Extended Major Overview

Description

UWA's Bachelor of Social and Environmental Sustainability is a Humanities & Social Sciences (HaSS)-focused interdisciplinary degree oriented towards professional practice that draws substantively on the rich disciplinary knowledge across the social sciences and humanities. Through undertaking coursework that draws on the disciplines of Anthropology, Geography, Environmental History, Philosophy, Indigenous Studies, Environmental Economics, and Political Science and International Relations, students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the complex challenges of working with communities and organisations in seeking to address and solve social and environmental challenges facing societies, and the skills to be able to develop and drive policy solutions. The major also provides students with the opportunity for students to gain introductory knowledge in processes that shape the natural environment and how processes shape and are shaped by human activities. Through their studies and professional practice experiences, students will learn a range of methodologies and communication skills to create and lead solutions and change. This course provides students with crucial conceptual knowledge and real-world experiences to meet the demand for professionals who can help organisations and communities adopt sustainable practices to address social and environmental challenges. This degree program prepares graduates for careers in various fields such as sustainability consulting, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), environmental advocacy, social enterprise, environmental policy, community development and planning. To broaden their learning, it is recommended that students take one of the recommended minors to gain a deeper understanding of the natural sciences or environmental economics.

Students should be aware that this major does not provide a pathway to an Honours.

Outcomes

Students are able to:

  1. analyse the interconnectedness of social, economic, political and cultural systems and how these are impacted by and can impact the natural environment
  2. identify the historical, social, cultural, and political dimensions of environmental issues, from a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives
  3. evaluate policy responses to social and environmental challenges using a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary tools
  4. critique and challenge modes of thought through written, spoken, and other forms of communication
  5. analyse complex problems critically, creatively and with contextual understanding, in order to collaboratively develop sustainable practices
  6. communicate and collaborate effectively with a variety of stakeholders and work in diverse and multidisciplinary teams.
Broadening guidelines
This major is centred in HaSS (Humanities & Social Science) disciplines. It is recommended for broadening that students consider completing a minor or units that provide them with a deeper understanding of the natural sciences or environmental economics.
Suggested Minors to broaden you study area, are:
(1) MNR-ETHFT Earth's Environmental Challenges
(2) MNR-MRSDV Mineral Resource Development
(3) MNR-ECOLY Ecology
(4) MNR-ENVBI Environmental Biology
(5) MNR-EECON Environmental Economics
(6) MNR-GEARL Geological and Archaeological Landscapes
(7) MNR-OCEAN Ocean Innovation
(8) MNR-ENVST Understanding the Environment
(9) MNR-SPCEU Science and Policy: Climate Change, Environmental Planning and Urban Environments
(10) MNR-SCCOM Science Communication
Suggested units to broaden your study area, are:
(1) AGRI1001 Feeding the World
(2) ARCY1001 Think Like an Archaeologist
(3) ARCY2004 Archaeology of Rock Art
(4) BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology
(5) EART2204 Coastal Processes
(6) ENVT2250 Ecology
(7) ECON2224 Environmental Economics 2
(8) ECON3323 Business and the Environment
(9) GEOG3303 Environmental Policy and Planning
(10) GEOG3311 Geographies of Economic Development
(11) ENVT3363 Ecological Processes
(12) INDG1160 Boodjar Moort Katitjin: Introduction to Indigenous Heritage and Knowledge
(13) INDG2300 Indigenous Knowledge: Mind, Body and Spirit
Courses

Social and Environmental Sustainability can only be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

Example Study Plan

See study plans for more information.

Units

Key to availability of units:
S1
Semester 1
S2
Semester 2
N/A
not available in 2025 – may be available in 2026 or 2027

Level 1

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (30 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1, S2 ECON1120 Environmental Economics 1 None
S2 GEOG1104 Disasters! None
S1 GEOG1107 Global Human Inequality
Incompatibility
GEOG3309 Global Inequalities and Population Change: Transformation and Crisis
S1 HIST1901 Environmental History
Incompatibility
HIST2201 Environmental History
S1 IREL1001 The International Politics of Climate Change
Incompatibility
POLS3342 Global Environmental Politics in your chosen degree
Degree-specific major units

Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 EART1104 Discovering Earth None
S1 EART1105 Dynamic Planet None
S1 ENVT1104 Environmental Science and Technology None
S1 GEOG1106 Climate Change: Environment and Society None

Level 2

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (24 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 GEOG2202 Reading Landscapes: People and Processes
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
GEOG1106 Climate Change: Environment and Society
or GEOG1104 Disasters!
or GEOG1107 Human Inequality in the Anthropocene
or GEOG1103 Urbanisation and Sustainability
or prior approval
S1 GEOG2206 Population Change: Debates and Controversies
Prerequisites
24 points
S2 HUMR2001 Global and Environmental Justice
Incompatibility
Successful completion of
Unit(s) PHIL2009 Global and Environmental Justice
S1 POLS2201 Foundations of Public Policy
Prerequisites
12 points of Social Sciences and/or Humanities study at level 1
Incompatibility
POLS3301 Public Policy
Degree-specific major units

Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 EART2231 Earth Materials
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) EART1104 Discovering Earth
S1 ENVT2220 The Climate System None
S2 ENVT2221 Global Climate Change and Biodiversity
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology (ID 1254)
or Unit(s) BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology (ID 1244)
or Unit(s) EART1105 Dynamic Planet (ID 1247)
or Unit(s) ENVT1104 Environmental Science and Technology (ID 5950)
S1, S2 GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems
Prerequisites
36 points of prior study
Degree-specific major units

Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 HUMA2002 Thinking Ecologically
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
two level 1 Unit(s)
S1 SWSP2001 Knowledges and Skills for Working with Indigenous Peoples
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
BH017 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)
and Successful completion of
48 points
Degree-specific major units

Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ANTH2225 Human Futures: Energy, Food and Sustainable Environments
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
level 1 24 points Unit(s)
S2 CHPR2022 Solutions for Sustainable Future Energy
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
24 points of Level 1 units
Incompatibility
ENSC3022 Global Energy Production: Challenges and Opportunities

Level 3

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (18 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 GEOG3308 Climate Change: Policy and Practice
Prerequisites
72 points in your chosen degree
S1 POLS3335 Social Movements and the Politics of Change
Prerequisites
12 points of Social Sciences and/or Humanities study at level 2
N/A SOCS3001 Environment, Society and Governance in Practice
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
GEOG1104 Disasters!
and GEOG1107 Human Inequality in the Anthropocene
Degree-specific major units

Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 ANTH3401 Engaged Practices
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
level 2 24 points Unit(s)
Incompatibility
ANTH2209 Applied Anthropology
S2 ENGL3200 Writing/Environment
Prerequisites
any level 1
or level 2 ENGL unit
or HIST1901 Environmental History