Environmental Studies

Learning Goals and Mission

The Environmental Studies program’s mission is to heighten awareness among students about the environmental problems facing the world in general and the U.S. in particular, and to consider possible solutions. As such, it will serve students who wish to pursue a career specifically dealing with the environment as well as students seeking to become more knowledgeable about these issues.

Consistency with the University’s Mission and Strategic Goals:

The proposed program in Environmental Studies is consistent with the mission and strategic goals of the college to enable students to acquire the knowledge, skills and values needed for leadership in serving others and shaping society’s response to social, technological and environmental change. As a Jesuit institution, we are uniquely qualified to address the issues with a consistent emphasis on ethical issues in addition to more pragmatic concerns.

Program Goals:

The Bachelor of Science degree program in Environmental Studies will:

  1. provide students with a solid foundation in the natural and social sciences and in an interdisciplinary perspective on environmental issues;
  2. enable students to acquire an understanding of the social, economic, political, cultural and technological context of ecological sustainability;
  3. provide a perspective grounded in ethical values;
  4. through the choice of concentration within the major, relate the environmental topics to career options;
  5. prepare students to become more informed citizens;
  6. prepare students for graduate study.