Where is systematics taught? (2011)

Many universities (and other post-secondary educational institutions) offer science units in which students learn something about biodiversity, classification, evolutionary trees and other basics of systematics. However, only a few units focus on systematics and include in-depth or intensive training.

In the first section below, we list formal, tertiary-level course units in systematics (and closely related subjects) in Australia and New Zealand in 2011. The list is based on course descriptions from online handbooks and may be incomplete; if you know of other systematics units, please contact the compiler, mesibov (at) southcom . com . au

In the second section below, we list some short courses and other training opportunities that are dedicated to taxonomy and/or systematics.

Australia

Australian National University
    Advanced genetics and bioinformatics (BIOL3157)  (webpage)
    Australian plant diversity (BIOL2122)  (webpage)
    Primate evolutionary biology (BIOL2126)  (webpage; Prof Groves covers topics such as the nature of species and higher taxonomic categories, the rules of nomenclature, dispersal and vicariance, cladistics, molecular phylogeny and the molecular clock)

Charles Sturt University
Plant taxonomy and systematics (HRT202) (Listed on this webpage)

Deakin University
Biogeography (SLE237) (webpage)

Edith Cowan University
Bioinformatics (SCI2191) (webpage)
Plant diversity (SCB2423) (webpage)

RMIT University
Bioinformatics (BIOL2034) (webpage)

University of Melbourne
Evolutionary genetics and genomics (GENE30001) (webpage in 2010)
Plant systematics and evolution (BOTA30002) (webpage in 2010)

University of New England
    Plant diversity (BOTY203)  (webpage)
    Biological systematics (EVOL301)  (webpage)
    Evolution and biogeography (EVOL211)  (webpage)

University of New South Wales
Assembling the tree of life (BIOS3221) (webpage)

University of Queensland
Genomics and bioinformatics (BIOL3004) (webpage)

University of Sydney
    Bioinformatics and genomics (BIOL3027)  (webpage)
    Insect taxonomy and systematics (ENTO4004)  (webpage)
    Systematics and evolution of plants (PLNT3003)  (webpage)

University of Tasmania
Molecular ecology and evolution (KPA377) (webpage)

New Zealand

Massey University
Biodiversity and systematics (199.718) (webpage)

University of Auckland
    Biogeography (BIOSCI 731)  (webpage)
    Bioinformatics (BIOSCI 359)  (webpage)
    Bioinformatics and computational biology (BIOSCI 742)  (webpage)
    Advanced bioinformatics 1 (BIOSCI 743)  (webpage)
    Molecular ecology and evolution (BIOSCI 733)  (webpage)
    Pacific biogeography and biodiversity (BIOSCI 395)  (webpage)

University of Canterbury
    Practical taxonomy for field biologists (summer field course) (BIOL305)  (webpage)
    Evolutionary systematics (BIOL421)  (webpage)
    Plant diversity and systematics (BIOL215)  (webpage)

University of Otago
Plant diversity and evolution (BTNY326) (webpage)

Victoria University of Wellington
Biodiversity (BIOL425) (webpage)

European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy/Distributed European School of Taxonomy

EDIT/DEST is offering intensive training in modern taxonomy in 2012 for both European and non-European trainees:

Zoological nomenclature (27-29 January 2012, Madrid) [closed]
Botanical nomenclature (30 January - 3 February 2012, London) [closed]
DNA barcoding (19-23 March 2012, Paris)
Basics of taxonomy: describing, illustrating and writing biodiversity (16-27 April 2012, Kristineberg, Sweden) [deadline 15 January 2012]
Biological nomenclature (28 May - 1 June 2012, Paris) [deadline 1 March 2012]

For more information, see the DEST webpage

European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy/Distributed European School of Taxonomy - advanced courses

The Distributed European School of Taxonomy (DEST), originally funded by the EC in the framework of the EDIT project, has launched the Expert-in-Training programme 2011-2012. The training courses will enable graduate students and early career researchers to develop and strengthen their taxonomic research skills through on-the-job-training at a European university/research institute. The programme includes a great diversity of topics and covers groups from diatoms and fruit flies up to primates. On-the-job-training emphasizes practical experiences in morphological and molecular techniques, bio-informatics and other taxonomic research skills. More info at http://www.taxonomytraining.eu/content/expert-training-traineeships-2011-2012 More training courses will be added soon.