The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science prepares students to address environmental challenges facing the world today. Environmental Science students develop the depth of scientific understanding, interdisciplinary perspectives, and creative problem-solving skills needed to design and bring about solutions to these problems at local, regional, and global scales. Through community-based projects ranging from wetlands restoration and conservation planning to analyses of regional air and water pollution, students gain practical experience and make a positive difference while they are still in school.
Like all Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (IAS) degrees, the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science focuses on four core learning objectives: critical thinking; collaboration and shared leadership; interdisciplinary research; and writing and presentation. These learning objectives are developed and documented through the IAS degree portfolio process, a process that begins with the program core course and concludes with the senior seminar or capstone.
IAS emphasizes these learning objectives because they allow students to hone their abilities in writing, speaking, quantitative reasoning and information literacy. These skills position students to participate in workplace and civic leadership in a democratic society, to enrich their personal lives and their communities and to appreciate and care for the natural environment.
Students majoring in Environmental Science choose one of the following two pathways: