Majors & Minors
We offer a major and minor. We teach skills in analysis, communication, and applied work and specialize in interdisciplinary courses that are experiential, collaborative, project-based and community-engaged. Our coursework spans themes with emphasis in environmental health to cities and sustainability to environmental humanities to climate change and energy. We also offer a variety of interdisciplinary project-based, community-engaged learning experiences through our capstone courses and paid internships with community partners. Many of our students jointly pursue interests in business, sustainability, ecology & conservation, pre-health, environmental health, law, and engineering.
Environmental Analysis Major
Our Environmental Analysis Major is a flexible, 49-credit major that focuses on developing critical skills and competencies in interdisciplinary environmental problem-solving. It is designed to prepare students to real world environmental problem solving by providing breadth and depth across environmental humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, as well as deep and interdisciplinary training in analysis, problem solving, communication, and community engagement. It is ideal for students seeking interdisciplinary training focused on the environment and sustainability and is designed to stand alone or complement another primary major. Students take courses in the following areas:
- Introductory, core courses (choose 3)
- Analysis & communication courses (choose 4)
- Social identity & environment (choose 1)
- Interdisciplinary environmental capstone course (choose 1)
- Electives (7 courses total: 3 breadth courses (1 each of HUM, SSC, NSM), 3 depth courses (choose 3 additional in HUM, SSC, or NSM), 1 additional course from any disciplinary area)
Details and elective options:
- WashU Bulletin Environmental Analysis Major
- PDF version of the major tracking sheet including all elective options allowed. Highlighted courses are offered Spring 2026. This is the most current list of electives allowed. Please note that special topics courses listed here will not show up in Course Explorer or Bulletin.
The Environmental Studies Minor is a flexible, 18-credit program of study that offers exposure to interdisciplinary environmental challenges and problem solving. It is highly accessible because it includes a choice of introductory level courses and is flexible because there is a wide degree of choice in elective categories, including courses in analysis and communication. As for all ArtSci minors, students must have at least 9 units of 300+ coursework unique to this minor. Students take courses in the following areas:
- Introductory, core courses (choose 2)
- Elective in analysis & communication (choose 1)
- Elective in environmental humanities (choose 1)
- Elective in social science (choose 1)
- Elective in natural sciences & math (choose 1)
Details and elective options:
- WashU Bulletin Environmental Studies Minor
- PDF version of the minor tracking sheet including all elective options allowed. Highlighted courses are offered Spring 2026. This is the most current list of electives allowed. Please note that special topics courses listed here will not show up in Course Explorer or Bulletin.
Retired Environmental Analysis Minor (sunset in 2023 and no longer available to declare).
List of courses retired from our major and minor. These courses are no longer offered or no longer automatically included in the major or minor. They may count toward the section indicated if you have previously taken them.
To request a course substitution for your major or minor, complete this form: Request a course substitution in your EnSt major or minor – Fill out form. You will need to provide a justification of the relevance of the course and a syllabus for the course. Requests are reviewed on a rolling basis by the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Director, and Academic Coordinator. Our Academic Coordinator will be the primary point of contact with you regarding your reqest.
Thematic concentrations within our curricula
While we don't offer formal "tracks" within our majors, students can chart a path through our coursework with an emphasis in a thematic area of their interest. The lists of courses below are offered to help students and major advisors identify courses we recommend in the various themes. In general we recommend students take courses in these order: 1st year: 1000 and 2000 level courses, 2nd year: 2000 and 3000 level courses. 3rd year: 3000 and 4000 level courses, 4th year: 3000 and 4000 level courses.
Introductory core courses
- ENST 1540 Beyond Boundaries: Environmental Racism and the Health of Everyone
- ENST 2220 One Health: Linking Human, Animal, and Environmental Health
- ENST 2620 Conservation Biology
Analysis and communication courses
- ENST 3310 Beyond the Evidence
- ENST 3330 Multiparty Environmental Decision Making
- ENST 3600 Field Methods for Environmental Science
- ENST 3710 Applications in GIS
- SDS 2020 Elementary Probability and Statistics
- OR SDS 3020 Elementary to Intermediate Stats and Data Analysis
- OR SDS 3030 Statistics for Data Science I
One course in social identity and environment (choose 1)
- ENST 1540 Beyond Boundaries: Environmental Racism and the Health of Everyone
- ENST 3540 Environmental Justice
Interdisciplinary Environmental Capstone Courses
- ENST 4801 Sustainability Exchange
Electives in Environmental Humanities
- ENST 3034 Environmental Modernism
- ENST 3410 Native American Storytelling for Healthy Land Practice
Electives in Social Science
- ANTH 3602 Env Inequal: Toxicity, Health, and Justice
- ENST 3310 Beyond the Evidence
- ENST 3330 Multiparty Environmental Decision Making
- ENST 4510 Environmental Law
- PUBHLTHSOC 3010 Topics in PHS: Climate for All: A Solutions-Based Investigation of the Climate Crisis and PH Impact**
- PUBHLTHSOC 3280 Anthropology of Infectious Disease
- PUBHLTHSOC 3700 Introduction to Epidemiology
- PUBHLTHSOC 4010 Topics in PHS: Animals, Insects, and the Making of Modern Public Health**
- PUBHLTHSOC 4010 Topics in PHS: Epidemics, Pandemics, and Society**
- PUBHLTHSOC 4011 Water and Health in the Colonial and Postcolonial World (WI)
Electives in Natural Sciences and Math
- ANTH 3660 Primate Ecology, Biology and Behavior
- ANTH 3662 Primate Conservation Biology
- BIOL 2970 Principles of Biology II
- BIOL 3171 Biology for Climate Change Solutions
- BIOL 3810 Introduction to Ecology
- BIOL 3900 Science for Agriculture and Environmental Policy
- BIOL 4195 Disease Ecology
- ENST 3600 Field Methods for Environmental Science
- ENST 3610 Urban Ecology
- ENST 3620 Applied Conservation Biology
- ENST 4000 Topics in Environmental Sci: Earth in Argument: Debating Environmental Controversies**
- ENST 4710 Advanced GIS
- ENST 4730 Introduction to Spatial Epidemiology
- LANDARCH 5330 Landscape Ecology
**This course will require an Academic Requirements Course Override Request after you receive a passing grade in the course. Ask your faculty advisor to initiate this request.
Introductory core courses
- BEYOND 1004 Beyond Sustainability: People, Planet, Prosperity*
- ENST 2520 Sustainability in Business
- ENST 2530 Metropolitan Environment
Analysis and communication courses
- ENST 3310 Beyond the Evidence
- ENST 3320 Fallout: Analyzing Texts and Narratives of the Nuclear Era
- ENST 3330 Multiparty Environmental Decision Making
- ENST 3710 Applications in GIS
- ENST 4350 Foundations of Research: Building a Lit Review (WI)
- ENST 4710 Advanced GIS
Social identity and environment
- ECON 3840 Economic Realities of the American Dream
- SOC 2040 Social Inequality in America
- SOC 2050 Inequality By Design
- SOC 4170 Global Structures and Problems
Interdisciplinary Environmental Capstone Courses
- ENST 4801 Sustainability Exchange
- ENST 4810 RESET: Decarbonizing the Grid
Electives in Environmental Humanities
- AFAS 4010 Who’s Afraid of Black Marxism? The Crisis of Capitalism and Futures of Solidarity
- COMPLITTHT 4310 Statistics for Humanities Scholars: Data Science for the Humanities
- ELIT 3113 Topics In 20th Century and Later Literature (Climate Stories: Literature and the Environment)**
- ELIT 3113 Topics in Literature: River, Marsh, Coast - American Literature and the Environment**
- ENST 3034 Environmental Modernism
- ENST 3320 Fallout: Analyzing Texts and Narratives of Nuclear Era
- HIST 2360 Urban America
Electives in Social Science
- AFAS 3620 Environmental Justice & Black Lives: Decolonizing the Land
- ANTH 3602 Env Inequal: Toxicity, Health, and Justice
- ANTH 3610 Culture and Environment
- ECON 3350 Environmental Policy
- ENST 2510 Systems Thinking
- ENST 3310 Beyond the Evidence
- ENST 3330 Multiparty Environmental Decision Making
- ENST 3520 Ecological Economics
- ENST 3530 Sustainable Cities
- ENST 3535 Sustainable Transportation
- ENST 3540 Environmental Justice
- ENST 4005 Topics in Environmental Studies: Political Economy of Climate Policy**
- ENST 4005 Topics in Environmental Studies: The Politics of Climate Adaptation**
- ENST 4527 IPCC: Governance, Policy and Science
- ENST 4710 Advanced GIS
- POLSCI 3171 Politics of Environmental Regulation
- POLSCI 3410 Topics in Politics: Environmental Justice
- POLSCI 3760 Globalization, Urbanization and the Environment
- POLSCI 3890 Power, Justice, and the City
- SOC 3170 Poverty and the New American City
- SOC 4170 Global Structures and Problems
Electives in Natural Sciences and Math
- BIOL 3900 Science for Agriculture and Environmental Policy
- EEPS 3150 Environmental Impacts of Human Energy Use
- EEPS 3420 Environmental Systems
- EEPS 3860 The Earth's Climate System
- ENST 4710 Advanced GIS
**This course will require an Academic Requirements Course Override Request after you receive a passing grade in the course. Ask your faculty advisor to initiate this request.
Introductory core courses
- BEYOND 1001 Earth's Future: Cause & Consequences of CC
- BEYOND 1004 Beyond Sustainability: People, Planet, Prosperity*
- ENST 2520 Sustainability in Business
- ENST 2530 Metropolitan Environment
Analysis and communication courses
- ENST 3310: Beyond the Evidence
- ENST 3320: Fallout: Analyzing Texts and Narratives of Nuclear Era
- ENST 3330: Multiparty Environmental Decision-making
Interdisciplinary Environmental Capstone Courses
- ENST 4810: RESET: Renewable Energy, Decarbonization, and the Electric Grid
- ENST 4820: International Climate Negotiation Seminar
Electives in Environmental Humanities
- ENST 3320: Fallout: Analyzing Texts and Narratives of Nuclear Era
Electives in Social Science
- ANTH 3472: Global Energy and the American Dream
- ECON 3350: Environmental Policy
- ENST 3310: Beyond the Evidence
- ENST 3330: Multiparty Environmental Decision-making
- ENST 3520: Ecological Economics
- ENST 3530: Sustainable Cities
- ENST 4005: Topics in Environmental Science: (Political Economy of Climate Change)**
- ENST 4005: Topics in Environmental Science: (The Politics of Climate Adaptation)**
- ENST 4510: Environmental Law
- ENST 4527: IPCC: Governance, Policy and Science
- POLSCI 2000: Introduction to Environmental Policy
- POLSCI 3328: Energy politics
- POLSCI 3760 Urbanization, globalization, and the environment
Electives in Natural Sciences and Math
- BIOL 3171: Biology for Climate Change Solutions
- BIOL 3900: Science for Agriculture and Environmental Policy
- EEPS 3150: Environmental Impacts of Human Energy Use
**This course will require an Academic Requirements Course Override Request after you receive a passing grade in the course. Ask your faculty advisor to initiate this request.
Introductory core courses
- BIOL 2150: Introduction to Environmental Biology
- ENST 2220: One Health: Linking Human, Animal, Env Health
- ENST 2310: Introduction to Environmental Humanities
- ENST 2620: Conservation Biology
- POLSCI 2000: Introduction to Environmental Policy
- BEYOND 1001: Earth's Future: Cause & Consequences of Climate Change
Analysis and communication courses
- ENST 3310: Beyond the Evidence
- ENST 3340 Writing Skills for Environmental Professionals (WI)
- ENST 3600: Field Methods for Environmental Science
- ENST 3710: Applications in GIS
- ENST 4350 Foundations of Research: Building a Lit Review (WI)
- ENST 4710: Advanced GIS
- SDS 2020 Elementary Probability and Statistics OR SDS 3020 Elementary to Intermediate Stats and Data Analysis OR SDS 3030 Statistics for Data Science I
Electives in Environmental Humanities
- ENST 3410: Native American Storytelling for Healthy Land Practice
- HIST 3194: Environment and Empire
- HIST 3813 Between Sand and Sea: History, Environment, and Politics in the Arabian Peninsula
- ELIT 3113: Topics In 20th Century and Later Literature (Climate Stories: Literature and the Environment)**
- ELIT 3113: Topics in Literature: River, Marsh, Coast - American Literature and the Environment**
Electives in Social Science
- AFAS 3610: Environmental Justice and Black Lives: Decolonizing the Land
- ECON 3350: Environmental Policy
- ENST 3060: Community-based Conservation in Madagascar
- ENST 3310: Beyond the Evidence
- ENST 4005: Topics in Environmental Science: (Political Economy of Climate Change)**
- ENST 4005: Topics in Environmental Science: (The Politics of Climate Adaptation)**
- ENST 4350 Foundations of Research: Building a Lit Review (WI)
- ENST 4527: IPCC: Governance, Policy and Science
- ENST 4710: Advanced GIS
- POLSCI 3328: Energy politics
- POLSCI 3760 Urbanization, globalization, and the environment
- PUBHLTHSOC 3010 Topics in PHS: Climate for All: A Solutions-Based Investigation of the Climate Crisis and PH Impact**
Electives in Natural Sciences and Math
- ANTH 3660: Primate Ecology, Biology and Behavior
- ANTH 3662: Primate Conservation Biology
- BIOL 2970: Principles of Biology 2
- BIOL 3171: Biology for Climate Change Solutions
- BIOL 3220: Woody Plants of Missouri
- BIOL 3221: Research and Public Education in the Arboretum
- BIOL 3430: Plants, People, and the Environment
- BIOL 3501: Evolution
- BIOL 3700: Animal Behavior
- BIOL 3810: Introduction to Ecology
- BIOL 3900: Science for Agriculture and Environmental Policy
- BIOL 4193: Experimental Ecology Laboratory
- BIOL 4195: Disease Ecology
- BIOL 4196: Community Ecology
- EEPS 3230: Biogeochemistry
- EEPS 3420: Environmental Systems
- EEPS 3860: The Earth's Climate System
- EEPS 4074: Remote Sensing
- ENST 3600: Field Methods for Environmental Science
- ENST 3610: Urban Ecology
- ENST 3620: Applied Conservation Biology
- ENST 3630: Arctic Climate System
- ENST 4710: Advanced GIS
**This course will require an Academic Requirements Course Override Request after you receive a passing grade in the course. Ask your faculty advisor to initiate this request.
Introductory core courses
- ENST 2310 Introduction to Environmental Humanities
Analysis and communication courses
- COMPLITTHT 3120 Introduction to Digital Humanities
- DRAMA 2201 Public Speaking: Embodied Communication
- ENST 3320 Fallout: Analyzing Texts and Narratives of the Nuclear Era
- ENST 4410 Writing Home (WI)
- WRITING 3005 Writing the Natural World (WI)
Electives in Environmental Humanities
- AFAS 4010 Who’s Afraid of Black Marxism? The Crisis of Capitalism and Futures of Solidarity
- ART 3315 Photography: Art Practice (Art, Env, Culture & Image)
- ARTARCH 3961 Art & Ecology
- COMPLITTHT 3120 Introduction to Digital Humanities
- COMPLITTHT 4111 Pastoral Literature
- COMPLITTHT 4310 Statistics for Humanities Scholars: Data Science for the Humanities
- DRAMA 4202 Theatre for Social Change
- ELIT 3113 Topics In 20th Century and Later Literature (Climate Stories: Literature and the Environment)**
- ELIT 3113 Topics in Literature: River, Marsh, Coast - American Literature and the Environment**
- ENST 3034 Environmental Modernism
- ENST 3320 Fallout: Analyzing Texts and Narratives of Nuclear Era
- ENST 3410 Native American Storytelling for Healthy Land Practice
- ENST 4410 Writing Home (WI)
- HIST 2360 Urban America
- HIST 3296 Environment and Empire
- HIST 3813 Between Sand and Sea: History, Environment, and Politics in the Arabian Peninsula
- PHIL 2080 Environmental Ethics
- POLSCI 3008 The Stories That Win (WI)
- WRITING 3005 Writing the Natural World (WI)
- WRITING 3400 Introduction to Playwriting***
**This course will require an Academic Requirements Course Override Request after you receive a passing grade in the course. Ask your faculty advisor to initiate this request.
***Students who take this course should work with the professor to choose an environmental or sustainability topic for their project work.
Electives in Social Science
- AFAS 3620 Environmental Justice & Black Lives: Decolonizing the Land
- AMCS 2270 Topics in Native American Studies: Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies
- ANTH 3610 Culture and Environment
- ANTH 4281 Ecological Anthropology
Electives in Natural Sciences and Math
- BIOL 3171 Biology for Climate Change Solutions
- BIOL 3430 Plants, People, and the Environment
- BIOL 3900 Science for Agriculture and Environmental Policy
- ENST 4000 Topics in Environmental Sci: Earth in Argument: Debating Environmental Controversies**
**This course will require an Academic Requirements Course Override Request after you receive a passing grade in the course. Ask your faculty advisor to initiate this request.
Analysis and communication courses
- COMPLITTHT 3120 Introduction to Digital Humanities
- DRAMA 2201 Public Speaking: Embodied Communication
- ENST 3310 Beyond the Evidence
- ENST 3320 Fallout: Analyzing Texts and Narratives of the Nuclear Era
- ENST 3330 Multiparty Environmental Decision Making
- ENST 3340 Writing Skills for Environmental Professionals (WI)
- ENST 4350 Foundations of Research: Building a Lit Review (WI)
Electives in Environmental Humanities
- DRAMA 4202 Theatre for Social Change
- ENST 3410 Native American Storytelling for Healthy Land Practice
- ENST 4410 Writing Home (WI)
- POLSCI 3008 The Stories That Win (WI)
- WRITING 3005 Writing the Natural World (WI)
- WRITING 3400 Introduction to Playwriting***
***Students who take this course should work with the professor to choose an environmental or sustainability topic for their project work.
Electives in Social Science
- ENST 3310 Beyond the Evidence
- ENST 4350 Foundations of Research: Building a Literature Review (WI)
- ENST 3330 Multiparty Environmental Decision Making
- POLSCI 4043 Policy Analysis, Assessment and Practical Wisdom
Electives in Natural Sciences and Math
- ENST 3340 Writing Skills for Environmental Professionals (WI)
- BIOL 3900 Science for Agriculture and Environmental Policy
- ENST 4000 Topics in Environmental Sci: Earth in Argument: Debating Environmental Controversies**
**This course will require an Academic Requirements Course Override Request after you receive a passing grade in the course. Ask your faculty advisor to initiate this request.
Introductory core courses
- BEYOND 1004: Beyond Sustainability: People, Planet, Prosperity
- ENST 1540 Environmental Racism and the Health of Everyone
- ENST 2310: Introduction to Environmental Humanities
Analysis and communication
- ENST 4410: Writing Home
- ENST 3330: Multiparty Environmental Decision-making
Social identity and environment
- AFAS 1130: Introduction to Race
- ECON 3840: Economic Realities of the American Dream
- ENST 1540 Environmental Racism and the Health of Everyone
- ENST 3540: Environmental Justice
- JIMES 2910: Racism and Antiracism
- SOC 2010: The Roots of Ferguson
- SOC 2110: Social Inequality in America
- SOC 2520: Inequality By Design
- SOC 3212: The Social Construction of Race
- SOC 4810: Global Structures and Problems
- SOC 4830: Global Racial Systems
Interdisciplinary Environmental Capstone Courses
- ENST 4801: Sustainability Exchange
- ENST 5830: Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic
Electives in Environmental Humanities
- AFAS 3610: Environmental Justice and Black Lives: Decolonizing the Land
- AFAS 4010: Who's Afraid of Black Marxism? The crises of capitalism and futures of solidarity
- ENST 3034: Environmental Modernism
- ENST 3410: Native American Storytelling for Healthy Land Practice
- HIST 2561: Urban America
- HIST 3194: Environment and Empire
- HIST 3810: Between Sand and Sea: History, Environment, and Politics in the Arabian Peninsula
- PHIL 2080: Environmental Ethics
Electives in Social Science
- AMCS 2270: Topics in Native American Studies
- ANTH 3102: Topics: Sustainability in Extractive Communities
- ANTH 3472: Global Energy and the American Dream
- ANTH 3602: Environmental Inequality: Toxicity, Health, and Justice
- ENST 3060: Community-based Conservation in Madagascar
- ENST 3540: Environmental Justice
- ENST 4510: Environmental Law
- POLSCI 3760 Urbanization, globalization, and the environment
- POLSCI 3xxx: Theory of Environmental Justice
- PUBHLTHSOC 3010 Topics in PHS: Climate for All: A Solutions-Based Investigation of the Climate Crisis and PH Impact**
- PUBHLTHSOC 4011 Water and Health in the Colonial and Postcolonial World
- SOC 4810: Global Structures and Problems
Electives in Natural Sciences and Math
- BIOL 3171: Biology for Climate Change Solutions
- BIOL 3900: Science for Agriculture and Environmental Policy
**This course will require an Academic Requirements Course Override Request after you receive a passing grade in the course. Ask your faculty advisor to initiate this request.
Introductory core courses
- BEYOND 1001 Earth's Future: Cause & Consequences of Climate Change
- BEYOND 1004 Beyond Sustainability: People, Planet, Prosperity
- ENST 2520 Sustainability in Business
- ENST 2530 Metropolitan Environment
- POLSCI 2000 Introduction to Environmental Policy
Analysis and communication courses
- ENST 3310 Beyond the Evidence
- ENST 3320 Fallout: Analyzing Texts and Narratives of Nuclear Era
- ENST 3330 Multiparty Environmental Decision-making
Interdisciplinary Environmental Capstone Courses
- ENST 4810 RESET: Renewable Energy, Decarbonization, and the Electric Grid
- ENST 4820 International Climate Negotiation Seminar
Electives in Environmental Humanities
- AFAS 4010 Who's Afraid of Black Marxism? The crises of capitalism and futures of solidarity
- ENST 3320 Fallout: Analyzing Texts and Narratives of Nuclear Era
- ELIT 3113 Topics In 20th Century and Later Literature (Climate Stories: Literature and the Environment)**
- POLSCI 3008 The Stories That Win
Electives in Social Science
- ANTH 3472 Global Energy and the American Dream
- ECON 3350 Environmental Policy
- ENST 2510 Systems thinking
- ENST 3310 Beyond the Evidence
- ENST 3520 Ecological Economics
- ENST 3530 Sustainable Cities
- ENST 4005 Topics in Environmental Science: (Political Economy of Climate Change**
- ENST 4005 Topics in Environmental Science: (The Politics of Climate Adaptation)**
- ENST 4510 Environmental Law
- ENST 4527 IPCC: Governance, Policy and Science
- MGT 4510 Business & Government: Understanding and Influencing the Regulatory Environment
- MGT 4603 Intro to Social Entrepreneurship
- POLSCI 3171 Politics of Environmental Regulation
- POLSCI 3328 Energy politics
- POLSCI 3760 Urbanization, globalization, and the environment
- PUBHLTHSOC 3010 Topics in PHS: Climate for All: A Solutions-Based Investigation of the Climate Crisis and PH Impact**
- SOC 4810 Global Structures and Problems
Electives in Natural Sciences and Math
- BIOL 3171 Biology for Climate Change Solutions
- BIOL 3900 Science for Agriculture and Environmental Policy
- EEPS 3150 Environmental Impacts of Human Energy Use
- EEPS 3420 Environmental Systems
- EEPS 3860 The Earth's Climate System
- ENST 3630 Arctic Climate System
- ENST 4000 Topics in Environmental Science: (Earth in Argument: Debating Environmental Controversies)**
**This course will require an Academic Requirements Course Override Request after you receive a passing grade in the course. Ask your faculty advisor to initiate this request.
FAQ for environmental majors and minors
Below are answers to some common questions about our major and minor and different options to study environment & sustainability at WashU.
All of our environmental programs of study in Arts & Sciences provide strong preparation in knowledge and skills, and many students arrive at similar career paths through different majors and minors. If you are drawn to deep specialization within a single field, a disciplinary major housed in a department, paired with a complementary minor or coursework in another program, may be the best choice. If, instead, you enjoy integrating ideas across fields and approaching problems holistically and at a systems level, an interdisciplinary major may be right for you. Many students balance this breadth by adding advanced coursework or a minor in a department, allowing them to combine interdisciplinary thinking with focused depth in an area of interest.
An interdisciplinary major or minor in Environmental Studies may be a good fit if you enjoy thinking about complex environmental and sustainability challenges from multiple perspectives and at a systems level. Our major offers breadth and depth and is intentionally flexible. You’ll work closely with an advisor to design a pathway through the major that aligns with your interests and complements your broader goals. If you are majoring in another field and want to deepen or broaden your training, our major or minor can help you build practical, transferable skills. For example, students focused on the natural sciences often use our coursework in environmental policy to better understand how scientific evidence fits into real-world decision-making, or coursework in humanities and communication to learn how to tell stories that effectively convey evidence and meaning to diverse audiences. Students in the social sciences may seek additional grounding in natural science concepts, quantitative analysis, or applied problem solving. Our interdisciplinary courses in systems thinking, sustainability, and ecological economics are designed to complement a wide range of majors and minors.
The Environmental Analysis major prepares you for real-world careers while also supporting your growth as a thinker, collaborator, and person. Our interdisciplinary curriculum provides a holistic understanding of environmental challenges by integrating perspectives from natural science, human systems, and human experiences, so you learn to move beyond simple answers and engage with complexity. Our curriculum is intentionally designed so you repeatedly encounter concepts and themes with increasing depth and engagement. Along the way, you build practical, career-ready skills—such as, data analysis, GIS, writing, project management, and public communication—through hands-on, project-based courses, internships, and community-engaged learning. Just as importantly, we help you develop the soft skills employers value most: systems thinking, teamwork, leadership, adaptability, and confidence navigating uncertainty. Our program is also a community—one that supports curiosity, openness, and reflection. Our graduating seniors share that our major helps them find their interests and strengths and transforms isolation and climate anxiety into a sense of purpose, agency, and hope.
Yes, you can! Demonstrating diverse interests with an interdisciplinary major can sometimes show your breadth as a person and be an asset when you apply to professional school. Your major does not matter if you take the pre-requisite coursework required to apply or take any relevant entrance exams (for medical school you need to complete all the pre-requisites to prepare for the MCAT before you apply to school). Your major advisor and your pre-health advisor in our Pre-Health Advising program in the College of Arts & Sciences can help you choose your classes in a way that feels fulfilling and prepares you for programs in medicine, veterinary medicine, and public health.
Our major offers exposure to the intersection of environmental and human health, such as courses in One Health, epidemiology, disease ecology, and conservation biology that can help prepare you for careers in medicine, veterinary medicine, and public health. If you choose to major in Environmental Analysis, you will work with your major advisor and pre-health advisor to take pre-med and pre-vet course requirements as courses that count toward your ‘120 to graduate’ even if they are not part of the major. To apply to medical school, you need to complete the MCAT before you apply; the MCAT tests knowledge of general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and physics; some medical schools only require one semester of organic chemistry and generally all medical schools require two semesters of physics. To apply to veterinary medicine school, there is no standard entrance exam; vet-med programs usually require two semesters each of general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics and many schools also require coursework in genetics and physiology.