Undergraduate Environmental Studies

The Program

Solving the environmental problems facing contemporary societies requires the sustained efforts of creative, dedicated professionals who can integrate and apply knowledge from across academic disciplines to restore and protect the environment. The interdisciplinary Environmental Studies Program prepares students to become such professionals by recognizing the relationship between human behavior and nature and by responding to the Jesuit call to promote environmental justice and ethical stewardship of the natural world.

Composed of a rich mixture of courses from the Humanities, Natural and Social Sciences, the Environmental Studies curriculum motivates students to learn through instruction in the classroom, in the laboratory, in the field and through a diversity of service learning opportunities. The interdisciplinary and comparative nature of the Program encourages openness to novel ideas and flexibility in examining new approaches to problem solving, prepares students to analyze complex environmental issues from both local and global perspectives, and provides them with the skills necessary to help shape our environmental future.

The Environmental Studies Program prepares students for a wide range of career opportunities. Depending on their choice of emphasis --social sciences, natural sciences or humanities--students will be prepared for careers in some of the following fields: environmental and public policy, environmental advocacy, urban and rural planning, public works administration, corporate environmental affairs, environmental conflict resolution, environmental education, environmental consulting, and environmental impact assessment.

Philosophy

The Environmental Studies Program affirms the Ignatian value of recognizing "the ultimate goodness of the world as created." Likewise, training students to address environmental problems promotes USF's Vision to prepare "leaders who will fashion a more humane and just world."

Foremost among the distinguishing characteristics of the Program are its emphases on the ethical analysis of environmental issues and the promotion of environmental justice (i.e., the right to a healthy environment). These ethical concerns, as well as the implications of market and cultural globalization, are central to the proper understanding of the environment in the 21st Century. Our Program incorporates these considerations in an array of courses.

Internship Opportunities

Students are strongly encouraged to participate in program-sponsored internships, which offer the opportunity to gain real-world experience in the environmental field while enjoying mentor/apprentice relationships with Bay Area environmental professionals in community organizations, state and federal agencies, and private industry. Students have interned at such sites as the Bay Area Conservation and Development Commission, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and Waste Management, Inc. Collaborative internships, as well as the teamwork approach to laboratory and field courses, help students develop the skills necessary for environmental leadership.

Study Abroad Options

Students are encouraged to complement their coursework with a study abroad experience, particularly through programs at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico, Peter Pazmany Catholic University in Hungary, or the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines. Students not only interact with scholars and professionals from other countries, but also acquire first-hand knowledge of cultural and ethnic differences that help shape the environmental issues facing the world.

For more information:

• Please see Environmental Studies Course Descriptions.
• Please see Major in Environmental Studies.
  • Please see Typical Curriculum in Environmental Studies for the BA Degree.
• Please see Minor in Environmental Studies.
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• Apply Online