Minors in the Bachelor of Environment and Society

A minor is an optional additional area of focus for a degree. You can take a BPM minor as part of most Bachelor degrees at Victoria University of Wellington.

A minor is made up of a collection of courses in a particular subject. The workload for a minor is lighter than for a major—fewer courses to do, fewer points required. This makes a minor a good way to build a second or third area of focus or concentration into your degree. Find out more about how minors work.

Minors are made up of at least 60 points from the relevant subject area at 200 level or above. At least 15 of these points must be at 300 level and not counted towards a major or another minor.

Climate Science

Gain a broad-based understanding of climate change, sustainability, and science communication.

Requirements for this minor

Complete the following courses:

  • 20 points from ESCI 309, ESCI 315-317

And a further 40 points from the 200- and 300-level Climate Science major requirements.

Data Science

Develop technical skills in computing technologies, statistics, and mathematics and work with real data sets to develop a practical understanding of the social dimensions of data.

Requirements for this minor

Complete the following courses:

And one further course from Part (b) or (c) of the Data Science major requirements.

Development Studies

Study the enormous differences in living standards around the world and what we can do about it. Examine the relationships between people and institutions—from small communities, to government agencies and international organisations. Focus on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals that set out to address inequality in wealth, education and health around the world.

Requirements for this minor

Complete the following courses:

And  two courses from:

Education for the Environment

Education for the Environment will give you an understanding of different perspectives and approaches to promoting and evaluating sustainability, kaitiakitanga, and climate education in Aotearoa New Zealand and across the globe.

Requirements for this minor

Complete the following courses:

And a further 20 points from 200- or 300-level courses in the Education for the Environment major requirements.

Environmental Humanities

Environmental Humanities is an interdisciplinary field that examines how the arts and humanities help us better understand our relationships with the planet. By studying literature, art, philosophy, film, media, and history, we explore how cultural beliefs and values shape our interactions with nature.

Requirements for this minor

Complete the following courses:

And 20 further 300-level points from the Environmental Humanities major requirements.

Environmental Science

Environmental Science is about how humans connect with and change the natural environment. Gain an understanding of this relationship, drawing on a range of sciences including biology, chemistry, geography, maths, and physics.

Requirements for this minor

Complete the following courses:

Environmental Studies

Go beyond the 'pure' sciences to examine social, cultural, and economic perspectives on the environment. Learn about the pressures humans place on the earth and what we can do about it. Study a range of topics from climate change to urban green spaces, and from Māori resource management to the impact of humans on Antarctica.

Requirements

Complete the following courses:

And 20 further points from GEOG 200–399

Geographic Information Science

Learn in-demand spatial analysis skills that are valuable across various disciplines such as our physical environment and human populations. Get a powerful geospatial toolkit to enhance your understanding and prepare you for the data-driven future.

Requirements

Complete the following courses:

And one course from:

Māori Design and Environments

Learn how to integrate mātauranga Māori principles with contemporary design practices. Explore critical urbanism and the built and natural environments of Aotearoa New Zealand. Foster sustainable and culturally responsive solutions in architecture, interior design, and landscape design.

Requirements

Complete 60 points including:

Science Communication

Build your knowledge of science and the scientific process, and develop an understanding of the factors that influence the communication of scientific information.

Requirements

Complete the following courses:

Science in Society

Explore the relationships between science and technology, scientists and society, and the history and philosophy of science. Examine how scientific ideas and issues are communicated to different audiences in society.

Requirements

Complete SCIS 213

Complete one of the following courses:

Complete 30 points from:

Social Policy

Social Policy takes a focused look at the needs and wellbeing of the population, and the way governments and individuals try to solve some of the big issues of society. If you're looking to work in government or with a non-profit organisation and want insight into common policy questions, this minor is a good option for you.

Requirements

Complete at least 40 points from:

Including 20 points from:

Complete a further 20 points from:

Space Science

Space Science looks at all parts of the space industry—from the technical innovations needed to go into space, to the ethical and legal issues that develop as we push out of Earth’s orbit.

Requirements

Complete the following courses:

Sustainability and Ethics in Business

Learn about the importance of sustainability and ethics in today’s business environment. Critically analyse the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals from a diverse range of perspectives. Get equipped to apply the principles of sustainability and business ethics in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally.

Requirements

Include the following two core courses:

And complete two further 200- or 300-level courses from the Sustainability and Ethics in Business major requirements for the BCom, including at least 15 points at 300 level.

    Sustainable Engineering Systems

    Specialise in designing resource- and energy-efficient systems for the built environment. Focus on their environmental and socio-economic impacts to create durable, healthy, and sustainable buildings.

    Requirements

    Complete at least 60 points from: