Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Planning and Design

University of New Mexico

he BA in Environmental Planning and Design (BAEPD) teaches knowledge, tools and skills to advance social and environmental justice. In the face of complex challenges, communities ask what is to be don. The critical challenge is how to collectively envision and work towards sustainable futures. The BAEPD major emphasizes creative way to influence and respond to dynamic changes occurring in communities throughout the world.The BAEPD curriculum focuses on social action grounded in community-based knowledge and values, alongside knowledge of the built and natural environments, with the goal of creating vital communities, vibrant economies and resilient places. In the American Southwest, people have adapted to arid conditions for thousands of years. Exploring different cultural perspectives and complex social histories are vital for current and future survival. These lessons can be applied in and beyond this region.The BAEPD links theory and action with courses that include discussion seminars, field experiences in natural environments and communities, and rich practical learning. BAEPD majors learn to think across scale, explore how global processes touch down locally, and investigate how local action can influence global change. It includes global comparative frameworks that put places around the world in conversation with one another, offering ways to draw insight from diverse experiences to contribute to social transformation and placemaking.BAEPD graduates work in tribal, local, state, regional, national and international public agencies, community-based organizations, U.S. based and international NGOs, community development foundations, and planning and design firms.