Environmental & Sustainability Studies
Emphases: Conservation and Land Management; Air, Water & Health; Food Systems & Community; Ecojustice Education; Sustainability Initiatives (UOnline option only)
Bennion
Center
Capstones
Program
Learning Abroad
310
Declared
Majors
19
Average
Class Size
Courses
Getting Started
Build a foundation - Take the ENVST Core Classes to explore the ways you can approach your ENVST degree:- ENVST 2000
- ENVST 2100 (BF)
- ENVST 2050 (SF)
Making Progress
Customize your degree –- Work with an advisor to explore ENVST emphasis options and plan electives to build relevant skills.
- Enhance your ENVST major by exploring double majors, minors and certificates.
- Complete your remaining core ENVST classes and prepare for the required Internship, Research or Honors Thesis in ENVST.
Finishing Up
Bring it all together –- Apply for graduation.
- Take your emphasis capstone course.
- Complete the ENVST required Internship, Research or Honors Thesis.
Community
Getting Started
Build your campus community –- Get involved in Enviroclub, the Edible Campus Gardens, the ASUU Sustainability Board or search student groups on Campus Connect.
- Attend campus events like the Campus Farmers Market and Hinckley Forums
- Follow CSBS and ENVST on social media at @uofuenvst and @uofucsbs.
Making Progress
Deepen your connections –- Attend office hours with faculty for at least two courses.
- Consider applying for leadership programs like Solutions Scholar, CSBS Student Ambassador, Bennion Center Scholar or Orientation Leader.
- Connect with faculty to explore research opportunities.
- Take CEL courses like ENVST 3365 to network in the community.
- Volunteer with the Bennion Center.
Finishing Up
Create career connections –- Complete an internship or research program to build strong foundations in the environmental field.
- Connect with alumni on Forever Utah.
Knowledge & Skills
Getting Started
Learn what you need to succeed –- Connect with resources like the Marriott Library Knowledge Commons, the Writing Center and the Learning Center.
- Learn how to generate and read your Degree Audit.
Making Progress
Explore your interests –- Take electives in your ENVST emphasis to develop skills and explore careers.
- Consider a minor, certificate, or double major.
- Take methods, statistics, and advanced writing courses that can apply to a research program, internship, or meet prerequisites for a graduate program.
- Get involved in student activities that support your learning, like the Edible Campus Gardens.
Finishing Up
Commit to learning beyond graduation –- Explore graduate programs to take your knowledge and skills to the next level.
- Apply for jobs that deepen skills or share knowledge with others.
Transformation
Getting Started
Establish support and options –- Find a mentor by connecting with academic advising, faculty, and student leaders.
- Explore Learning Abroad options by completing Learning Abroad 101.
Making Progress
Solidify a strategy for building purpose –- Meet with your advisor and create a customized degree plan that includes classes, experiences, and goals.
- Find a faculty mentor.
- Learn Abroad, participate in UROP, and apply for scholarships and awards.
Finishing Up
Celebrate and reflect on your journey -- Compile a portfolio of your favorite projects, assignments, and experiences.
- Participate in graduation and recycle your cap & gown to the ENVST office for future students.
Impact
Getting Started
Explore the ways to be the solution –- Explore programs like Solutions Scholars, Innovation Scholars, Bennion Center Scholars, Honors College & Lassonde-X.
- Attend a Sustainability Campus Initiative Fund (SCIF) Info session.
Making Progress
Put it into practice –- Volunteer with environmental community partners (nonprofits, museums) or go on an Alternative Spring or Fall Break through the Bennion Center.
- Connect with a faculty member about research opportunities.
- Submit a SCIF grant.
- Work with a professor on a UROP project.
- Hold a student leadership position.
Finishing Up
Share your growth –- Present your undergraduate research at the CSBS Undergraduate Research Day.
- Present at Maps on the Hill.
- Submit a paper to the Hinckley Journal.
Careers
Getting Started
Explore the connection between major and careers –- Explore resources at the Career Studio.
- Activate your Handshake account to find jobs, internships, and careers.
Making Progress
Start preparing for your career -- Create a LinkedIn account to network.
- Visit the Career Studio to update your resume or meet with a Career Coach to discuss your goals.
- Polish your interview skills.
- Attend career and/or graduate school fairs.
- Use skills in leadership roles and internships.
- Make connections for future references.
Finishing Up
Put it to practice –- Refine your resume and graduate school applications at the Career Studio.
- Explore and apply for jobs and graduate schools in your area(s) of interest.
Start Your Career Journey
Find support at the Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC)
About the Major
The Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ENVST) major at the U is an interdisciplinary STEM program. Our curriculum allows you to explore ecological systems and the consequences of human-environment interactions from the perspectives of earth systems, science, humanities, and social and behavioral sciences. Your courses will provide opportunities to learn multiple research methods while engaging with your peers and community. We stress the importance of social responsibility, leadership, and a science-based focus on solutions and integrated problem solving.
You can tailor your education to best suit your interests and passions by selecting from five emphasis areas: Conservation & Land Management; Food Systems & Community; Air, Water, & Health; Ecojustice Education; Sustainability Initiatives These emphases provide opportunities to explore the challenges and solutions for good air and water quality, land management techniques and how they are informed by complex ecological, cultural, and social understanding, and strategies for promoting sustainability through education and advocacy (to name a few).
Upon graduation, students will have learned how to shape more resilient and more sustainable systems, emphasizing the interaction between society, the economy, and the environment. With a degree in ENVST, you will join one of the fastest growing fields in the U.S. with the necessary skills to assess complex environmental issues at all scales and work toward environmental justice, equity, and long-term sustainability. You will have a more informed perspective on your role and responsibility as a citizen, participant in politics and the economy, and member of an extended ecological community.
You can tailor your education to best suit your interests and passions by selecting from five emphasis areas: Conservation & Land Management; Food Systems & Community; Air, Water, & Health; Ecojustice Education; Sustainability Initiatives These emphases provide opportunities to explore the challenges and solutions for good air and water quality, land management techniques and how they are informed by complex ecological, cultural, and social understanding, and strategies for promoting sustainability through education and advocacy (to name a few).
Upon graduation, students will have learned how to shape more resilient and more sustainable systems, emphasizing the interaction between society, the economy, and the environment. With a degree in ENVST, you will join one of the fastest growing fields in the U.S. with the necessary skills to assess complex environmental issues at all scales and work toward environmental justice, equity, and long-term sustainability. You will have a more informed perspective on your role and responsibility as a citizen, participant in politics and the economy, and member of an extended ecological community.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand comprehensive systemic analysis across both physical and behavioral dimensions involving society, the environment, and the economy.
- Assess the ways sustainability topics and theories are approached by a different academic disciplines.
- Analyze the role of environmental sustainability in the promotion of comprehensive justice and equity.
- Apply critical thinking skills to provide sustainable solutions and build resilient communities.
- Learn how to solve large-scale problems using a multitude of tools, approaches and research methods.
- Understand the basic sustainability concepts of homeostasis, carrying-capacity, cradle-to-grave recycling, evolutionary processes, inter-generational debt, socio-political adaptation, climate change, ecosystem services, and environmental justice—and understand the relationships between them.
Plan & Prepare
At the U, we plan for our students to have an exceptional Educational Experience identified by four broad categories we call the Learning Framework: Community, Knowledge & Skills, Transformation, and Impact. This major map will help you envision, explore, design, and plan your personalized Exceptional Education Experience with the Learning Framework at the core. In addition to assisting you in planning your coursework and navigating the requirements of your major, this map will help you incorporate other kinds of experiences to expand your knowledge, support your development, and prepare you for the future you want.