Overview

EES major makes you strong

Courses and programs in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences expose students to the fundamentals in environmental science, geology, and ecology, all in the context of a modern earth-systems-science approach. Our robust degree programs are aimed at helping students prepare for a wide range of possible career paths in basic and applied science as well as a larger constellation of careers in areas like law, government, and business.

We're proud of the effort we put into undergraduate education. We've worked hard at shaping an up-to-date and relevant curriculum (read more) that reflects the great range in approaches to studying the Earth system. We address the needs of both majors and non-majors who, as future citizens and leaders in business and government, will play an important role in facing issues of natural resources, hazards, environment, and energy. To meet this diversity in student interest, at the undergraduate level students may choose from a B.A. or a B.S. degree in Earth and Environmental Sciences, take a minor in EES, or select from a wide range of introductory-level offerings:

Degrees

B.A. Degree. If you're interested in acquiring breadth, designing a specialized program, or finding room for a double major, you should consider our flexible B.A. program. This degree is well suited to students with career aspirations in areas such as engineering, environmental law, journalism, economics, government, among many other possibilities. With help from your advisor, the B.A. program can also prepare you for professional careers in research, industry, and education.

B.S. Degree. If your goal is employment as a professional in any of the earth and environmental sciences, our B.S. degree, while still offering considerable flexibility, provides the more in-depth technical training oten required by graduate schools and many firms.

Degrees

Other Options. If you're simply interested in learning more about the natural world and the environment, our creative "gateway-level" courses (having course numbers less than 100) offer a way to become acquainted with current thinking and issues in a number of EES disciplines. These courses afford a number of options for completing your natural-science and laboratory-course requirements. Finally, you can use the EES minor to become exposed to critical core coursework in EES while still having great flexibility in customizing your minor program to meet your own interests.