BA in Environmental Studies (Humanities Concentration)

How would you like to save the world? Every day, more research indicates that global climate change is real and is one of the most pressing and dangerous issues facing our world today. In addition to scientists discovering these issues, we need people like you—environmental activists, sustainability officers, urban planners, researchers, conservationists—to shape how we address all environmental challenges. Our program prepares students to use what they learn in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to understand human interactions with the environment.

Overview of Courses

The courses listed below represent the curriculum offered within this discipline. Here’s a sample of what you can expect to learn and do:

Humanities

• Foundations in Environmental Studies
• Students engage in major questions of environmental studies through readings, class discussions, interaction with faculty and others working in the field, field observation, and through their own inquiry. Required for all environmental science and environmental studies majors.
• Environmental Ethics
• This course examines our moral responsibilities to the beings in the natural world. Among the topics discussed are environmental justice, biodiversity loss, animal welfare, wilderness preservation, world population, global climate change, toxins and pollution, duties to future generations, and the meaning of sustainability.
• Christianity and the Environment
• Students develop an understanding of the universe and of the Earth as divine manifestations. The course focuses particularly on the Creation-affirming tradition within Christianity and on this view’s capacity to inform contemporary scientific perspectives and interpretations with an appreciation for and articulation of their sacred dimensions.