Why Study Environmental Studies?
Programs in the Environmental Studies Path give students science and social science approaches to understanding the natural world. Through lab experiments, field work, hands-on research, and science writing, you’ll gain the full range of skills needed to launch your career in studying the environment.
Our programs emphasize interdisciplinary and hands-on learning, often with a focus on field studies. With our 1000 acre campus, including forests, streams, and beach on Eld Inlet-- you have the chance to be immersed in a variety (and combination of) environmental systems.
Our programs will prepare you with the necessary skills and theoretical knowledge to be successful in a wide range of careers including biology, ecology, environmental studies, health, and education, among others.
Join the Environmental Studies Path
By joining this Path, you will receive advising opportunities specific to this Path.
Contact an Advisor to Get Started
Affiliate with the Environmental Studies Path
Follow This Path
The Environmental Studies Path offers programs each year at entry, intermediate, and advanced levels. Exploratory level programs are a great way to get introduced to Environmental Studies. Exploratory programs prepare students for entry level. Connect with faculty early to pick programs that meet you where you are.
Path Concentrations
Ecosystem science, Organismal biology, and Natural resources
The Environmental Studies Path offers programs in a variety of fields of study that you can mix and match. Choose academic offerings from all available related Programs and Courses to create your perfect Path, or specialize your learning even further by selecting one of this Path’s concentrations.
Ecosystem Science
Programs in ecosystem science focus on the movement and distribution of matter and energy, and major global environmental issues like climate change. Learn to utilize math, chemistry, biology, and science communication to tackle some of the greatest environmental issues facing the planet!
Organismal Biology
Get hands-on with field-based studies in animal behavior, biodiversity, and natural history. Working with plants, fungi, fish, birds, mammals, and more, you’ll connect the molecular and biochemical worlds to the evolutionary process and learn to analyze lifeforms from land and sea.
Natural Resources
Discover how human and earth systems are connected by studying forestry, conservation biology, sustainability, and more. Explore problems such as the climate crisis, species extinctions, and pollution with practical tools from different disciplines.
Getting Started
Get Involved with Environmental Studies
Whether you are a new student or just new to this Path, check out the New Student Handbook to learn how to get started at Evergreen and find your people on campus.
- Meet students and faculty in your path by attending path events
- Get guidance on your academic journey and career goals by meeting with an Academic Advisor or Faculty member
- Take a First-year program to explore a variety of subjects and disciplines
- Engage in campus culture by attending club meetings and campus events like lectures, films, and performances
- Get involved with the Science Support Center and consider a campus job specific to your Path
- Attend the Academic Fair to meet faculty and learn about upcoming programs
Years 1 - 2
Try new things and explore all your options
- Take an entry level program associated with the Environmental Studies Path, this will prepare you for intermediate and advanced study later. We recommend the program Skill and Knowledge Sets
- Consider a single-subject language course or taking a program with a language component to prepare you for global learning
- In your second year, consider applying for the Biodiversity Center Fellowship, a two-year paid role ideal for students with an organismal biology background
- Stay in touch with your faculty and get support and mentorship by attending their office hours
Year 3
Dig deep and strengthen your connections
- Now that you have a few years under your belt, it’s time to take intermediate and intermediate-to-advanced level programs that incorporate individual projects and out-of-class experiences
- Consider registering for a Summer course or program or applying for a paid Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship to gain advanced research experience in your fields of study
- Learn about various environmental studies oriented internships and consider applying for this summer or next year, like the WDOT Wetland Internship or Prairie Conservation Internship
- Consider applying for a paid Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship to gain advanced research experience in your fields of study
- Plan your final year by connecting with your faculty and Academic Advisor to plan your capstone, your final programs, and what you may need for careers or graduate school
Year 4
Finish strong and get ready for your next steps
- Take intermediate-to-advanced and advanced level programs focusing on your chosen field or discipline
- Design and complete your capstone with the support of your faculty
- Connect with your faculty and Academic Advisor to make plans for applying for jobs or graduate school
Capstone
A Capstone is a final project or experience, usually done in your final year, created to demonstrate your knowledge and abilities in your chosen skill area.
Your capstone will demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities you have gained at Evergreen and is a great way to showcase what you have learned in a way that matters to you.
Capstone Design
Like everything else at Evergreen, a capstone experience is yours to customize. Capstones can take the form of a:
- Independent project
- Individual Study or Internship
Planning Your Capstone
Your faculty will provide guidance on how best to blend subjects, academic and creative experiences, and your personal academic journey.
Capstone opportunities are offered through various programs and experiences, some options are:
- Programs with a research or internship component
- Individual Study – complete an ILC or INT with a faculty member in your Path
- Multi-quarter programs offering capstone opportunities
Faculty Mentorship and Support
Faculty are always excited to talk about their fields and ongoing research! Students are encouraged to reach out to faculty during their office hours to discuss interests and answer questions about their Field of Study.
Undergraduate Research with Faculty is a special opportunity designed to allow advanced students to delve into real-world research with faculty who are currently engaged in specific projects. This experience will help students develop vital skills in research design, data acquisition and interpretation, written and oral communication, collaboration and critical thinking skills—all of which are of particular value for students who are pursuing a graduate degree, as well as for graduates who are already in the job market.
We have a wide variety of faculty covering a range of disciplines during your time at Evergreen.
Experiential Learning
Field Studies
Evergreen’s location in the heart of the Pacific Northwest gives you easy access to mountain ranges, rainforests, the Puget Sound, the Pacific Ocean, and more. Programs on this Path regularly take advantage of world-class natural destinations to provide hands-on experiences you’ll never forget.
Many Evergreen programs also put you in conversation with Native nations and tribes of the Pacific Northwest to learn from them about the land, waters, and treaties of the region.
Labs and Instruments
Get hands-on experience in chemistry and biology labs where you’ll learn the collaborative and analytical skills professional scientists use every day. In programs on this Path, you’ll have access to labs for:
- Molecular biology
- Organic chemistry
- Water quality analysis
- Environmental analysis
- Computer applications
The independence and support you get as an undergrad scientist at Evergreen is a one-of-a-kind experience. In programs on this Path, you’ll learn to prepare and run your own samples and get to know advanced scientific instruments well enough to put them on your resume.
Graduating with skills in using these instruments will give you an edge over competition when applying for graduate schools, research opportunities, and jobs in the field.
Explore Evergreen Labs and Field Facilities
Individual Study
Faculty are passionate about helping you study what you’re most interested in. Sometimes that means letting you step out of the classroom for an independent experience such as internship or a learning contract of your own design.
Every year, Evergreen students take on life-changing internships with local environmental organizations or government institutions such as the Washington State Legislature. An opportunity like this could launch you into a career in the field where you can make a lasting impact on environmental work in Washington state and beyond.
The Organic Farm
The Organic Farm is a five-acre living laboratory that has helped launch countless student careers. The farm serves many programs from both the Environmental Studies Path and the Food and Agriculture Path. Skills you can gain on the farm include:
- Organic growing methods
- Crop botany
- Planting, maintaining, and harvesting crops
- Animal husbandry (chickens and bees)
- Permaculture design process for food, water, and energy systems
- Sales, marketing, and business
- Creating value-added products
- Integrated pest management
- Teamwork, leadership, and communication skills