The Environmental Science major is designed to equip students with the knowledge and relevant skills to identify, understand, and address the pressing environmental challenges of our time through interdisciplinary learning.
Students will build a strong foundation in scientific principles relevant to environmental challenges and learn to integrate knowledge from various disciplines including biology, chemistry, policy, economics, and the social sciences to address environmental challenges, gain critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills. Additionally, our liberal arts core program contributes to developing critical thinking, information literacy, and communication skills and well-rounded perspective needed to address complex environmental issues. Finally, the Catholic, Benedictine tradition of the College provides the context in which to develop ethical responsibility, leadership, and commitment to being a positive impact on the communities in which we live.
Each student works with a faculty advisor to shape their course selection beyond a required set of basic science and environmental core courses to fit their interests. Students will graduate with a general understanding of environmental systems, policies and practices and depending on their interests will develop a more comprehensive understanding and skill set to conduct environmental research, analyze data, and implement sustainable solutions. Graduates of this program are prepared to pursue careers in environmental research & consulting, policy development, education, and beyond.