Course details

Summary

Build on your Bachelor's degree to learn more about what shapes our environment so you can help find effective solutions to environmental problems.

Deepen your understanding of the environmental issues facing New Zealand and the world. Examine subjects like climate change, the sustainability of our cities, loss of biodiversity, water quality and consumerism.

Learn how environmental problems can be addressed through better policy, planning, design and communication. Discover how human behaviour can be influenced by these things and the role that politics plays in environmental concerns. You'll graduate with a good understanding of how you can create change.

Study alongside students from around the world and find out how environmental issues are tackled in different countries and the different problems they face.

Learn from the experts

Learn from highly regarded academics who are experts in their fields. You'll also hear from guest lecturers who are experienced professionals in environmental planning, economics, policy, law, politics, ethics and indigenous development.

Across disciplines

Environmental Studies connects with Geography and Development Studies as well as Public Policy, Law and Management. You can study the subject at postgraduate level from a science, commerce or arts background. Because you'll study with students from a variety of disciplines and professions, you'll broaden your own understanding through their different viewpoints and experiences.

PhD

If you do well in your Master's research you'll be able to apply to do a PhD.

A PhD is the highest academic qualification offered by the University. You’ll carry out original and sustained research under supervision from world-class academics in the Faculty of Science.

What you'll study

The PGDip is the same as the first year, or Part 1, of the Master's.

Core courses

Both qualifications include the 15-point core courses Environmental Management, and Research Methods. You'll get an overview of the current issues decision-makers face in managing the environment and look at case studies ranging from water management to urban design.

Research Methods will prepare you for thesis research and you'll study research design, data collection and analysis and how to communicate research findings.

Elective courses

You'll select the remaining 90 points from a wide range of approved 400- and 500-level courses from several different disciplines. You'll complete around seven of these and can tailor your choices to match your areas of interest and career direction.

You might focus on environmental law or economics, 毛利 resource management, climate change, political ecology or the psychology of behaviour change.

Master's thesis and practicum

If you are doing the Master's, you'll go on to a second year (Part 2) and complete a research thesis. You can choose to do the 35,000-word option, or complete a 25,000-word thesis and do a 30-point practicum. The practicum is a supervised work placement at an organisation that specialises in environmental or resource management.

You'll need an average grade of B+ across your courses in Part 1, for entry into Part 2 of the Master's programme.

Entry criteria

To be accepted into this programme you need:

• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant subject with a B+ average, or extensive practical experience
• To be accepted by the programme director as capable of proceeding with the proposed course of study

Other English Language requirements:

• IELTS overall band of 6.5, no sub-score below 6.0; or
• TOEFL 90 on the internet-based test with at least 20 in writing; or
• A minimum of two ratings of 5 and two ratings of 4 in the Victoria University English Proficiency Programme test
• Pearson Test of English: A score of 65 (with a ‘Communicative’ score of not less than 58).