The School offers core programs in two areas: Environmental Science BSc Major and Minor, and Environment Studies BA Major and Minor. These programs are ideally suited to be taken in conjunction with another program(s) in a related academic field. For example, the Environmental Science Major could be combined with a Major in Environment & Health, Environmental Ethics, Earth and Environmental Systems, Environmental Geography, Forest Conservation Science, Physical & Environmental Geography, Biomedical Toxicology, Chemistry, Physics, Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, or Environmental Biology, while the Environmental Studies Major could be combined with a complementary BA Major such as Political Science, Economics, Women and Gender Studies, Human Geography, Forest Conservation, Architecture, or BSc Major, such as Environmental Biology, Physics, or Forest Conservation Science. These programs of study provide students with a powerful combination of disciplinary depth and interdisciplinary breadth.
The School's Environmental Science BSc Major and Minor programs reflect the fact that most environmental issues are complex and involve aspects drawing from many different areas of science. These programs provide students with a breadth of knowledge spanning scientific disciplines, and the tools to understand and integrate scientific principles from across the physical and biological sciences, and across multiple spatial and temporal scales. At its core, environmental science is concerned with the scientific analysis and development of creative solutions to environmental problems. Students are exposed to disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge and research skills necessary to function as an environmental scientist.
The School's Environmental Studies BA Major and Minor are interdisciplinary programs intended for students interested in studying and working in an environmental area, primarily within the social sciences or humanities. These programs offer rigorous academic study of the economic, social, cultural and political forces that drive issues such as species extinction, loss of biodiversity, air and water pollution, and climate change. The interdisciplinary structure of the programs provides grounding in scientific literacy while advancing critical thinking skills that will help students to evaluate complex environmental problems and sustainable solutions for improved environmental health and well-being.