Environmental studies

Environmental studies is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sciences, commerce/economics, the humanities [1], and social sciences to address complex contemporary environmental issues. It is a broad field of study that includes the natural environment, the built environment, and the relationship between them. The field encompasses study in basic principles of ecology and environmental science, as well as associated subjects such as ethics, geography, anthropology, policy, politics, urban planning, law, economics, philosophy, sociology and social justice, planning, pollution control and natural resource management.[2] There are many Environmental Studies degree programs including a Master's degree and a Bachelor's degree. Environmental Studies degree programs provide a wide range of skills and analytical tools needed to face the environmental issues of our world head on. Students in Environmental Studies gain the intellectual and methodological tools to understand and address the crucial environmental issues of our time and the impact of individuals, society, and the planet.

Not to be confused with Environmental science.

Environment
Environment in

History

The New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University established a BS in environmental studies degree in the 1950s, awarding its first degree in 1956.[3] Middlebury College established the major there in 1965.[4]

The Environmental Studies Association of Canada (ESAC) was established in 1993"to further research and teaching activities in areas related to environmental studies in Canada".[5] ESAC's magazine, A\J: Alternatives Journal was first published by Robert A. Paehlke on 4 July 1971.[6][7]

In 2008, The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) was founded as the first professional association in the interdisciplinary field of environmental studies in the United States. In 2010, the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) agreed to advise and support the Association. In March of 2011, The Association's scholarly journal, the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences (JESS), commenced publication.[8][9]

In the United States, many high school students are able to take environmental science as a college-level course.[10] Over 500 colleges and universities in the United States offer environmental studies as a degree.[11]

Education

Worldwide, programs in environmental studies may be offered through colleges of liberal arts, life science, social science or agriculture. Students of environmental studies use what they learn the sciences, social sciences, and humanities to better understand environmental problems and potentially offer solutions to them. Students look at how we interact with the natural world and come up with ideas to prevent its destruction.[12]

Top Universities Worldwide for Environmental Studies [13]
1 Stanford University United States
2 Harvard University United States
3 Massachusetts Institute of

Technology (MIT)

 United States
4 University of Oxford United Kingdom
5 ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute

of Technology

 Switzerland
6 University of Cambridge United Kingdom
7 University of California, Berkeley

(UCB)

 United States
8 Wageningen University & Research Netherlands
9 Imperial College London United Kingdom
10 Tsinghua University China (Mainland)

Skills Acquired In Environmental Studies

As mentioned, through interdisciplinary coursework that confers strong social science skills with technical training, students are trained to analyze multi-faceted problems with a range of analytical tools and skills. These of skills include the following, which can be found on Temple University's College of Liberal Arts section, but are offered/included at most Universities.

  • A global approach
  • Spatial thinking
  • An interdisciplinary perspective
  • Understanding of the complexity of interactions between humans and the environment
  • Social science research methods, policy analysis, and technical skills
  • Written, oral and visual communication skills
  • Geographic Information System (GIS) and mapping software[14]


Career Options in Environmental Studies

There are a plethora of career options that exists within the environmental studies field. Some of the listed career choices may require additional education or preparation in the form of graduate studies. This list provides an idea of the options available but are not limited to these options.

  • Activist
  • Agricultural Technologist
  • Animal Service Worker
  • Botanist
  • Community Developer
  • Conservation Biologist
  • Ecologist
  • Environmental Lawyer
  • Food Scientist
  • Geologist
  • GIS Specialist
  • Greenhouse Manager
  • Hazardous Waste Manager
  • Health Promoter
  • International Developer
  • Journalist
  • Land Use Planner
  • Lobbyist
  • Media Correspondent
  • Mining Consultant
  • Non-Profit Administrator
  • Oceanographer
  • Park Ranger
  • Political Advisor
  • Professor
  • Researcher
  • Soil Scientist
  • Sustainability Development Manager
  • Teacher
  • Urban Planner
  • Waste Quality Inspector
  • Wildlife Conservationist [15]


See also
Main article: Outline of environmental studies

References
  1. Keywords for environmental studies. Adamson, Joni, 1958-, Gleason, William A., 1961-, Pellow, David N., 1969-. New York. ISBN 0-8147-6074-0. OCLC 933297292.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. National Center for Education Statistics. Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2000)- (03) NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION Archived 12 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Institute of Education Sciences, United States Department of Education. [Accessed 29 January 2010]
  3. "About Environmental Studies at ESF," Archived 1 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine SUNY-ESF website. Accessed 28 November 2017.
  4. "Environmental Studies - Middlebury". middlebury.edu. Archived from the original on 5 November 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 January 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) "A Brief History of ESAC". Accessed 12 March 2012.
  6. Alternatives Archived 6 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "The Alternatives Story" Archived 6 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Association for Environmental Studies & Sciences AESSonline.org". AESSOnline.org. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  9. "The History and Development of AESS". Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016.
  10. "AP Environmental Science". Collegeboard. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  11. "Major: Environmental Studies". Collegeboard. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  12. "Environmental Studies College Degree Programs | The College Board". bigfuture.collegeboard.org. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  13. "Environmental Sciences". Top Universities. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  14. "Environmental Studies". www.cla.temple.edu. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  15. "Environmental Studies | Career Centre". Retrieved 12 April 2020.
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