The BA in Environmental Studies and Sustainability (ENSS) is administered in the Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science (BEES). It is a multidisciplinary degree that takes advantage of existing courses in both the Arts and Sciences to educate graduates who will be able to work in government agencies, corporations, and nonprofit organizations who develop, implement, or are affected by environmental policies.
Objective
The objective of this major is to educate students so that they will be successful in finding solutions to environmental challenges that all societies will face in the 21st century. Graduates will be educated with the goal of thinking in terms of cross-cultural ideas and dialogue. In that way they will be encouraged to help people of all cultures understand environmental problems and act in the area of environmental stewardship.
The BA in Environmental Studies and Sustainability will provide graduates with a broad understanding of environmental science, policy development, needs of decision makers, attorneys and engineers, urban and international concerns, and current environmental issues. Important to any future position in fields of environmental policy, planning, and sustainability, the program builds on communication skills, collaboration abilities and team building, a "customer" orientation, creativity and innovative thinking ability, analytical ability, critical thinking and problem solving ability, a work orientation with professionalism and a positive attitude, occupation-specific skill and knowledge through co-op, and leadership ability. Students may opt to specialize in different study tracks including Policy, Government, and Business; Social Awareness and Action, and Scientific Inquiry.
Drexel Advantage
There is a distinct advantage to a student in undertaking an Environmental Studies and Sustainability degree at Drexel. Drexel University was one of the first universities in the nation to establish an undergraduate environmental science degree in the late 1960s. Since that time, Drexel has expanded to areas of environmental policy and sustainability. Over the long history of the program, Drexel has established an extensive network of co-op employers who value Drexel students, including federal and state governments, consulting firms, research institutions, non-profit organizations, and industry, with work ranging from biological field sampling to developing policy with governmental decision makers, action plans for non-profit organizations, or model environmental strategies with industrial sustainability offices. Drexel students take advantage of the co-op program to both get more extensive experience and get paid while doing so. By graduation, students' resumes include real-world experiences.