Why Study / Key Benefits

• The Bachelor of Social and Environmental Sustainability (BSEnS) is designed around major global challenges such as pollution, climate change, inequality and world hunger.
• It combines social, environmental, political and business perspectives rather than treating sustainability only as an environmental-science subject.
• Students learn how sustainability problems arise and how organisations, governments and communities can create practical change.
• UC combines subjects such as Environmental Science, Policy and Marketing, giving students an interdisciplinary understanding of sustainability.
• Students can work with UC's local and global connections, including entrepreneurs, environmental scientists, tangata whenua and other change-makers.
• The degree can be customised with a major and, where desired, a minor from a wide range of UC subject areas.
• UC describes the qualification as preparing students to contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future across business, policy and global society.
• The programme includes a final-year internship, providing an opportunity to gain practical sustainability-related experience.

Programme Structure and Subjects / Topics

The current degree is built around compulsory sustainability courses, a selected major, electives and additional Arts/other-degree courses.

Year 1 compulsory courses include:

• SENS101 – Introduction to the Principles and Concepts of Sustainability
• ENVR101 – Introduction to Environmental Science
• MAOR108 – Te Patu a Maui: The Treaty of Waitangi — facing and overcoming colonisation
• COMS105 – Public Communication, or WRIT101 – Writing for Academic Success

Year 2 compulsory courses include:

• SENS201 – Systems Thinking for Sustainability
• ARTS102 – Problems, Questions, Evidence, or STAT101 – Statistics 1

Major and elective courses make up the remainder of the year.

Year 3 compulsory courses include:

• SENS301 – Sustainability Transitions, Transformations and Agents of Change
• PACE295 – Internship

Key academic themes include:

• Sustainability principles and concepts
• Environmental science
• Systems thinking
• Sustainability transitions
• Environmental policy
• Governance
• Social justice
• Indigenous knowledge
• Community development
• Global development
• Business and economics
• Communication
• Leadership
• Behaviour change
• Social action
• Environmental and social policy.

Disciplines / Specialisations

Students choose one of four majors:

1. Environmental Policy, Governance and Social Justice

This major examines sustainability from the perspective of policy, governance and social justice.

Key courses include:

• POLS103 – Introduction to New Zealand Politics and Policy
• POLS206 – Introduction to Public Policy and Policy Analysis
• POLS304 – Environmental Politics and Policy

Career directions include:

• Policy and advisory work
• Non-profit organisations
• Marketing and communications
• Events
• Business operations.

2. Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainable Partnerships

This major integrates Indigenous knowledge and sustainability.

Core areas include:

• SCIM101 – Science, M?ori and Indigenous Knowledge
• MAOR212 – M?ori and Indigenous Development
• MAOR301
• M?ori thought and knowledge
• Pacific and Indigenous perspectives
• Sustainable partnerships.

3. Social Action, Community and Global Development

This major focuses on global issues, communities, leadership, project management and social change.

Core study includes:

• SOCI220 – Environment and Society
• Community and social development options
• M?ori and Indigenous studies
• Communication
• Geography
• Political science
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Social work
• Youth and community leadership.

UC identifies possible career pathways including:

• Politics
• Non-profit sector
• Human services
• Humanitarian aid programmes.

4. Sustainable Business, Enterprise and Economics

This major combines business and economic thinking with sustainability.

Core areas include:

• Accounting
• Economics
• Marketing
• Management
• Business, society and the environment
• Corporate responsibility
• Business and sustainability
• Social entrepreneurship.

Examples of upper-level courses include:

• MGMT333 – Managing Corporate Responsibility
• MGMT335 – Business and Sustainability
• MGMT343 – Social Entrepreneurship
• MKTG315
• MKTG317
• ECON335
• ECON340.

UC identifies career pathways such as:

• Management
• Business analysis and consulting
• Marketing
• Entrepreneurship. 

Examples include:

• Business Analytics
• Business and Sustainability
• Environmental Science
• Geography
• Health Studies
• Psychology
• Public Health
• Statistics
• Political Science and International Relations
• M?ori and Indigenous Studies
• Marketing
• International Business
• Entrepreneurship
• Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence.

Programme Highlights

• 360-point interdisciplinary bachelor's degree.
• 3 years full-time.
• February or July intake.
• Four sustainability-focused majors.
• Combines environmental, social, political and business perspectives.
• 105 points of compulsory study.
• 135-point major.
• 30 points of electives.
• Final-year sustainability internship.
• At least 90 points at 300-level.
• Opportunity to add a 75-point-or-more minor.
• Possibility of combining BSEnS with another qualification through UC's double/conjoint degree options.
• Current UC options include conjoint study with Bachelor of Engineering with Honours and Bachelor of Youth and Community Leadership.
• UC's 2027 undergraduate prospectus describes the degree as covering the sustainability spectrum from social and environmental issues to business and global society.

Career Outcomes

UC identifies a broad range of potential career directions because the degree combines sustainability with policy, business, society and environmental studies.

Potential career areas include:

• Sustainability consultant
• Environmental advisor
• Policy analyst
• Policy and governance roles
• Business sustainability roles
• Business analyst
• Management
• Strategic/management consulting
• Marketing and communications
• Entrepreneur
• Social entrepreneur
• Aid and advocacy work
• Humanitarian programmes
• Non-profit organisations
• Community development
• Government and public-sector roles
• Environmental and sustainability organisations.

Latest Updates / Special Requirements

• The current 2026 UC regulations apply to the BSEnS.
• Honours, Distinction and Merit are not awarded for this qualification.
• There is no special science prerequisite for entry; UC explicitly says students from any study background can study the degree.
• The programme requires a 135-point major.
• Students may complete either a major or a major plus a minor.
• The final-year PACE295 internship is part of the current degree structure.
• Some individual courses can be delivered through Distance Learning or UC Online, so the delivery mode should be checked course-by-course.
• Students considering double/conjoint study should check the specific regulations and workload implications before enrolling.
• The degree has no professional registration requirement stated by UC comparable to regulated health or teaching programmes.

International Student Visa Requirements

For an international student studying this full-time degree in New Zealand, the relevant visa will generally be the New Zealand Fee Paying Student Visa, subject to Immigration New Zealand approval.

Current requirements include:

• Offer of Place from an approved education provider.
• Evidence of tuition-fee payment or an acceptable scholarship/approved funding arrangement.
• Evidence of sufficient living funds or an acceptable sponsor.
• Acceptable medical and travel insurance.
• Meeting health and character requirements.
• Genuine intention to study.
• Evidence of onward travel or sufficient funds to purchase onward travel.

Current visa information:

• Cost: from NZD 850
• Maximum stay: up to 4 years
• Processing: 80% within 8.5 weeks
• Application: online
• Recommended application timing: approximately 3 months before intended travel.

Living-fund requirement:

• NZD 20,000 for each year when studying for one year or more
• NZD 1,667 per month when the study period is less than one year.

Work rights may include:

• Up to 25 hours per week during study
• Full-time work during scheduled holidays, depending on the conditions on the individual student visa.