Channel your passion for the environment into scientific inquiry with Suffolk’s environmental science program. You’ll examine environmental issues from an interdisciplinary perspective, building a strong foundation in biology, chemistry, environmental science, physics, and math. Courses in ethics and environmental policy will also give you a critical lens to view the social, cultural, and political forces that impact our understanding of the world.
Through required labs and field excursions to different habitats around New England (and often beyond), you’ll get hands-on learning experiences and apply your knowledge to solving real-world environmental challenges. 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 nonprofits and advocacy and education groups.
Students in our environmental science program will:
You won’t just study your major—you’ll experience it through hands-on learning opportunities.
In this major, students choose to earn a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science. Our program is highly interdisciplinary—you’ll take courses in biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, and math, so that you can understand and address environmental challenges holistically. There are also opportunities to tailor your degree to your interests with electives on current topics like permaculture and environmental justice, as well as a for-credit internship. Past internship sites include the Environmental Protection Agency, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management.
All environmental science majors complete a senior capstone thesis project. Working one-on-one with a faculty member, you’ll conduct original research, write a thesis paper, and present your findings to faculty and peers at the end of your senior year.
View the Environmental Science Major Curriculum
To earn a minor in environmental science, you'll take a sampling of environmental courses with co-required laboratories along with electives from a select list to sharpen the focus of your studies.
View the Environmental Science Minor Curriculum
Many environmental science students choose courses, minors, or double majors in areas that will complement their skills such as:
"I am the current president of the Suffolk University Outing Club, a club focused on giving students the opportunity to get active and get outside. It has been so great creating a community and providing students with new experiences. Last semester we were able to go to the bouldering gym and do a polar plunge at Castle Island! This club has given me so many opportunities to connect with my peers and learn how to lead and organize."
Chances are, you chose environmental science because you want to make a difference in the world. We’ll prepare you to do that as soon as you arrive.
You’ll apply what you learn in the classroom almost immediately during open-ended experiments in our labs and fieldwork at sites around the city and region. Our sole focus on undergraduate education means you’ll do meaningful research as soon as possible, working directly with faculty mentors to:
During your senior capstone project, you’ll have the unique opportunity to conduct novel research as an undergraduate. Supported by one-on-one faculty mentoring, you’ll gain the scientific skills and confidence to plan and carry out experiments, then present your work to your peers and professors.
At Suffolk, you’ll be welcomed into a supportive community of students, faculty, and alumni who share your passion for the environment. Connect with others who are committed to climate action in our Environmental Science Club and explore the beauty of nature on treks with our Outings Club.
Experience breathtaking environments—and examine pressing ecological challenges—on travel seminars to places like Costa Rica, the Grand Canyon, and Prince William Forest in Virginia.
Our faculty also work across disciplines to help find meaningful solutions to urban ecological challenges. They collaborate with colleagues in art & design, business, and other fields at Suffolk and around the world, including holding a joint International Workshop on Urban Ecological Security and Sustainability with faculty from the Center for Urban Eco-Planning & Design at Fudan University in Shanghai every two years.
Learn about different options by meeting people in the fields that interest you. Our monthly Environmental Lecture Series brings professionals from a wide variety of impactful and innovative organizations to campus to share their paths and connect with students. We also work closely with the Center for Career Equity, Development & Success to hold annual job fairs and career roundtables, and regularly invite alumni back to campus for class visits and talks.
Boston is a world-renowned hub for scientific innovation and academic inquiry. Its diversity of industries—from biotech startups to well-respected research institutes—is matched by its ecological variation, offering opportunities for our students to directly study issues like coastal erosion, wetland health, and urban air quality just minutes from our campus.
Our students and alumni find rewarding internships and employment with organizations that aid in environmental clean-up, research teams that track and seek to mitigate climate change, and groups that implement and influence environmental policy.
Our faculty will work closely with you, along with professionals from the University’s Center for Career Equity, Development & Success, as you prepare for your next step. You’ll also find information tailored for your interests in the STEM & Sustainability Career Community.
Here's a sampling of recent graduates’ current job titles and employers.
Many of our graduates go on to pursue advanced degrees at reputable institutions including Brown University, University of Massachusetts Boston, and Northeastern University.
Professor & Department Chair of Biochemistry, Chemistry, Environment & Physics
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