Environmental Science

Undergraduate Program

The interdisciplinary environmental science major introduces students to physical, biological, geographical and policy aspects of the natural environment. Following a set of common core courses, majors choose one of three tracks: Earth System Science, Environmental and Conservation Biology, or Environmental Science and Policy. The major provides training for those who want to continue on to graduate school or establish management, fieldwork, or laboratory careers in areas as diverse as ecology, conservation biology, teaching, environmental planning, protection, or regulation, water or air monitoring, and policy development.

Advanced students are encouraged to undertake directed research or internships and may do a senior project for honors. Environmental science faculty come from a wide range of Clarks departments. Most are from Biology, Geography, and International Development, Community and Environment, but faculty with environmental interests are also to be found in departments as diverse as Chemistry, Economics, Political Science, Management, Philosophy, and Physics. Many of the research faculty of Clarks George Perkins Marsh Institute are also contributors to the ES major.

For more information, please visit the Environmental Science website.

International students applying to Clark must submit their applications through the Common Application. Official transcripts covering the student’s prior three (full) years of education must be submitted by the student’s school. Two letters of recommendation are required, one from an academic teacher and one from a school counselor.

All applicants whose first language is not English are required to submit evidence of English proficiency either through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Duolingo, regardless of the length of time they have spent in the United States. The Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20) necessary to obtain a student visa will be granted only after full admission and receipt of complete financial documentation (in the form of an official bank statement reflecting the student’s family’s financial resources).

To apply to a School of Professional Studies Bachelor of Science degree program, please submit the following:

• Completed online application
• Personal essay
• $75 non-refundable application fee (international students only)
• Official high school transcript or equivalent (unless high school completion is noted on a college transcript)
  • In lieu of a high school transcript, transfer students can submit an official copy of their domestic college transcript in combination with our Attestation Form.  This will waive the need for a high school transcript submission.)
• English proficiency exam scores. Required for international applicants whose native language is not English: TOEFL 80 | IELTS 6.5 | PTE 51.

If English is not your native language, you will need to submit an official TOEFL, Duolingo, or IELTS  score report. We do not have minimum scores for any test. We will consider your English proficiency holistically, based on your scores, transcript, essay, and letters of recommendation.

We strongly encourage all applicants to sit for an interview. This is especially important for applicants who do not speak English as a native language. Test scores only tell us so much; we want to give you the opportunity to tell your own story. Your options for an interview are:

• Email your admissions counselor to request a Skype interview with a current Clark student.
• Schedule an interview as part of a campus visit.
• Send us an interview from Vericant or InitialView.

If we determine that you are academically qualified to attend Clark, but could use additional language support, we will refer you to our English for Academic Success Program or Undergraduate Pathway Programs. Depending on your level of English proficiency, you would spend between one and four semesters in this program before joining the undergraduate degree program. You would not need to take the TOEFL or IELTS again after finishing the program.