An environmental studies student performs fieldwork with his professor.
Want to be a force for change in a time of ever-increasing environmental challenges? Students in our environmental studies program develop the broad knowledge base, analytic tools, teamwork, and leadership skills necessary to become effective players in this burgeoning field.
Environmental studies majors learn to assess environmental concerns critically and explore the interplay among economic, political, and ethical issues in ecology through a variety of hands-on, applied courses. In your junior year you'll be required to build on this foundation by designing your own concentration. Some recent examples include ecology and conservation, education and outreach, sustainable development, environmental laws and policy, green business, social justice/environmental equality, and international environmental perspectives. In your senior year you’ll undertake a capstone experience, which might be a research project with a faculty member or an internship. Recently students have interned with the New Roots Charter School, the Ithaca Cancer Resource Center, Sustainable Tompkins, New York State Parks, Sustainable Transitions Consulting Company, Renovus Renewable Energy, and the Tompkins County Planning Department.
This program offers exceptional research opportunities with faculty who are recognized scholars, and it offers internships in Ithaca and around the globe. Our students have studied diverse topics such as atmospheric sulfur dioxide reduction through EPA emission credits, the social cost of chemical contamination in downtown Ithaca, and the feasibility of wind power on campus. Learning opportunities have also been enhanced by a generous grant that funds student research, internships, campus visits by world-renowned scholars, and travel to conferences such as the annual UN Convention on Climate Change.
Graduates may pursue advanced science degrees or careers in areas such as environmental planning and policy, sustainable technologies, habitat management, or environmental law. If you're passionate about the long-term protection and wise management of the environment, this program provides you with the tools to make a positive difference in the world.