Environmental studies is a broad academic field that studies how humans interact with their natural surroundings. Environmental studies, as one might expect, is an interdisciplinary field that encompasses topics as diverse as geology and philosophy. Many colleges offer majors in this field, and students may choose a specific focus in some cases; it is a good idea to thoroughly research these programs because they all take different approaches to environmental studies, and students want to choose the program that best meets their needs.
The sciences are an important part of environmental studies. Students in this field may study biology, chemistry, geology, and engineering in order to gain a better understanding of the natural world. Some people may choose a specific field, such as forestry or fisheries management, to delve deeper into this aspect of human-natural world interaction. Most programs include a rigorous science component to ensure that students have a solid foundation in the sciences and learn how to think like scientists.
This field incorporates economics, law, ethics, social sciences, psychology, philosophy, and even politics. Students study these fields to better understand how and why humans use the environment, as well as to investigate the nature of the human-nature relationship. Students might, for example, investigate laws aimed at reducing pollution, considering why people and businesses pollute and how they might be persuaded not to. To understand the effects of pollution, this research would include ethics, law, economics, and psychology, as well as chemistry and biology.
With a degree in this field, you can do a lot of different things. Someone could pursue a career in law, for example, with an emphasis on environmental law. Others may work as consultants on issues such as environmental ethics and long-term planning. After completing graduate studies in their chosen field, environmental studies majors can work as biologists, environmental engineers, geologists, and so on.
Some students choose to become educators in order to stimulate discussion and thought about the natural world. Such educators can work for resource centers and organizations that offer seminars on environmental issues in addition to teaching at academic institutions. Others may prefer to educate through the written word; each year, a large number of books on various aspects of environmental studies are published, many of which are aimed at a general audience in order to encourage open discussion of important issues such as maintaining the natural environment’s health.