Environmental Humanities at UNSW is an interdisciplinary area of study that is designed to provide students with a solid foundation from which to understand and critically engage with the social and political dimensions of contemporary environmental issues.
Species extinction, genetically modified organisms, climate change and nuclear power are just a few of the challenges facing us today. While these are all clearly ‘environmental’ issues, they are also all profoundly social, cultural and political challenges. Education in the Environmental Humanities focuses on developing critical insight into the ‘human dimensions’ of these environmental issues; issues that now permeate almost every aspect of our lives, from everyday lifestyle decisions to collective and public choices concerning urban development, energy security and food production.

Drawing on resources from across the humanities and social sciences, teaching in Environmental Humanities provides students with a valuable and distinctive approach to the environment, grounded in the fields of history, philosophy, geography, cultural studies, literature, science and technology studies (STS) and social theory.

Studying Environmental Humanities at UNSW
At the present time, teaching and research in Environmental Humanities is spread between a number of Schools in the Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS). Undergraduate study in Environmental Humanities is convened by the School of Humanities in FASS.

Teaching and research in Environmental Humanities also draws on strong connections with the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Institute of Environmental Studies, which has responsibility for the Master in Environmental Management program.