Program in Environmental Studies

The goal of the Program in Environmental Studies is to provide a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issues that is rigorous within traditional disciplines, yet accessible to students in all fields of concentration. The environment is being affected at unprecedented rates by expanding human populations and by associated technological developments. There is a need for researchers, administrators, managers, and legislators whose thinking balances science and technology with the human aspects of environmental problems. To understand and manage the environment requires a firm grounding in natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, and the humanities. Because environmental problems intrinsically involve so many traditional disciplines, environmental studies at Princeton is a certificate program, not a department. Students in the program may concentrate in any academic department that allows a senior thesis with a strong environmental component. Consequently, you should examine your own interests and decide from which department’s conceptual perspectives you wish to explore environmental issues.

Requirements of the program are listed in the Undergraduate Announcement. Start with the two core courses: (1) 201 Fundamentals of Environmental Studies: Population, Land Use, Biodiversity, and Energy; and (2) 202 Fundamentals of Environmental Studies: Climate, Toxics, Air Pollution, and Water. Both of these courses can be taken with (ENV 201B, ENV 202B) or without (ENV 201A, ENV 202A) a laboratory. The laboratory sections fulfill the lab science (ST) distribution requirement. The program also offers a range of special topics courses at the 300 level (ENV 305, ENV 306) as well as an Environmental Policy Workshop, (ENV 401). You may enroll formally in the certificate program after you have declared a field of concentration that offers a sufficient range of environmental topics for independent work. Even if you choose not to enroll in the program, you can still use the program to explore environmental issues via environmental studies course offerings and other activities. All seniors in the program participate in a senior thesis colloquium. The colloquium supplements the advice you get in your own department by exposing your ideas and results to constructive criticism by students and faculty from other departments.

A handbook for the program that lists course offerings and environmental topics for research, faculty, and advisers is available at the program office in 127 Guyot Hall, which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.