Bachelor of Environment and Society

Pursue your passion for environmental issues. Tackle the big questions and equip yourself with the knowledge to drive change.

Make a lasting impact

The world faces urgent environmental challenges. Tackling them calls for collaboration across multiple perspectives. The Bachelor of Environment and Society prepares you to understand and address environmental issues from a range of viewpoints. At the same time, it deepens your expertise in a specialist subject.

This three-year degree builds your understanding of both the social and the biophysical dimensions of environmental change. You’ll learn to think critically about the causes and effects of environmental problems, based on a firm grasp of the physical processes shaping our world.

Through the BEnvSoc, you’ll explore key concepts like sustainability and justice. You’ll ask how Indigenous environmental knowledge can guide our approach to environmental problems. And you’ll apply your knowledge across a range of scales—from local issues in environmental management to global issues of climate change and inequality.

With this degree, you’ll gain the skills to make a meaningful difference and turn your passion into action.

Get a taste for university

Watch this short taster lecture to help you decide which degree is right for you. If you're curious to explore more, check out our full library of taster lectures.

Discover your ideal Bachelor of Environment and Society

Interested in the degree but not sure which major provides the perfect path? We’ve created a short quiz to give you some insight into each major, and help you decide which one is right for you. Take the quiz.

Tailor your studies

At the heart of the BEnvSoc are nine core [courses] that give you a broad foundation for understanding the connections between people and their environments.

Alongside the core courses, you’ll also take a [major] in a specific area. Choose from options spanning social sciences, earth sciences, the humanities, business, education, and design. Develop your capacity for action in an area that matches your talents and interests.

You’ll graduate with a mix of broad and specialised environmental knowledge and skills, equipping you to understand and address urgent environmental issues.

Find out more about each of the majors in the ‘Requirements’ section.

Scholarships for international students

We are currently offering a NZ$15,000 VUW Undergraduate International Scholarship to all eligible international students enrolling in a Bachelor’s degree. Your scholarship will be processed automatically when your programme application is accepted, and the amount will be deducted from your tuition fees.

Find out more

Fill in a form to express your interest and find out more about the Bachelor of Environment and Society.

Build your community

The BEnvSoc gives you the chance to build connections, as each cohort studies their core courses together.

In your final year, you’ll work as part of a team to develop and complete a capstone project inspired by an external organisation or by current environmental and societal issues.

Your project will build on the subject expertise each team member brings from their own major. Working together will help you build skills in collaboration and communication, while giving you insights into diverse approaches and perspectives.

Practical learning opportunities

A core part of this degree involves fieldwork around the Wellington region. As you progress through your studies, you’ll get input from employers and community groups working with the University. You might work on a summer research project with an external organisation or explore a current challenge experienced by an organisation with links to the University.

When you graduate, you’ll be able to use your new knowledge and skills to understand, analyse, and solve real-world problems.

Degree structure

In the first year of the BEnvSoc, you’ll take core courses across a range of topics in environment and society. This gives you a solid set of skills to build on throughout the rest of your degree.

In your second year, you’ll build on the skills you learnt in first year and focus on your major.

In your final year, you’ll undertake an interdisciplinary project that addresses real-life challenges on environment and society themes.

Career options

Through the BEnvSoc, you’ll develop specialist knowledge along with highly sought-after skills in analysis, research, critical thinking, and collaboration. These skills will set you up for roles in a range of sectors, allowing you to contribute meaningfully to your chosen area.

There are many different career options, depending on your chosen major. You might pursue a role as a policy adviser, community facilitator, science communicator, or environmental scientist. You might work as a scientific adviser, a migrant/refugee advocate, or a consultant in a range of areas including environmental design and sustainability planning.

Further study

Completing the Bachelor of Environment and Society provides a great foundation for further postgraduate study in science, humanities, design, education, or business, depending on your chosen major.

The BEnvSoc also offers clear pathways into postgraduate research in environment and society-related topics—for example, through a Master of Arts, Master of Environmental Science, Master of Environmental Studies, Master of Science, or a PhD.