Overview

The Environmental Studies major provides students with a broad foundation in the environmental sciences, social sciences, environmental economics and policy, environmental history, and communication. It also provides students with local, regional, and global perspectives on current environmental issues and problems.

Graduates are able to think broadly on local, regional, and global levels, understand and synthesize information from multiple disciplines and perspectives, communicate effectively and ethically, and to use their knowledge and skills to promote sustainable, equitable and healthy human and non-human communities.

Included Academic Fields

Biology ~ City management ~ Ecology ~ Environmental Education ~ Environmental Policy ~ Environmental Science ~ Geographic information systems ~ Land use ~ Environmental Law ~ Natural/interpretiive guiding ~ Natural resources ~ Outdoor education ~ Public health

Concentrations

Environmental Education: This concentration prepares students for careers involving environmental education and outreach to the public for ecological interpretive centers (e.g. nature centers, aquariums, zoos, museums), outdoor education programs, school programs, businesses, government agencies and offices and non-governmental organizations.
Environmental Science for Sustainable Communities: This concentration prepares students for a wide diversity of growing “green jobs” working on sustainability issues of interest to governmental agencies, non-governmental agencies, industry, business, and media arts. The concentration provides students with an environmental perspective through lower division courses that emphasize environmental science and the ways in which human culture and economic development impact and are impacted by the environment on local to global scales. In the upper division, students apply basic environmental knowledge and skills gained in the lower division in specific career-focused contexts including resource management, environmental policy, social studies, communication, non-profit management and media arts.

Online Components

Some courses are offered in whole or in part online.

Associated Minors

Earth Systems Science & Policy

Environmental Health Policy [in conjunction with Health, Human Services, and Public Policy Department]

Associated Certificate Programs