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Take your passion for the environment and help preserve our planet for future generations. Your quest to save the world begins when you major in environmental science.

With this major, you’ll examine environmental issues from an interdisciplinary scientific perspective. You’ll explore how humans affect nature in order to find solutions to the world’s environmental problems. You’ll build on foundation courses in environmental science with coursework in biology, chemistry, physics, and math. You’ll also study the social, cultural, and political aspects of the environment through courses in ethics and environmental policy. You’ll take your science courses in our brand-new building that features state-of-the-art labs and research facilities.

This major requires a practicum—a hands-on learning experience that lets you apply your knowledge to solving real-world environmental challenges. Environmental science majors have completed their practicum at the Environmental Protection Agency, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management.

After graduation, you can advance your studies in a master’s or doctoral program, or find rewarding work in settings that range from government agencies and think tanks to environmentally focused nonprofits and advocacy and education groups. You might also work in public health and corporate sustainability.

Learning Objectives

Assess the ethics of a proposed study

Conduct an experiment following standard protocols

Recognize the importance of safety protocols

Collect data via quantitative and qualitative observations and measurements

Interpret the results of an experiment

Evaluate primary literature

Interpret visual representations of data

Summarize the discoveries of scientific research

Orally present findings to others in formal and informal settings

Construct a written document in a scientific style, including proper citation of sources

Prepare visual representations of data

Access and utilize scientific databases

Conduct an experiment or gather data as part of a group
Participate in group discussions
Record protocols and observations
Provide constructive feedback to group members
Accept feedback from group members

Describe the historical context of environmental decisions
Describe the societal and cultural context of environmental decisions
Describe the political context of environmental decisions
Describe the ethical context of decisions about the environment
Demonstrate an understanding of the process of establishing environmental regulations in the US and globally
Analyze how poverty, social injustice, and inequity impact environmental decision making

Identify the chemical structures and physical characteristics of the molecules of biotic and abiotic components of the environment
Write and use material balances
Apply a systems approach to the analysis of urban, suburban, and rural areas
Identify the major environmental impacts of human activity
Understand and describe technical solutions to environmental problems

Write and use an energy balance
Identify solar and non-solar energy sources and their environmental impacts
Identify social justice issues in provision of energy to global population