Environmental Studies Program at UST

The goals of the Environmental Studies program are to provide both a broad introduction to the many fields that contribute to our understanding of environmental problems and a depth of knowledge in at least one area of study.

Consequently, every student in the major is required to complete a set of ten core courses that provides a genuine integration of disciplinary knowledge. Students also are required to design a concentration area, i.e., a minimum of six courses in a single field. Extremely diverse sets of concentration areas have been chosen by students, including biology, geography, political science, criminal justice, Justice and Peace Studies, sociology, business administration, and English, among others. It is truly an interdisciplinary program.

Since the approval of the major by the faculty in 1992, over 200 students have graduated with degrees in Environmental Studies. It is currently one of the largest interdisciplinary programs at the University.

The ES program also offers a Minor in Environmental Studies The following set of course requirements must be satisfied by all students pursuing a Minor in Environmental Studies:

• 151 Humans and the Environment
• 212 Social Dynamics of the Environment
• 301 Environmental Ethics
• 351 Environmental Policy Formation

• BLAW 351 Environmental Law or ECON 252 or another environmentally-related course (with approval of program director)

Study Abroad

Regularly offered UST off-campus J-Term programs:

• Sustainable New Zealand: Politics, Policy and Ecology
• Regional Geology and Geological Field Methods in Southwestern United States
• Conservation Psychology in Germany

Semester programs commonly chosen by UST students:

• HECUA Environmental Sustainability Program: Twin Cities
• School for Field Studies: Kenya, Costa Rica, Turks and Caicos Islands, Mexico, Australia

Other semester and yearlong programs can be found in Wales, Australia, Scotland, Egypt and Denmark.

Please contact us, or see the UST's Study Abroad web site for more information.

Below are pictures from our Conservation Psychology study abroad program in Germany:

• Role of low-level antibiotic concentrations on development of antibacterial resistance in environmental microorganisms
• Using GIS to analyze the optimal locations for large scale solar instillations and for wind farms in Minnesota
• Possible influence of a buried fault on elevated indoor radon levels, south Washington County, Minnesota
• Lacustrine sedimentary organic matter proxies of recent lake state changes and climatic conditions in Christina and Morrison lakes of western Minnesota
• The influence of self-efficacy and knowledge in sustainable behaviors Systems modeling of the impact of a shift toward eco-communalism in the U.S. on carbon output
• Mavis Lakes, Minnesota: Paleoecological analysis of lake cores
• Protecting Wild Spaces: Environmental Advocacy and the Boundary
• Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

What can I do with a major in Environmental Studies?

The career paths for ES majors are as varied as the major itself.  Indeed, one of the great strengths of the program is its ability to accommodate the wide range of interests demonstrated by today's students.  Graduates of the program are currently working in the public service, including federal agencies such as the U.S. Park Service, serving as naturalists, tour guides, and environmental educators.  Others are working for state agencies, including the Department of Natural Resources, the Pollution Control Agency and the Department of Health.  Still others are pursuing careers in nonprofit or environmental advocacy organizations.

Several recent graduates are working for programs and schools specializing in environmental education.  A recent graduate of the program is working in Costa Rica for the School for Field Studies while another is currently serving in the Peace Corps in Russia, specializing in the formation of environmental education programs.  Students also have worked for a number of residential environmental learning centers, including the Audubon Center of the Northwoods and the International Wolf Center.

A significant number of students are working in the private sector as well.  Companies engaged in land-use planning, for instance, have found ES majors with concentrations in geography and/or geographic information systems very attractive.  Other companies specializing in areas such as water and air testing, regulatory compliance services, and environmental marketing have all turned to ES majors to satisfy their needs.

Finally, students are using the ES major as a springboard for admission into graduate education. ES graduates are now attending graduate schools throughout the nation, including the University of Minnesota School of Law, medical schools, and graduate programs in public health and community development.

Click here for a partial list of Environmental Studies graduates and what they are doing today!

Or, click on one of the links below to investigate other careers in the environmental field:

• Profiles of students that have graduated from the St. Thomas Environmental Studies program

Contact Information

Elise L. Amel, Ph.D.

Director of Environmental Studies
Associate Professor, Psychology Department
JRC LL56
University of St. Thomas
2115 Summit Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105

(651) 962-5046
(fax) (651) 962-5051
elamel@stthomas.edu