Whether you see yourself advocating for better environmental policies or working in government, you can explore these interests as an environmental studies major. You’ll learn to be an interdisciplinary problem-solver, drawing from the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences to form a well-rounded understanding of complex environmental issues.
Working with your faculty advisor, you’ll build a course load that homes in on your interests in the field and professional goals. Opportunities for experiential learning abound, including innovative electives, internships, service-learning trips, laboratories, and faculty-led research outings around Greater Boston. You’ll graduate with the skills and knowledge to work in government, healthcare, law, advocacy, and more.
Students in our environmental studies 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 Studies. Our core curriculum draws from across the College of Arts & Sciences. With courses in economics, sociology, philosophy, and environmental science, you’ll develop an interdisciplinary approach to tackling real-world environmental challenges, while learning important research methods along the way. 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 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Sierra Club, Youth Climate Action Network, and Greenpeace.
All environmental studies majors complete a senior capstone thesis project. Working one-on-one with a faculty member, you’ll conduct research, write a thesis paper, and present your findings to faculty and peers at the end of your senior year.
View the Environmental Studies Major Curriculum
Gain an interdisciplinary view of the complex issues facing our planet and how to best tackle them by minoring in environmental studies. To complete this minor, you’ll take two required courses—Environmental Studies and Environmental Science (with lab)—and three electives with corresponding labs where applicable.
View the Environmental Studies Minor Curriculum
Many environmental studies students choose courses, minors, or double majors in areas that will complement their skills such as:
At Suffolk, you’ll find a community of people who share your commitment to the environment—and gain the multidisciplinary tools to make a real impact in the world.
You’ll build a strong foundation in earth and climate science, and complement that with practice in policy, economics, law, philosophy, and communications. And you’ll do this by completing meaningful real-world projects, 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 a research project, 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. You can encourage other people to use their voices through voter registration and education activities with Suffolk Votes, and learn to clarify and communicate your own positions by participating in the college policy debate team.
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 innovative policy, scientific innovation, and academic inquiry. Steps from our campus you’ll find the centers of state and city government, along with leading companies, labs, and research institutes whose work drives progress in environmental action in and far beyond Massachusetts.
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 and Public Administration, Government & Law Career Communities.
Here's a sampling of recent graduates’ current job titles and employers.
Professor & Department Chair of Biochemistry, Chemistry, Environment & Physics
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