Department of Geosciences

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the human interaction with the natural environment. It is a field that bridges the physical and the social sciences, and it draws from many disciplines including Anthropology, Biology, Earth Sciences, Economics, Politics, and Law.

An Environmental Studies student may begin with a broad degree at the undergraduate level, either in the field itself or in one of the many parallel disciplines. At the Master’s level, an Environmental Studies student may take courses such as Religion and the Environment, Environmental History and Law, Energy and the Environment, Food Security, or a lab course in Forestry. The Master’s in Environmental Science usually requires a focused thesis at the end of 2 or 3 years, while the Ph.D requires an in-depth independent research project and dissertation. Many Environmental Science Ph.D students spend a considerable amount of time in the field, either in nature or in the city, for their research.

Graduates of Environmental Science programs have a broad range of career options. This includes teaching, at any level between elementary school and the college level. Many Environmental Science graduates take their skills to non-profit organizations, while others may work for a government agency like the Environmental Protection Agency or the National Park Service. Still others may find careers in science journalism, in industry, or with another professional degree in law, as environmental lawyers. The salaries for Environmental Studies graduates range broadly as well, anywhere from $40,000 from non-profit work to over $150,000 in industry, law, or government.

Top schools for graduate Environmental Studies include: Duke, Columbia, Berkeley, University of Washington, and Indiana University (according to US News and World Report rankings, 2011).