BS Environmental Science & Policy

Concerns about environmental issues and how sustainable our natural and human resources will be in the future are increasingly at the forefront of governmental policy, corporate planning, and the day-to-day choices of families like yours. Government-supported research focuses on important topics such as climate change, depletion of the ozone layer, habitat destruction, and air and water pollution. Corporations seek new production methods and materials to decrease industrial pollution. At home, work or school, we can minimize our carbon footprint, reduce our water use and attempt to reduce our solid waste through recycling and purchase products with less packaging.

Cleaning up the pollution of the past and confronting contemporary environmental challenges require creative and multidisciplinary solutions. Those most successful in addressing these complex issues will be trained in a variety of backgrounds. They will understand the basic concepts in the life sciences and their application to real-world problems. They will appreciate the history and complexity of social and political systems. And they will be knowledgeable in environmental regulation and policy. Clarkson’s Environmental Science and Policy (ES&P) program prepares its graduates to become effective leaders by providing a broad-based, interdisciplinary background. 

Clarkson undergraduates experience hands-on learning that includes assisting the faculty with research projects and working on independent projects. The coursework is challenging but flexible, and the ES&P degree allows students significant freedom in choosing their emphasis in an environmental area. The curriculum is also well suited as a preparatory degree for students interested in pursuing a degree in the health sciences, including medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science

Programs can be tailored to meet the interests of the student. To this end, Clarkson offers both a minor and a major in Environmental Science & Policy. Upon successful completion of the major, a student will be awarded a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. The major allows students to pursue their study of the environment in an
interdisciplinary fashion.