Environmental Design, Policy & Planning BA

The Environmental Design, Policy, and Planning major, leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree,  trains students for creating more livable, resilient and sustainable communities. Building on the interdisciplinary Sustainability Studies core curriculum, students in upper level EDP courses explore the challenges and opportunities faced by today’s cities and suburbs and develop the skills to proactively shape the future of these places in ways that make them work better for everyone.

Preparing for careers in which they will face complex challenges with interlinked scientific, legal, ethical, political, environmental, and socio-economic components, EDP students also develop skills in primary data collection and analysis, engaging with diverse stakeholders, and working in teams. Courses will span topics ranging from the interconnection of land use and transportation policies to the social and economic implications of public space design.

After graduation, many EDP students go on to study urban planning, urban design, landscape architecture, real estate development, public policy and other disciplines at some of the top graduate schools in the country. Others go straight into the workforce on Long Island, in the New York City region and across the US and the globe, working for local and state governments, transit agencies, environmental organizations, and private consultants.

A capstone design project (or an external internship) is a required component of the major, providing real-world experience in working with a client and a team of peers to develop a high-quality professional report based on an existing planning or design problem.