The major in Environmental Studies equips students with a broad understanding of (i) the complex and often conflicting, interrelationships between human societies and their environment; and (ii) the solutions, or sets of solutions that are available to address our most intractable environmental problems. Reflecting the complexity of human-environment relationships, the major in Environmental Studies offers a range of possible study areas, from natural ecological and earth system processes; through environmental management, resource use and policy, to cultural ecology and the history of environmental change, perception and philosophy.
The breadth of disciplinary coverage means that the courses relevant to this major are taught across several ANU Colleges, including Arts and Social Sciences, Business and Economics, Law, and Medicine, Biology and Environment. Different coherent approaches and areas of focus are achieved by grouping these courses to meet students' particular interests, ranging from a concentration on those natural resources that provide the essential economic foundations for society through to the study of more general aspects of the environment affecting quality of life. A common theme is the interactivity between humans and their environment at the individual and societal levels, as well as global, regional and local scale change processes. The major in Environmental Studies provides students with the multidisciplinary perspectives, skills and knowledge to engage meaningfully with the complex problems facing societies and the environment in the 21st century.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Due to structural changes in the undergraduate program rules in 2012, the courses that make up the new 2012 majors may be different to the pre-2012 majors, and therefore some courses cannot be counted between majors. Students are advised to contact the CASS Student Office if they are unsure about their Majors.
Learning Outcomes
Students who complete this major will have the skills and knowledge to:
- Understand the connections between human culture, institutions and policies and environmental systems and change.
- Critically assess the relationships between human cultures and societies, the institutions, economic and political paradigms that characterise them, and the impacts on the natural environment.
- Apply multi- and interdisciplinary approaches to tackling complex problems in a variety of contexts (e.g. climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainability in business and industry, regional planning, land care, public participation, and cultural heritage).
- Gather and analyse relevant data for creating adaptive responses to environmental issues.
- Synthesise the principal approaches to environmental management and other relevant fields of study.
Relevant Degrees
Requirements
This major requires the completion of 48 units, which must consist of:
24 units from completion of the following course(s):
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ENVS1001 | Environment and Society: Geography of Sustainability | 6 |
| ENVS1003 | Introduction to Environmental and Social Research | 6 |
| ENVS2011 | Human Ecology | 6 |
| ENVS3021 | Human Futures | 6 |
A minimum of 6 units must come from completion of courses from the following list:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ENVS2002 | Environmental Measurement, Modelling and Monitoring | 6 |
| ENVS2014 | Qualitative Research Methods for Sustainability | 6 |
A minimum of 12 units must come from completion of courses from the following list:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ENVS2012 | Sustainable Urban Systems | 6 |
| ENVS2013 | Society and Environmental Change | 6 |
| ENVS2023 | Sustainable Agricultural Systems | 6 |
| ENVS3028 | Environmental Policy | 6 |
| ENVS3040 | Complex Environmental Problems in Action | 6 |
| INDG3002 | Indigenous Peoples and Development | 6 |
| PHIL2114 | Sustainability, System and Agency | 6 |
| SOCY2022 | Environmental Sociology | 6 |
A maximum of 6 units may come from completion of courses from the following list:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH2135 | Vietnam Field School | 6-12 |
| ENVS2005 | Island Sustainable Development: Fiji Field School | 6-12 |
| ENVS2007 | Economics for the Environment | 6 |
| ENVS2017 | Vietnam Field School | 6-12 |
| ENVS2025 | Indigenous Cultural and Natural Resource Management | 6 |
| ENVS3001 | Climate Change Science & Policy in Practice | 6 |
| ENVS3004 | Land and Catchment Management | 6 |
| ENVS3005 | Water Management | 6 |
| ENVS3007 | Participatory Resource Management: Working with Communities and Stakeholders | 6 |
| ENVS3020 | Climate Change Science & Policy | 6 |
| ENVS3033 | International Environmental Policy | 6 |
| ENVS3039 | Biodiversity Conservation | 6 |
| ENVS3015 | Essentials of Environmental Law | 6 |
| MGMT3101 | Business and the Natural Environment | 6 |
| POLS2011 | Development and Change | 6 |
| VCUG3001 | Unravelling Complexity | 6 |
