Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 79.39
Liaison Yolanda Cieters
Submission Date March 5, 2021

STARS v2.2

Seattle University
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Yolanda Cieters
Associate Director
CEJS
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution offer at least one ​sustainability-focused​ major, degree, or certificate program for undergraduate students?:
Yes

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate degree program:
BA Environmental Studies

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program:

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

The Environmental Studies curriculum is designed to provide you with the ability to investigate environmental issues from a rigorous interdisciplinary perspective by integrating insights and information from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. You will learn to:
--Demonstrate a scientific understanding of the physical and biological dynamics of global ecologies including first-hand knowledge of local and regional ecosystems
--Analyze the social, economic, and political and policy dynamics involved in both the emergence and the resolution of environmental problems
--Explain and analyze the historical development, ethical implications, and religious dimensions of the human relationship with the nonhuman world

Through coursework and field experiences, you will develop the skills to use quantitative, research, and communication to effectively analyze and address environmental problems, issues and concerns by:
--Producing a professionally competent empirical research report using statistical and quantitative methods and
--Producing a major capstone research paper that demonstrates disciplinary expertise and professional standards in your area of specialization

PROGRAM SUMMARY:
--Social and ecological sustainability requires a holistic approach to problem solving.
--Environmental Studies coursework in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to critically assess and address complex environmental challenges.
--All students complete the Environmental Studies Core (58 credits) and an Environmental Specialization (20 credits).


Website URL for the undergraduate degree program:
Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
BS Environmental Science

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
--Science Fundamentals: Apply principles from biology, ecology, chemistry, physics, geology, mathematics, and engineering to examine the natural history, ecosystems, and environmental problems of the Pacific Northwest and to place them in a global context.
--Experimentation: Plan, safely conduct, and document fieldwork and lab experiments that account for the spatial and temporal complexity inherent within natural systems.
--Critical Thinking: Develop and test scientific hypotheses using critical thinking skills and contemporary tools.
--Communication: Communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences in written and oral forms using reasoning that draws from the scientific literature and is supported by data presented as figures, tables, maps, photographs, and in other graphical forms.
--Policy: Evaluate how science can inform the development of policy to address environmental problems such as biodiversity loss, pollution, resource depletion, and climate change.
--Teamwork: Collaborate on multidisciplinary teams that apply scientific expertise and input from diverse stakeholders to characterize and address environmental problems.


Website URL for the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
BS Civil Engineering with Environmental Specialization

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):

The civil engineering program provides a strong foundation in mathematics, basic and engineering sciences, the humanities and social sciences. The environmental specialization prepares students for a career in developing technical solutions to environmental challenges. By pursuing the Environmental Specialization within the BS in Civil Engineering program, students can contribute to reclaiming habitats for endangered species, cleaning contaminated water for return to the environment, managing critical water resources, addressing challenges of air pollution, and remediating polluted sites in our built environments. This balanced, ABET-accredited civil engineering degree will equip you to apply engineering fundamentals towards achieving environmental justice and sustainability.


Website URL for the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program(s):
Does the institution offer one or more sustainability-focused minors or concentrations for undergraduate students?:
Yes

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration:
Minor in Environmental Studies

A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration:

The Environmental Studies minor has coursework in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.


Website URL for the undergraduate minor or concentration:
Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration (2nd program):
Minor in Environmental Science

A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration (2nd program):
---

Website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
Minor in Environmental Engineering

A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
---

Website URL for the undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused undergraduate minors and concentrations:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

For all sustainability-focused undergraduate programs, see: https://www.seattleu.edu/cejs/what-you-can-do/study-programs/


The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.