Что я буду изучать?

Environmental Policy and Analysis is available for students with a commitment to improving environmental quality through changing human behavior. Students in the major gain a scientific understanding of major environmental issues, but the focus of their coursework is on acquiring the necessary skills and tools to develop solutions to these problems with an emphasis on the role of the social sciences. Majors learn about strategies ranging from education to policy to community engagement to regulation. Each student selects a specialization keyed to individual career goals.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, students in Environmental Policy and Analysis are expected to:

Understand basic characteristics of ecosystems and environmental problems and identify, investigate, and propose solutions to environmental issues as informed by an interdisciplinary background in the social sciences and humanities;

Critically evaluate policies and practices that address environmental problems and ascertain the interrelationships and interactions among environmental problems, their locations, their cultural and social contexts, and their solutions;

Engage in rational, civil discourse about complex environmental issues in a manner that considers all viewpoints;

Participate in practical, experience-based learning through internships, field experiences, workshops, and independent research projects;

Communicate effectively in written and oral forms;

Gain facility with technologies and tools used in environmental analysis, such as geographic information systems, global positioning systems, statistical analysis, and remotely sensed images.

Internships and Careers

Opportunities for environmental policy and analysis graduates are varied and numerous. Most universities have sustainability offices to lead those institutions in meeting the needs of the future. Many industries need our graduates, to move forward in developing sustainable business practices, and to help them meet environmental regulatory challenges. The government, from the local level to federal, provides many opportunities for our graduates working as program administrators, policy analysts, planners, and managers. In addition, many of our graduates work for nonprofits often at the grassroots level promoting community empowerment and change. Many of our graduates have jobs that enable them to work in nature as well as behind a desk. Examples of the type of opportunities available include work in outdoor recreation, geospatial analysis, community engagement, event planning, and design and conservation of natural areas and preserves. Increasing recognition of the need to reuse and recycle resources has led to increased opportunities in solid waste management and pollution prevention.

Teachers are needed for nature centers, travel and adventure programs. The need to develop sustainable practices has emerged as a ubiquitous societal need, offering new and exciting career opportunities. Students often use the policy and analysis program as preparation for continued academic work leading to graduate degrees in law, planning or public administration.