1,6]
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
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester including:
- Face-to-face component of approximately 60 hours over twelve weeks including 2x1 hour lectures per week and 1x3 hour practical session per week.
- Approximately 70 hours of independent student research, reading, and writing.
Inherent Requirements
No specific inherent requirements have been identified for this course.
Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the Research School of Earth Sciences to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Prescribed Texts
There are no prescribed texts for this course.
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:
- 2
- 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 |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $4920 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $7020 |
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.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9180 | 27 Jul 2026 | 03 Aug 2026 | 31 Aug 2026 | 30 Oct 2026 | In Person | View |