The bachelor of arts in human ecology

All COA students study human ecology, the investigation of the relations between humans and their environments. Human ecology at COA is strongly interdisciplinary and gives students the broad latitude to choose courses that meet their goals and interests.

Over half of our graduates attend graduate or professional school, but we all study it differently.

No two students study human ecology in the same way. That’s because everyone designs their own major—there are few degree requirements. Students have the freedom (and responsibility) to build a curriculum that is right for them.

At College of the Atlantic, you hold in your own hands the freedom, and responsibility, of building your educational path. Each student designs his or her own course of study in human ecology—an exploration of the relationships between humans and their natural, cultural, and built environments. Even though we all have the same major, no two students have ever taken the same set of classes. And you don’t have to choose just one area of study; in fact, we hope you’ll pull together different disciplines and get excited about the surprising connections between them.