Environmental Studies

Program Coordinator - Peter McCormick
Email: mccormick_p@fortlewis.edu

Joint Appointment:
Associate Professor- Peter McCormick
Assistant Professor - Rebecca Austin

Affiliated Faculty:
Professor: David Gonzales, Andy Gulliford, Larry Hartsfield, Ray Kenny
Associate Professors - Cynthia Dott, Kim Hannula and Robert Sonora
Assistant Professors - Brad Clark, Rebecca Clausen and Yohannes Woldemariam

Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary degree program that provides students with the social, political, and scientific background for careers focused on environmental issues. The program prepares dynamic leaders who can negotiate the ecological and sociocultural aspects of complex local and global environmental issues that face societies today. The flexibility of the curriculum allows students to create a course of study that is most appropriate for their own career goals, while providing the rigorous background expected of all professionals in environmentally oriented fields.

Environmental Studies is unique in that it unites a broad array of disciplines, and students are expected to explore courses in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and policy in order to gain a broad understanding of environmental issues. The core curriculum includes coursework in science, math, economics, political science, anthropology, sociology, Native American and Indigenous Studies, and other areas of social sciences and the humanities. The three major options allow students to concentrate on a specific career path by selecting courses that are most appropriate for their needs. The knowledge gained in the core curriculum is then applied in a series of upper-division experiential courses. This three-semester capstone experience for Environmental Studies majors will require at least 150 hours of community-based learning and research and an additional 150 hours in research through the Senior Seminar experience. These opportunities will allow students to develop expertise in a particular aspect of Environmental Studies and provide them with valuable field experience that will guide them and set them apart from the competition in their career pursuits.

This major is designed to prepare students for graduate studies or careers in environmental management, public policy, environmental justice, government, and law, to name a few, as well as careers in tribal policy, tribal government, environmental management, and tribal environmental justice. Students will be introduced to numerous career options through courses like Introduction to Environmental Studies and Community Internship.

When coupling an Environmental Studies major with an additional major or minor in biology, chemistry, geology, or physics, students will be well prepared for graduate studies and careers in environmental science. Students interested in further study or careers in scientific research should explore majors in biology, chemistry, geosciences, and physics. Degree options in Environmental Biology and Environmental Geology may be of particular interest to students wishing to study science in an environmental context.

Degree Options

There are three Bachelor of Arts degree options within Environmental Studies and a minor in Environmental Policy. The major options allow students to take a coursework sequence that is most applicable to their research, educational, and career goals. The major consists of a 59-63 credit common core, providing the basis of knowledge in biology, chemistry, geology, math, economics, anthropology, English, sociology, and political science. The General option requires additional coursework in Culture, Policy, and Science. The Culture option allows students to focus on cultural aspects of environmental issues, and the Policy option provides focus on political processes. Students are strongly encouraged to regularly consult with their advisors to (1) determine which degree option best fits their interests, (2) ensure they meet the upper-division requirements for graduation, and (3) make certain they meet all necessary prerequisites for courses of interest.

Majors and Minors in Environmental Studies:

Environmental Policy Minor

Environmental Studies - Culture Option

Environmental Studies - General Option

Environmental Studies - Policy Option