Environmental Planning

Environmental Planning at Waikato develops your knowledge of how human behaviour affects the environment. We'll inspire you to understand how social, economic and cultural aspects, and the physical environment contribute to problems and provide solutions.
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Why study Environmental Planning?

During your Environmental Planning studies, we'll involve you in a variety of other academic pursuits that enable you to understand the interdisciplinary nature of environmental issues. You'll take papers in the social and natural sciences and make direct connections between human behaviour, politics and the natural environment.

Learning isn't all in the classroom, either. We take frequent field trips to explore first-hand the impact humans have on the local environment. You'll do practical group research projects such as investigate urban regeneration of the Central Business District and study policy options to manage human impact on coastal dune systems.

If you study Environmental Planning under the Bachelor of Environmental Planning (BEP) then you will gain an internationally recognised qualification that is professionally accredited by the New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI). This means our students gain employment in their area of interest and after graduation start jobs as planners, consultants, environmental protection officers, or policy analysts, and work for companies like Fonterra and Genesis Energy.

It's a vocational programme, which means you'll have the professional qualification, skills and expertise that will enable you to make a positive impact on the places you love and the places you live.

Career Opportunities

  • City Planner
  • Environmental Planner
  • Environmental Educator
  • Iwi Management Planner
  • Policy Analyst or Advisor
  • Project Manager
  • Researcher
  • Resource Consent Planner
  • Reserves Planner
  • Transport Planner

Hamilton, Tauranga, Online

Subject requirements

The Bachelor of Environmental Planning (BEP) is a professional accredited degree.

To complete the requirements of the BEP, students must complete:

Level 100: ENVPL100, ENVPL101 and MAORI102.

Level 200: ENVPL201, ENVPL203, GEOGY209, GEOGY219 and GEOGY228.

Level 300: ENVPL300, ENVPL302, ENVPL303, ENVPL306 and ENVPL309.

Level 400: ENVPL401, ENVPL402, ENVPL404, ENVPL406, ENVPL407 and ENVPL490.

as well as the following:

15 points from ARTSC101, ARTSC103, ARTSC105, ARTSC106 or ENSLA103.

30 points from BIOEB102, EARTH101, EARTH102, ECONS101, ECONS102, ENVSC101, GEOGY103, MAORI111 or POLSC102.

The three BEP streams and their requirements are:

Science and the Environment: 30 points from BIOEB102, EARTH101, EARTH102, ENVSC101; and ENVSC201; and 30 points from BIOEB202, EARTH221, EARTH231, EARTH241; and SCIEN300; and 30 points from BIOEB303, BIOEB304, BIOEB305, EARTH322, EARTH331, EARTH341 and EARTH342.

Society and the Environment: 30 points from ECONS101, ECONS102, GEOGY101, GEOGY102, POLSC102, SOCIO101, SOCPY100; and POPST201; and 30 points from ECONS200, ECONS202 or ECONS301, ECONS204 or ECONS307, PHILO217, POLCY212, POLSC211, SOCPY200; and one of GEOGY301 or POPST302; and 30 points from ANTHY325, ECONS301, ECONS303, ECONS307, GEOGY301, GEOGY309, GEOGY323, GEOGY328, POLCY318, POLSC327, SOCPY300 and SOCPY301.

Te Ara Taiao: Māori and the Environment: 30 points from MAORI111, MAORI112, MAORI150; and POPST201; and 30 points from MAORI202, MAORI203, MAORI211, MAORI212, MAORI250; and one of GEOGY301 or POPST302; and 30 points from ANTHY325, MAORI302, MAORI303, MAORI304, MAORI311, MAORI312, MAORI350.

Please note: For all graduate subject requirements check the information provided in the papers section above.

Scholarships and prizes

Visit our Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships.

Environmental Planning papers