Undergraduate
The Graduate School of the Environment (GSE) offers two units for undergraduate students that cover broad environmental issues and provide a general understanding of the place of environmental studies within studies of society and the economy.
ENV 200: Introduction to Environmental Studies
This unit aims to provide a broad introduction to the interdisciplinary field of environmental studies. It is designed to be relevant and interesting for a range of students with a wide variety of academic backgrounds. It examines the concept of the environment and conflicting priorities in society, as well as the difficulties of incorporating environmental considerations into current economic systems. The major physical and biological systems of planetary environments are discussed in relation to environmental problems such as population growth, energy use, land degradation and water pollution. Current management and legislative processes are explained, with suggested strategies to alleviate existing problems.
GSE 200: Introduction to Environmental Economics
This unit is designed for students whose program does not include a coherent program of study in economics, and recognises the special requirements involved in incorporating environmental factors in conventional economics. It explores economic concepts, principles and techniques and their application to environmental and resource management issues. The course is intended to equip participants with introductory skills to enable analysis of environmental policy issues from an economic perspective.