Environmental Studies

Undergraduate

Environmental studies is concerned with the interactions between people and their environment, the effects the environment has on people, and the impact of human activities on the environment. Learn about the origins and impacts of, and potential solutions to environmental issues by studying the behavior of natural systems and their interactions with political, economic, social, and cultural factors.

Program Overview

The environmental studies major will provide you with an appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of environmental issues and includes courses from the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences.

By developing a broad foundation of knowledge and integrative thinking skills, you will graduate with the intellectual tools and breadth of understanding to confront environmental challenges of the present and future. You are also encouraged to explore independent and summer research possibilities and utilize the many resources provided by the Miller Worley Center for the Environment.

Our students learn about the origins and impacts of, as well as potential solutions to, environmental issues by studying the behavior of natural systems and their interactions with political, economic, social, and cultural factors. Because the study of environmental concerns is inherently interdisciplinary, you will develop integrative thinking skills and a broad foundation of knowledge. Environmental Studies majors graduate with the intellectual tools, practical skills, and depth of understanding to confront environmental challenges of the present and future.

Community Voices

Spotlight on Environmental Studies students and alums

Selecting courses in your first year

Students interested in environmental issues should register for a 100-level Environmental Studies course during their first year. An introductory course is required for both the major and minor in environmental studies and provides a broad overview of the field. It also gives students a good sense of how to continue their studies in the environmental field.

Courses and Requirements

All courses provide students with an appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of environmental issues and include courses from the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences.

Learning Goals

The department emphasizes approaches to learning that engage students more actively in the scientific, social/human, and global dimensions of environmental study. Each approach is a fundamental component of environmental literacy.

  • Interdisciplinary Thinking: Students develop the ability to integrate knowledge using modes of inquiry that conceptually organize and link ideas, methods, and data from several fields. 
  • Critical Thinking: Students cultivate the capacity to listen and think analytically and critically by questioning assumptions, evaluating evidence, and articulating well-reasoned arguments. They also develop quantitative and qualitative methodological expertise. 
  • Depth of Knowledge: Students gain a solid understanding of how the natural world operates, how it has been impacted by human activities, and how it has influenced human actions and development through time. They recognize that solving environmental challenges requires knowledge of the underlying physical and biological processes involved as well as the complex ways these processes interact with cultural, historical, political, and economic forces. 
  • Intercultural Competence: Students appreciate the diverse cultures that make human society, and develop perspectives, skills, and knowledge to engage with values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of communities other than their own in environmental education, activism, development projects, and domestic and international research projects. 
  • Global Consciousness: Students recognize and understand global, national, regional, and local environmental concerns, perspectives, and experiences, including the impacts of economic, cultural, and political contexts on various communities and resources.

Skills

In order to meet the above goals, the Environmental Studies curriculum places a strong emphasis on habits of critical thinking and questioning across academic disciplines:

  • Problem Identification, Assessment, and Solution: Students gain analytical skills in determining the scale and parameters of environmental problems. They develop an in-depth understanding of the scientific method, employing both quantitative and qualitative analyses to clarify and understand data. They become familiar with scientific, historical, and ethical analyses of environmental problems and are able to propose imaginative and creative solutions appropriate to specific issues, based on in-depth study of local to global factors.
  • Communication and Information Literacy: Students recognize the breadth depth of environmental information, across a range of formats and fields. They strengthen writing and communication skills and develop a broad foundation of information literacy. They learn how to formulate and articulate questions, frame research projects, locate needed resources, evaluate information, and make critical judgments about the presentation of research. They are able to synthesize, present, and use this information in a way that helps answer a question, solve a problem, or educate self or others.
  • Reflective Learning and Application of Knowledge: Students practice and develop their capacity for reflective learning in all courses, but especially in the capstone senior seminar. They develop the skills for peer feedback, self-reflection, and assessment of learning impacts. Experiential learning opportunities (e.g., community-based work, internships, and study abroad) allow students to increase their range of interactions with diverse peoples. They also develop leadership and decision-making skills including facility in working constructively with diverse perspectives, personalities, and groups. They develop pre-professional confidence in future options for environmental work in a range of government, education, business, and non-profit contexts.

These core foundational approaches and skills are important in all facets of environmental studies and will serve graduates well in their post-college lives and careers.

Contact Us

Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary department with courses in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Debra LaBonte
  • Academic Department Coordinator

Next Steps

Apply to Mount Holyoke

Mount Holyoke seeks intellectually curious applicants who understand the value of a liberal arts education and are driven by a love of learning. As a women's college that is gender diverse, we welcome applications from female, trans and non-binary students.

Financing your education

Everyone’s financial situation is unique, and we’re here to make sure cost does not get in the way of an exceptional education.