Environmental Studies

Why study Environmental Studies?

Environmental challenges are among the defining issues of our time. Addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, sustainable food systems, and environmental justice requires more than scientific knowledge alone. It demands collaboration across disciplines and a deeper understanding of how people, communities, and ecosystems interact.

Environmental Studies at The College of Wooster combines the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to help students understand environmental issues from multiple perspectives while developing the skills to create thoughtful, practical solutions.

Learning extends well beyond the classroom. Students engage in faculty research, internships, campus sustainability initiatives, community partnerships, and off-campus study while taking advantage of resources such as the Abbey Arboretum, the College's Tree Campus USA campus, the campus garden, and collaborations with researchers at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

Wooster graduates have gone on to careers in clean energy, sustainable agriculture, environmental policy, conservation, and climate research, applying the interdisciplinary perspective they developed as students to address environmental challenges around the world.

Learning in the Landscape

Study environmental issues using the campus garden, the Abbey Arboretum, and regional research partnerships as living laboratories.

Interdisciplinary by Nature

Combine science, policy, economics, psychology, communication, and the humanities to understand environmental challenges.

Hands-On Experience

Participate in research, sustainability initiatives, internships, and community-based learning.

Why study Environmental Studies at Wooster?

Explore environmental issues through an interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum.

Begin research early through close faculty mentorship and hands-on laboratory and field experiences.

Customize your education through one of four pathways that align with your interests and career goals.

Learn on a campus recognized as a Tree Campus USA and accredited as the Abbey Arboretum, which provides opportunities to study ecology, biodiversity, and environmental stewardship firsthand.

Participate in internships, faculty research, sustainability initiatives, and community partnerships.

Connect with researchers and facilities at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC).

Complete an original Independent Study project under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

Academic Opportunities

Environmental Humanities

Explore how literature, philosophy, history, and the arts shape our understanding of the natural world.

Environment and Society

Study the relationships among environmental policy, economics, politics, psychology, and communities.

Environmental Conservation

Examine ecological systems, biodiversity, conservation science, and the management of natural resources.

Sustainable Food Systems

Investigate food production, agriculture, sustainability, and the social and environmental systems that support healthy communities.

Throughout the major, students study environmental science alongside economics, communication, psychology, humanities, and other scientific disciplines before completing Independent Study.

Students interested in complementing another major may also pursue an Environmental Studies Minor, which provides an interdisciplinary understanding of environmental issues while allowing students to deepen expertise in their primary field of study.

Ready to Make an Impact?

Whether you're interested in conservation, sustainability, environmental policy, food systems, climate research, or community engagement, Environmental Studies prepares you to understand complex challenges and create meaningful solutions.

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