About the Program

Environmental change is one of the great challenges we face. The Environmental Sciences major provides students with an understanding of how the natural environment operates, how it has been impacted by society, and how society attempts to mitigate the impacts.

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary endeavor in which the synthesis of diverse sources of information is necessary. The successful environmental scientist is equally adept at independent thought and teamwork. The major gives students the expertise to address issues of environmental concern, such as energy alternatives, environmental law, the relation of society to resources, and health problems of air and water pollution, from a scientific basis. It provides a background for employment in environmentally oriented firms or for graduate study in any of several different environmental science disciplines as well as an exceptional preprofessional experience for students interested in law or business.

The Environmental Science major is part of the Environmental Science, Engineering, and Policy program, which is co -administered by the Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.  Students interested in engineering applications should see the Environmental Engineering major in the McCormick School.

For more information, view the Environmental Sciences Major Brochure or e-mail environment@northwestern.edu.

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