Environmental Studies and Sustainability, BA

Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary field that draws on knowledge and analytical tools from many areas of study to understand the function of natural ecosystems, the effects of human societies on the environment, and the role that the environment has played in shaping human cultures and artistic endeavors. The major in Environmental Studies and Sustainability prepares students for careers in policy-making, education, conservation, government service, research, and the arts. Students will also be well prepared to work for non-governmental organizations or enter into post-graduate studies in environmental law, urban planning, and scientific disciplines such as ecology.

Major Program

The student learning outcomes of the major are:

1. Make evidence-based arguments using your own and others’ findings;
2. Interpret and summarize evidence in the primary Environmental Studies literature;
3. Record, organize, and analyze data sets;
4. Create and interpret informative graphs and other data visualizations;
5. Use a variety of modes to communicate scientific information (e.g., oral, written, visual);
6. Use appropriate language and style to communicate science effectively to an audience with different perspectives and backgrounds

To ensure a broad and multidisciplinary background in the study of the environment, all students will take courses from and complete work in the following three areas of study:

1. Science and the Biosphere (scientific approaches to understanding environmental issues),
2. Interdisciplinary Thinking and the Environment (policy, economic, and educational viewpoints on human relationships with non-human nature), and
3. Creative, Ethical, and Spiritual Perspectives on Ecology (artistic, philosophical, and spiritual considerations).
4. Students will also complete a senior capstone experience that will integrate concepts and methods of environmental studies with those of another academic discipline.