Back to Find Units Page

Unit of Study HLT00257 - History and Foundations of Herbal Medicine (2014)

Show me unit information for year

Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

    N/A

Unit description

Introduces students to herbal medicine, based on the study of the European herbal tradition as it originated in ancient Greece. It covers the historical and philosophical framework of Western herbal medicine, its language and modern application. It also provides an introduction to the manufacture of herbal preparations.

Unit content

  • The philosophical tradition of western herbal medicine
  • Introduction to a wide variety of herbals
  • Scope and limitation of application of herbs: domestic, naturopathic and pharmaceutical uses
  • Ecological considerations with regard to use of medicinal herbs
  • Current political context for herbalists and relevant legislation
  • Place of traditional knowledge and modern scientific research in herbal medicine
  • Language of herbal medicine and the historical context of its utilisation
  • Materia medica of selected herbs

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Lismore Session 2 Session 2

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
Learning outcome count Learning outcome description GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 explain the historical and philosophical basis of Western herbal medicine
2 use and apply the language of herbal medicine
3 explain a variety of approaches to herbal medicine in the Western tradition
4 describe herbs of the materia medica according to therapeutic groups
5 describe the characteristics and significance of both traditional herbal knowledge and modern scientific research in phytotherapy
6 critically evaluate a variety of sources of available herbal information
7 apply common laboratory methods and techniques to the manufacture of herbal preparations.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. explain the historical and philosophical basis of Western herbal medicine
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  2. use and apply the language of herbal medicine
    • GA4:
    • GA6:
  3. explain a variety of approaches to herbal medicine in the Western tradition
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  4. describe herbs of the materia medica according to therapeutic groups
    • GA4:
  5. describe the characteristics and significance of both traditional herbal knowledge and modern scientific research in phytotherapy
    • GA1:
  6. critically evaluate a variety of sources of available herbal information
    • GA1:
  7. apply common laboratory methods and techniques to the manufacture of herbal preparations.
    • GA1:
    • GA4:

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.