Duke University
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

The A.B. degree is designed for students interested in the interdisciplinary study of environmental issues. The major permits students to combine studies in natural sciences and engineering with courses in social sciences and humanities to develop particular focus areas or themes relevant to students’ individual interests. Solving the world’s environmental problems requires an understanding not only of ecological systems but also of the cultural, social, economic, and political forces that act on those systems. The A. B. degree in Environmental Sciences and Policy provides students with this background. Students who receive the A.B. degree in Environmental Sciences and Policy are well positioned for careers where the ability to think across traditional boundaries is valued. Possible careers include: Environmental advising on Capitol Hill or in other local, state or federal government agencies Environmental consulting Research assistant K-12 teaching Environmental writing or publishing Curriculum development Education at museums or other outreach settings Majors may also choose to enter a professional graduate program in law, business, public health, or public policy, in which their undergraduate major will provide the basis for specialization.

he B.S. degree is designed for students interested in a scientific perspective on environmental issues. The major is designed to encourage breadth in the physical and life sciences and depth in a chosen area of scientific concentration, such as such as marine ecosystems, toxicology, hydrology and chemical cycling, or climate change. Students who receive the B.S. in Environmental Sciences are prepared for graduate study in a related field. They may also wish to pursue one of the following careers: Environmental advising on Capitol Hill or in other local, state or federal government agencies Environmental consulting K-12 education Research assistant in a university, institute, or other scientific agency Education at museums or other outreach settings Majors may also choose to enter a professional graduate program in medicine, law, business, or public health. The B.S. degree stresses a firm foundation in the physical and life sciences and mathematics. Students are required to select five courses from six course options that focus on the the atmosphere, the biosphere, chemical cycling, the solid earth, the hydrosphere, and the interface between humans and the environment. A probability and statistics course is also required. The remaining required courses in the upper-level curriculum are selected from the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics in consultation with the student’s advisor to form a concentration area.

The A.B. degree in Earth and Ocean Sciences is designed as a flexible major for those students interested in the Earth, its atmosphere and the oceans. The major is intended to provide a general knowledge of the processes that shape and control the environment in which we live. Students who receive the A.B. degree in Earth and Ocean Sciences may follow many different career paths, including: Research at government agencies or in the nonprofit world Policy advising in government agencies or think tanks Science or nature writing or publishing K-12 teaching Science curriculum development Outdoor education Interpretation at museums and state or national parks They may also attend a professional school in law, business, public policy, etc., using their undergraduate major as the basis for a sub specialization.

Program II (in the past, students interested in environmental sustainability have used the Program II track to mix their environmental studies with a focus on business, social studies, the arts or another science). http://program2.duke.edu/

The Nicholas School offers an option for a minor in Environmental Science and Policy. This minor complements majors in Public Policy, Biology, Chemistry, Evolutionary Anthropology, and Earth and Ocean Science among others. Minor Requirements. The minor consists of five courses: two core courses; the remaining three courses selected from the 200-level and above ENVIRON or EOS courses, and may include one approved substitution of a course in another department. Core Courses: ENVIRON 102(25): Introduction to Environmental Sciences and Policy (a survey course; taught in the Fall and Spring). Students with AP credit must select an additional ENVIRON course in place of ENVIRON 102 (25) to equal five courses. ENVIRON 201(101): Integration of Environmental Sciences and Policy (a case-based course that develops conceptual frameworks for interdisciplinary analysis of environmental problems using examples from local, regional and global levelsl).

The Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences offers an option for a minor in Earth and Ocean Sciences. This minor complements majors in Public Policy, Biology, Chemistry, Biological Anthropology and Anatomy, among others. Minor Requirements. Earth and Ocean Sciences 101(11) or 102(12), plus any four additional Earth and Ocean Sciences courses, of which three must be 200-level or higher.

The Certificate in Energy and the Environment is designed to provide Duke undergraduates with an understanding of the breadth of issues that confront our society in its need for clean, affordable and reliable energy. An expertise in energy will expand career options in the private, non-profit, government and academic sectors. The goal of the Certificate is to develop innovative thinkers and leaders who understand the energy system as a whole and the important interconnections among policy, markets, technology and the environment.

http://nicholas.duke.edu/programs/undergraduate-degrees

The Nicholas School has formally proposed an undergraduate experiential certificate program in sustainability engagement that will combine coursework with extensive, reflective experiences in the world. It may be available for students beginning in the fall of 2015.