Environmental Science major versus Environmental Studies plus Bio/Chem?

zapfino
Tue, 19 May 2015 20:46:21 +0000

There often is a distinction made between “environmental science” (focused on basic and applied biological and physical science aspects) and “environmental studies” (focused on social science aspects, e.g, environmental economics and policy, and sometimes also including environmental humanities, e.g., ethics, literature, writing). Most “environmental” majors offer tracks in both aspects, however, and students are required to take at least some coursework in both tracks, even though they might emphasize only one of them. I suspect that your daughter is just getting too hung up on the particular title of the major across different schools. The actual content of the major can’t be determined simply from its title. You also have to check specific coursework requirements. Moreover, there is no uniform practice for the title or designation of these programs (or, the degree offered, e.g., BA, BS, major, minor, certificate, etc. ) across different schools.

There are very few stand-alone environmental science/studies DEPARTMENTS at LACs. For the most part, LACs offer environmental science/studies as an interdisciplinary major, minor, or certificate. If your daughter wants a stand-alone environmental science department, she is most likely to find that at a university, not an LAC. (In fact, I suspect it is more likely to be found at a land-grant public university, often in a college of agriculture & natural resources. BTW, students applying to college to study environmental subjects often overlook land-grant universities, which probably offer the most extensive range of programs as well as some of the most innovative programs.)

I agree with you that a double major in environmental studies + biology or chemistry could provide the environmental science focus she wants. Though the double major route may provide somewhat less of a focus on applied aspects, there are many opportunities to obtain this through internships and involvement with on-campus environmental organizations. On the other hand, many chemistry and biology majors. do offer coursework or subspecialty tracks in applied science aspects, e.g., environmental chemistry, environmental toxicology, etc. Compared to an “environmental science” major, the double major route also could provide a stronger grounding in the basic and supporting sciences relevant to environmental problems. This might be an advantage for graduate school preparation, especially if the intended grad program has a research focus as opposed to a strictly applied focus.

Finally, your daughter should consider that even Middlebury uses the designation, “Environmental Studies,” for its major, even though it includes several science tracks. Middlebury is the oldest such undergrad program in the country, and one of the most respected.