The study of environmental law and how it informs – and is informed by – society is built around social and environmental responsibility. It’s primarily concerned with how humans interact with the environment; environmental management issues being faced in Australia and globally; the importance of economic, legal and policymaking on the environmental debate; and the role of sustainable development.

This major will develop your understanding and appreciation of the social, ethical and legal dimensions of contemporary environmental issues. You’ll learn key skills in critical analysis as you evaluate environmental issues from the perspective of environmental justice and evaluate the laws, institutions and processes that shape environmental management in Australia and internationally. You’ll learn to address issues of disadvantage, and of social and environmental injustice, within Australian environmental policy and practice. You’ll develop the skills and knowledge required to pursue careers in environmental governance, policy, management, politics and activism, as well as knowledge about contemporary and growing environmental challenges and the legal frameworks through which they can be addressed.

Key Features

• You’ll gain an in-depth understanding of the social basis of many contemporary environmental problems and the legal processes that can assist in resolving them.
• You’ll be trained in environmental justice and law while having the opportunity to study a diverse range of electives according to your interests – from international law, human rights and climate change to Indigenous policy and Asia-Pacific development.
• You’ll be exposed to interdisciplinary approaches, incorporating elements of law, geography, environment management and the growing field of environmental humanities.
• You’ll learn transferable skills in research and communication as you develop responses to environmental problems from an informed legal and social science perspective.
• Learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom – you’ll have the opportunity to kickstart your career and put your new skills into practice as you undertake a PACE (Professional and Community Engagement) project with one of our many partners, such as local government.
• You’ll learn from world-class researchers – Macquarie is ranked in the top five nationally and in the top 100 globally for humanities (Best Global Universities, US News & World Report, 2018) – and from leading practitioners working on the legal dimensions of environmental issues.
• Macquarie is ranked number one in Sydney for overall student experience and for teaching quality and learning resources in humanities, culture and social sciences (QILT, 2017).

• Business development adviser
• Compliance officer
• Consultant
• Environmental advocate
• Environmental policy adviser
• International development officer
• Lawyer (with further study)
• Policy officer
• Researcher
• Resource consultant/adviser
• Consultancy firms
• Development organisations
• Environment protection authorities
• Government agencies in a wide range of environmental, resource and social fields
• Government departments
• Heritage bodies
• Law firms
• Local councils
• Non-government organisations
• Universities and schools