Environmental Studies, Minor

Director: Stefan Schnitzer, Ph.D.

The major and minor offer interdisciplinary studies on issues related to the environment. Students take core and elective courses that address the environment from a wide range of fields, including anthropology, biology and ecology, chemistry and physics, economics, history, political science, sociology, theology and ethics. The major is ideal for students who intend to pursue a career that focuses on the environment (e.g., environmental management, restoration, mitigation, consulting, policy, economics), or who intend to pursue graduate or professional school in environmental science, law, business, policy, economics, philosophy, theology or ethics.

The specific learning outcomes for graduates of the Environmental Studies major are to:

  • understand the basic organization of ecosystems and their response to environmental factors
  • quantitatively analyze scientific and economic data related to the environment
  • have a fundamental understanding of the social, economic, political and historical components that influence the decision-making process with respect to the environment
  • understand philosophical and ethical aspects of environmental issues
  • gain practical experience working on environmental issues via internships
  • understand and synthesize the study of the environment from the perspective of multiple disciplines