Courses
Environmental Humanities & Social Sciences
The Department of Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences is a trans-disciplinary department with a holistic approach to understanding human interactions with the natural, social, and cultural environment.
Welcome to the Department of Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences!
Our programmes focus on three main overlapping programme areas in Environmental Humanities as follows; Outdoor & Environmental Education [natural], History & Geography [cultural] and Applied Social Care [social]. These have shared programme streams and electives.
We offer a range of undergraduate programmes – in Outdoor & Environmental Education, Applied Social Care, History & Geography, Community Development and Youthwork. The department also currently offers postgraduate programmes in Applied Leadership & Management, Sustainability Leadership, as well as Outdoor Education, Sustainability & Wellbeing.
We value our unique natural and cultural environment as a basis for learning integration with natural, social and cultural interactions.
Our staff are actively engaged in a range of research and community projects:
- ATU Mayo Green Campus project “Save our Swifts” has been shortlisted as a finalist for 2026 UK & Ireland Green Gown Awards under Nature Positive category.
- Lasmuigh Outdoor Education journal; The new Professional Practice Journal for the Outdoor Sector on the Island of Ireland
- Our annual student led Food for Thought event, in collaboration with Afri. Marion Cluskey was the recipient of a 2026 Curlew Award, for outstanding achievement in Education for Sustainable Development.
- Our Mayo Rising network – creating the collective leadership to address global sustainability challenges in our communities.
- Check out Dr Marion McGarry’s interesting folklore and heritage articles on RTÉ Brainstorm Marion McGarry
We hosted two international conferences in 2026:
- Please see details of the 13th International George Moore Conference
- The 8th International Swift Conference 2026. Please click here for video snapshot of this amazing conference about Swifts!
We are delighted to welcome our Adjunct Lecturers appointed in 2026:
Professor Mary Corcoran, Adjunct Lecturer with Applied Social Care programmes
Professor Elizabeth Salter, Adjunct Lecturer with History & Geography programmes
Dr Easkey Britton, Adjunct Lecturer with Outdoor & Environmental Education programmes
Dr Deirdre Garvey
Head of Department, Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences
Reflecting on an Extraordinary Year | Environmental Humanities & Social Science, ATU Mayo Campus | 2025–2026
Meet our Head of Department
Dr Deirdre Garvey
Head of Department, Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences