BA in Environmental Studies

The Program in Environmental Studies, leading to either a BA or a minor, teaches students to develop an interdisciplinary understanding of the relationship between humans and the environment. It requires an understanding of the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. The major has 5 elective tracks from which to choose: 1) Climate Change, 2) Conservation Biology, 3) Environmental Economics, 4) Environmental Humanities, or 5) Water Resources. A major could also propose a self-designed track.

The Program curriculum allows students to develop interdisciplinary expertise and an understanding of how insights from different disciplines complement each other. Students develop a comprehensive understanding of the causes, consequences, and solutions to environmental problems. At the same time, the elective tracks also provide for a more focused look at a particular field within environmental studies. This is not only a unique academic experience, but also one that expands the students’ ability as citizens to be aware of the scientific, ethical, and policy issues they will face in their local communities, their professions and in their broader world community.

The College is the heart of the Washington and Lee liberal arts education. It is the home of twenty-one departments, four interdepartmental majors, and seven interdepartmental programs. Students may earn either the B.A. or B.S. degree in thirty-seven different majors and may also pursue one or more of thirty-six minors.

The more than 140 faculty members in the College, in departments ranging from Music to Geology to Religion, are dedicated to nurturing the intellectual capacity and curiosity of our students in an environment of collaborative inquiry. All first-year students are members of the College, and typically take a range of courses in the liberal arts in preparation for selecting a major course of study.