Environmental Humanities

Bachelor of Sustainability (BSust)

Environmental sciences can tell us what is happening to our planet but not why. The Environmental humanities seek to explain and transform the cultural and historical foundations of environmental crisis.

Photo by greg.garrard@ubc.ca

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Degree

Bachelor

Length

4 years

Faculty/School

Interdisciplinary

Quick Find

Why study Environmental Humanities at UBC Okanagan?

The environmental humanities is a new configuration of humanities disciplines (principally literary studies, history, philosophy, Indigenous studies, human geography and cultural anthropology) that understands environmental issues as inseparable from the specific cultural contexts in which they appear.

Students enter into constructive dialogue with other subject areas to analyze and address a wide range of issues in sustainability, and thereby optimize the cultural and ecological impact of academic research.

Above photo by greg.garrard@ubc.ca.

Degree Options

Students enrolled in BSust take a set of core integrative courses specific to sustainability along with a set of advanced courses in one of four concentrations.

BSust

 

Sample Courses

These are examples of courses you can enrol in during your studies. To plan your academic journey, please visit undergraduate student resources.

INDG 102 - Introduction to Indigeneity: Ways of Knowing
SUST 100 - Sustainability: People, Place, and Process
SUST 104 - Introduction to Environmental Humanities
ENGL 156 - Environmental Literature
GEOG 128 - Human Geography: Space, Place, and Community

SUST 200 - Application, Practice and Management Approaches
SUST 201 - Introduction to Research in Sustainability and Geography
SUST 205 - Sustainability Economics
ANTH 245 - Culture and Environment
INDG 201 - Okanagan Indigenous Peoples' Historical Perspectives

SUST 300 - Achieving Sustainability at the Regional Scale
SUST 304 - Place-based Methods for Interdisciplinary Research
ANTH 344 - Encounters with Sciences of Life: Ethnographic Approaches
GEOG 365 - Parks and Outdoor Recreation
INDG 307 - Traditional Ecological Knowledge

SUST 402 - Community Service Learning
GEOG 431 - Resource Management Policy and Practice
HIST 408 - Capitalism and Nature
ENGL 476 - Climate Change and Culture
PHIL 435 - Environmental Ethics

Explore customized Program Plans designed to support your journey to graduation and beyond.

Careers and Outcomes

UBC degrees are respected by employers around the globe. Program graduates will have the skills to pursue a career in a variety of fields like,

  • Environmental journalist
  • Nature writer
  • Environmental NGO communications officer
  • Local/provincial government sustainability coordinator
  • Corporate Social Responsibility officer
  • First Nations sustainability officer
  • Interdisciplinary environmental studies teacher
  • Museum curator
Natalie Forssman

Q&A with Dr. Natalie Forssman

Explore her journey, current role as a core instructor in the Bachelor of Sustainability program, and the future she envisions for sustainability education.

Natalie Forssman

Q&A with Dr. Natalie Forssman

Explore her journey, current role as a core instructor in the Bachelor of Sustainability program, and the future she envisions for sustainability education.

Admission, Fees, Applying

You could soon be studying at one of the world’s top universities. Be sure to review the content below to prepare for attending UBC Okanagan.

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Experiential Learning

Expand your horizons while studying abroad, conducting meaningful research, or working in the community with your UBC colleagues.

Learn more about Co-op, Go Global, Undergraduate Research Awards and other opportunities at Experiential Education.

Global and Close-Knit

At UBC Okanagan, you gain all the benefits of attending a globally ranked, top 5% university while studying in a close-knit learning community. 50% of graduates, from all across the globe, choose to stay in the region.

International Prospective Students Student Life at UBCO

Discover the Okanagan

A diverse natural region with sandy beaches, beautiful farms, vineyards, orchards and snow-capped mountains, the Okanagan is an inspirational landscape perfect for those seeking leisure or outdoor adventure.

UBC's Okanagan campus borders the dynamic city of Kelowna, a hub of economic development with a population of more than 150,000 people— the fourth fastest-growing population in Canada.

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