Undergraduate Concentrations and Majors
Columbia University and its partner institutions offer unmatched resources for undergraduates interested in the Earth and environment. Columbia and Barnard students focusing on the natural or social sciences or on engineering can link their environmental interests with high-level study of physical, biological, and/or social processes. Options include dual-degree programs.
Special Concentration in Sustainable Development
A new special concentration in sustainable development is now available for undergraduate students at Columbia College and the School of General Studies. The Earth Institute at Columbia University has collaborated with the departments of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, International and Public Affairs, and Earth and Environmental Engineering to offer this new program of study. The special concentration will allow students to draw upon classes in a wide range of disciplines including political science, anthropology, environmental science and economics.
For additional information on the special concentration, please contact the Program Director, Kevin Griffin at griff@ldeo.columbia.edu or Louise Rosen at lar46@columbia.edu
The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences offers a major in Environmental Science and in Earth Science, as well as a concentration in Earth and Environmental Science, designed for students who do not plan to pursue graduate studies in the sciences.
(B.A., Concentration and Post-baccalaureate)
The Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology offers a major in Environmental Biology, as well as a concentration for those students who wish to major in another academic discipline but pursue some organized study of Environmental Biology. The department was established in 2001 and was previously part of the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation (CERC).
Through the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, students can opt to pursue a BS in Earth and Environmental Engineering, or can choose to blend their scientific pursuits with a liberal arts experience through a dual-degree BA/BS or BA/MS combined program.
Environmental Science Programs at Barnard College
Through Barnard College, students interested in the Earth and environmental sciences have a variety of options. Students can choose to major in Environmental Science, Environmental Biology or Environmental Policy. Barnard encourages students interested in combining environmental studies with other academic disciplines to consider pursuing a special major. Students may also choose to combine a BA from Barnard with a BS or Master’s degree from Columbia or Teachers College through one of several five-year, dual-degree programs.
(B.A., Barnard College)
The Environmental Biology major is designed to provide a student with a broad education in the field as well as an opportunity to cover a specific aspect of biology in depth if she desires.
(B.A., Barnard College)
Environmental science provides a scientific basis for management of Earth systems. It focuses on the interaction between human activities, resources, and the environment.
(B.A., Barnard College)
Environmental Policy is a growing field at the intersection of science and society. It focuses on political institutions, societal processes, and individual choices that lead to environmental stress, the impact of environmental stress on institutions, processes and individuals, and the development of approaches to reduce environmental impact.
High school students in the New York Young Conservationists class determine the approximate near-shore marine biodiversity.