The Environmental Studies Program offers the opportunity for interdisciplinary exploration of the world’s environmental issues and problems. Our students investigate the interconnections between human and natural communities from scientific, economic, historical, cultural, and political perspectives, and they learn to marshal that knowledge in pursuit of a more sustainable society. The program is a centerpiece of the College’s Sustainable Frameworks strategic direction and aims to equip Carleton students with the interdisciplinary, place-based skills and knowledge needed to advance sustainability and environmental justice, preparing them to engage for change where they live now and in their future communities. We emphasize collaborative work, problem-oriented service learning and civic engagement, place-based learning engaging the Northfield and surrounding communities, internships, off-campus studies, and other field experiences.
Our faculty is a talented, wide-ranging group of scholars who come together from all the divisions of the college. You may find them out in the Cowling Arboretum studying how herbivores affect the prairie plant community; examining the effects of AI infrastructure on the power grids, or engaging Tribal communities and indigenous expertise in wildlife management and policy. And you’ll often find them working collaboratively with students on these research projects.
Students in our program take a rich array of courses, ranging from science courses such as Global Change Biology and Geospatial Analysis, to social science and humanities courses such as the Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment, American Environmental History, and Environmental Justice. We strongly encourage off-campus study as well; recent programs include The Socioecology of Corn in Oaxaca, and Geology in New Zealand.. In addition, the program provides support for our students to do exciting summer internships: saving sea turtles in the Tartarugas, working at think tanks like the Environmental Law Institute, or helping rural communities in Peru to save traditional farming practices, to name just a few.
Our majors are interesting, engaged, and adventurous. Recent graduates have gone on to study water management in China and sustainable agriculture in Greece; organize grassroots environmental activism; work in our national and state parks; and enter graduate programs in law, environmental policy, biology, and resource management. Environmental studies is an excellent major for students interested in careers in public policy, law, education, business consulting, land management, journalism, and a variety of other fields.