Program
“We cannot solve the problems that we have created with the same thinking that created them.”
– Albert Einstein
Click here for a list of Fall 2023 courses that count for the Environmental Majors
Click here to view the Senior Honors Thesis Guidelines
Environmental Studies
MISSION STATEMENT
Recognizing that the study of the environment transcends the realm of the natural sciences, the mission of the Environmental Studies Program is to provide students with:
- the capacity to understand the scientific, social, economic, ethical, and political dimensions of environmental system.
- the opportunities to explore the environment through the creative imagination as inspired by the literary, visual, and performing arts.
- the ability to influence environmental policy decisions and social change.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students completing the Environmental Studies course work will be able to:
- Understand fundamental physical and biological principles that govern natural processes.
- Understand fundamental concepts from the social sciences and the humanities underlying environmental thought and governance.
- Integrate and apply perspectives from across the natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities in the context of complex environmental problems.
- Communicate integrated perspectives on complex environmental problems in the form of written and oral argument to both professional and lay audiences.
- Design and conduct independent research that contributes to environmental thought and/or problem-solving.
The Environmental Studies Major Requirements
The Environmental Studies Major Planning Sheet
Recommended Course Sequence for Environmental Studies
Environmental Studies Minor
The Environmental Studies Minor is an interdisciplinary program designed to serve students with wide-ranging backgrounds and interests in the environment.
The Environmental Studies Minor Requirements
The Environmental Studies Minor Planning Sheet
Environmental Science
MISSION STATEMENT
Recognizing that Earth’s resources are finite and that an understanding of environmental systems requires innovative and multidisciplinary approaches that account for the interconnectedness between people and the planet, the mission of the Environmental Science Program is to provide students with:
- a strong foundation in the natural sciences that prepares them to work as environmental scientists;
- a comprehensive environmental curriculum that includes scientific, social, economic, and ethical dimensions; and, the capacity to develop solutions to environmental challenges from local to global scales.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students completing the Environmental Science course work will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental physical and biological principles that govern natural processes.
- Collect and interpret scientific data in both field and laboratory settings.
- Integrate information from across the scientific disciplines and apply these concepts to complex environmental problems
- Identify the complex relationships between scientific approaches to environmental issues and political, social, economic, and ethical perspectives on the environment.
- Identify the complex relationships between scientific approaches to environmental issues and political, social, economic, and ethical perspectives on the environment.
The Environmental Science Major Requirements
The Environmental Science Major Planning Sheet
Recommended Course Sequence for Environmental Science
Environmental Science Minor
The Environmental Science Minor is an interdisciplinary program designed to serve science and engineering majors, as well as students of other disciplines interested in environmental careers or environmental matters.