The program in environmental policy, institutions, and behavior is
concerned with the human dimensions of environmental problems. The major explores how
human actions affect the environment, how societies adapt to changes in natural
resource availability, and how different sectors respond to environmental
hazards. Courses in the program deal with local, national, and
international 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, history,
sociology, political science, and psychology. Students learn techniques of
empirical research, gain experience in real-world situations, and acquire
practical skills such as professional writing and data analysis.Majors broaden their
knowledge of environmental problems and how people cope with them
Graduates are prepared for careers in health and environmental
agencies at all levels of government, nonprofit organizations in the United
States and internationally, and private companies, including environmental
consulting firms, pharmaceutical companies, and żgreenż businesses. Some
students also pursue graduate or professional studies in the social sciences,
public health and medicine, public administration, law, and international development.
The curriculum offers five options:
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.
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.
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.
Environmental and Health
Communication.This option focuses
on the communication aspects of environmental and health issues, specifically
on practical tools for social change and public participation in science and
policymaking processes. Students are prepared for careers such as public
information, community relations, and health education in government, nonprofit,
or industry settings. Students are also prepared for graduate studies in fields
such as communication, public health, public administration, and law.
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.
