Degree: B.S.
Director: George E.B. Morren (morren@aesop.rutgers.edu)
Adviser
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Code
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Office
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Phone (Ext.)
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Caron Chess
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(CQ)
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COB 205
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2-9153 (318)
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George F. Clark
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(CF)
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COB 209
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2-9153 (311)
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Peter J. Guarnaccia
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(GM)
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COB 202
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2-9153 (312)
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William K. Hallman
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(HC)
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COB 215
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2-9153 (313)
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David Hughes
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(HF)
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COB 204
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2-9153 (361)
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Bonnie J. McCay
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(MF)
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COB 210
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2-9153 (314)
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George E.B. Morren
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(MM)
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COB 208
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2-9153 (315)
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Karen O'Neill
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(OC)
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COB 213
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2-9153 (316)
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Andrew Pleasant
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(PD)
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COB 207
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2-9153 (320)
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Thomas K. Rubel
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(RH)
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COB 214
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2-9153 (317)
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Neil D. Weinstein
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(WB)
|
COB 206
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2-9153 (319)
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The program in environmental policy, institutions, and behavior is concerned with the human dimensions of environmental problems. It addresses such issues as how human actions affect the environment; how societies adapt to changes in natural resource availability; and how individuals, nations, and international agencies respond to environmental hazards. Courses in the program deal with local, regional, and national differences in the use of resources; with social and environmental aspects of health and illness; with alternative strategies for environmental management; with the ethical, moral, and legal dimensions of environmental and resources issues; and with the roles of governmental and nongovernmental agencies in environmental affairs.
To understand these topics, students are exposed to a multidisciplinary view of the environment and draw upon concepts from a variety of fields, including anthropology, ecology, economics, geography, sociology, political science, and psychology.
The objectives of the curriculum are to teach basic concepts and methods from the social, biological, and physical sciences as they relate to the interactions among people and the environment; to train students in the techniques of empirical research; to provide opportunities for experiences in "real-world" situations; to guide students in acquiring practical skills such as environmental assessment, professional writing, data analysis, and demographic analysis; and to broaden students' knowledge regarding environmental problems and how people cope with them.
Graduates of the program are prepared for a variety of career paths. In addition, graduates are prepared for graduate study in many social science and some natural science disciplines.
The curriculum offers four options:
Health and Environmental Policy. This option focuses on the links between the environment and health. Students learn to understand health and nutrition as both biological phenomena and products of social, behavioral, and cultural influences. Students are prepared for further training in the health professions, as well as for graduate studies in the social sciences or public health.
Individual Option. This option is for students who wish to develop their own specialized program. Their programs must focus on a particular topic, area of application, or body of knowledge concerned with environmental policy, environmental health, institutions, or behavior. Students must identify, in writing and with the aid of a faculty adviser, the specific intellectual and vocational goals of the individualized program.
International Environmental and Resource Policy. This option focuses on the political, scientific, and economic dimensions of global environmental and resource issues. Particular attention is given to the role of international institutions. Students are prepared for careers in government, industry, or nonprofit organizations, as well as for graduate or professional studies in political science, law, and international development.
United States Environmental and Resource Policy. This option encompasses the political, scientific, institutional, and economic dimensions of environmental and resource policy development in the United States. Students are prepared for careers in government, industry, or nonprofit organizations, as well as for graduate or professional studies in political science, law, and public administration.
