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Major in Environmental Sciences


Bachelor of Arts (BA) & Bachelor of Science (BS) Options

If you’re thinking about a degree in Environmental Sciences (ENVS), you first have to decide if you want to pursue the Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS). Both majors stress the importance of understanding how the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities intersect in terms of scientific processes and complex environmental issues. For students declaring the BS major, you’ll also have to select a track concentration in which to build your knowledge and skillsets. We want to note that there is NOT a “better” degree to choose! It really depends on what your academic and career interests are, and should be discussed with your ENVS advisor.

The ENVS Bachelor of Arts

The ENVS Bachelor of Arts major allows students to build a solid foundation in the interdisciplinary field of environmental sciences, with elective flexibility to study topics in the department based on interest. Generally, we recommend the BA degree for students that have not yet determined which field of environmental science they want to pursue a career path in as it provides a broad overview of content and skills. The BA may also be a good fit for students doing double majors in the college who do not have room in their schedules to pursue the additional courses required of the BS.

The ENVS Bachelor of Science

The ENVS Bachelor of Science major tracks allow students to still have the same foundation in environmental science while building depth in their knowledge and skillsets to prepare them for graduate work, specified jobs, or data-intensive careers. The BS degree has the same intermediate breadth requirements as the BA, but has more specified elective options in the department for each track, along with courses outside the department that enhance foundational knowledge related to the field.

  • Bachelor of Science (BS) in Environmental Sciences /Ecology and Conservation (ECO) track -

    The ECO Track provides a foundation in ecology and its applications, including conservation biology, resource management, mathematical modeling, complex systems thinking and disease ecology. Students engaging in the ECO Track will gain both a theoretical and an applied perspective to natural systems and existing global challenges. Faculty specialization areas in this category include population ecology, ecosystems ecology, resilience theory, disease ecology, community ecology, and mathematical modeling. 

  • Bachelor of Science (BS) in Environmental Sciences/Earth and Atmospheric Science (EAS) track -

    The EAS Track provides a foundation in the physical processes that govern the Earth system. Students interested in geology, hydrology, atmospheric science, oceanography, or climate will benefit from learning fundamentals in one or more of these content areas and evaluating how the different components interact to produce feedbacks. Faculty specialization areas in this category include ichnology, sustainable water resources, air and soil pollution, and severe weather. 

  • Bachelor of Science (BS) in Environmental Sciences/ Social Science and Policy (SSP) track -

    The SSP Track provides a foundation in how human society interacts with the environment from a social science perspective. Students interested in political science, economics, anthropology, sociology, or applied data science will benefit from learning fundamentals in one or more of these content areas and understanding how these perspectives can be used to understand complex environmental issues. Faculty specialization areas in this category include environmental policy, agricultural systems, air and soil pollution, and natural resource management.

  • Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences/Environment and Health (EVH) track -

    The EVH Track provides a foundation toward understanding the impact of global change on planetary, animal, and human health. Students interested in disease ecology, epidemiology and sustainable development will benefit from theories, concepts and applications of these topics with a joint human-environment focus. Courses will provide quantitative foundations in the study of health and link case studies with real-world examples. Faculty specialization areas in this category include epidemiology, veterinary medicine, disease ecology, mathematical modeling, and environmental health.

Students who declared their major prior to fall 2020, will fall under the BA and BS requirements that were in place before the fall 2020 semester.  The audit sheet for pre-fall 2020 (DECLARED BEFORE AUGUST 1, 2020) majors is available here:  Major Audit Sheet