Education and Social Change
Specialisation (formal)Year: 2025
Education and Social Change
Contact information
Coordinator
DR Maurizio Toscano - Melbourne Graduate School of Education
Email: m.toscano@unimelb.edu.au
Overview
Education and Social Change is offered as a major field of study in the Master of Environment degree.
The creation of sustainable societies depends on fostering social change, whether through education, organisational and policy change or changes or individual behaviour. The Education and Social Change major develops knowledge and skills in education and change processes, enabling graduates to become agents of change within their organizations, communities and institutions, and to foster these skills in others.
Students will develop knowledge of historical, philosophical, socio-cultural, and psychological influences on environmental decision making and action. They will develop skills for social transformation for sustainability, drawing on studies in community organisation, project management and conflict resolution, and communication.
Students can expect to find employment in positions related to education and social change, such as environmental training officer positions in corporations, government agencies, in consulting companies, in teaching and in development agencies.
Intended learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the Education and Social Change specialisation, students will be able to:
- Analyse the historical, philosophical, socio-cultural, and psychological factors influencing environmental decision making in a given context;
- Propose strategies for using education and other transformative processes to encourage sustainable societies; and
- Collaborate with professionals across disciplines and sectors to design and implement educational and social change programs.
Last updated: 1 April 2025
Structure
200 credit points
Students will be required to complete three core subjects.
Students in the 200 point pathway must also take at least 12.5 points of subjects from the compulsory capstone subjects – these subjects enable students to complete an independent project related to professional practices in environmental education and change processes. Students in the 100 point pathway will not normally be required to complete this component.
Students must also undertake electives to make up the balance of the award. The selection of electives is made in consultation with the Education and Social Change specialisation coordinator.
Core Subjects
Students must complete the following three core subjects
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| MULT90004 | Environmental Sustainability |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| MULT90005 | Partnerships for Sustainable Futures | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| EDUC90006 | Environmental Education |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Compulsory Capstone Experience Subjects
Students must complete at least 12.5 points from the following compulsory capstone subjects - please note that if you select either a 25 or 50 point research project that spreads across two semesters you must enrol into the Part 1 and Part 2 subjects over consecutive semesters. Students completing the 100 point pathway will normally be exempt from this requirement.
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENST90006 | Environmental Research Review (12.5) |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ENST90007 | Environmental Research Project (25) |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
| ENST90016 | Environmental Research Project (50) |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
50 |
| ENST90025 | Environmental Industry Research (25) |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
| ENST90020 | Environmental Industry Research (50) |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
50 |
| DEVT90002 | Internship in Development |
Semester 1 (Off Campus)
Semester 2 (Off Campus)
|
12.5 |
| GEOG90022 | International Internship in Environment |
Summer Term (Off Campus)
Semester 1 (Off Campus)
Semester 2 (Off Campus)
|
25 |
| ENST90035 | Environmental Research Project - 25 Pt1 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ENST90036 | Environmental Research Project - 25 Pt2 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ENST90037 | Environmental Research Project - 50 Pt1 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
| ENST90038 | Environmental Research Project - 50 Pt2 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
| ENST90039 | Environmental Industry Research - 25 Pt1 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ENST90040 | Environmental Industry Research - 25 Pt2 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ENST90041 | Environmental Industry Research - 50 Pt1 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
| DEVT90060 | Internship in Development |
Semester 1 (Off Campus)
Semester 2 (Off Campus)
|
25 |
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCIE90017 | Science and Technology Internship |
Summer Term (Off Campus)
Semester 1 (Off Campus)
Semester 2 (Off Campus)
|
12.5 |
Elective Subjects
Students should make up the balance of the award with electives. Subjects in the list below are recommended. Other subjects may be taken with the approval of specialisation coordinator.
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABPL90315 | Participatory Planning | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90021 | Conservation and Cultural Environments | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| DEVT90041 | Development Research Design & Assessment | March (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90002 | Social Impact Assessment and Evaluation | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90005 | Environmental Politics and Policy | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| EVSC90014 | Environmental Risk Assessment | Winter Term (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| EVSC90015 | Environmental Impact Assessment | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| EDUC90848 | Applied Research Methodology |
Term 1 (Online)
Term 3 (Online)
|
12.5 |
| HPSC90010 | Environment and Knowledge | Not available in 2025 | 12.5 |
| LAWS70068 | Environmental Law | June (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| NRMT90003 | Social Research Methods | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| MAST90007 | Statistics for Research Workers | Winter Term (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| DEVT90001 | Development Project Management & Design | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| EVSC90017 | Global Environmental Change | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90004 | Climate Change Politics and Policy | March (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| POPH90230 | Planetary and Global Health | July (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| NRMT90007 | Communities and Ecosystem Management | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| MGMT90030 | Managing Innovation | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| MGMT90165 | Social Entrepreneurship | Not available in 2025 | 12.5 |
| ECON90016 | Environmental Economics and Strategy | Not available in 2025 | 12.5 |
| ENST90032 | Sustainability and Behaviour Change |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| EDUC90729 | Conducting Educational Research | Not available in 2025 | 12.5 |
| EDUC90638 | Education, Knowledge and Power | No longer available | |
| DEVT90002 | Internship in Development |
Semester 1 (Off Campus)
Semester 2 (Off Campus)
|
12.5 |
| ENST90006 | Environmental Research Review (12.5) |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ENST90007 | Environmental Research Project (25) |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
| ENST90016 | Environmental Research Project (50) |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
50 |
| ENST90020 | Environmental Industry Research (50) |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
50 |
| ENST90025 | Environmental Industry Research (25) |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
| LING90002 | Presenting Academic Discourse |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| PPMN90031 | Public Policy Lobbying Strategies | March (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| SCIE90012 | Science Communication | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| EDUC90619 | Leading Educational Ideas | No longer available | |
| EDUC90638 | Education, Knowledge and Power | No longer available | |
| EDUC90640 | Diversity, Inclusion and Transitions | No longer available | |
| ABPL90371 | Design Activism | Not available in 2025 | 12.5 |
| GEOG90020 | Participatory Risk Management | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90043 | Sustainable Landscapes | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| FOOD90041 | The Politics of Food | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| BOTA90005 | Flora of Victoria | Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| EDUC90612 | Teaching for Student Engagement | No longer available | |
| EDUC90006 | Environmental Education |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKTG90049 | Marketing, Society and Sustainability | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90044 | Analysing Ecosystems and Their Values | Semester 1 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Last updated: 1 April 2025