Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Environmental Policy, Institutions and Behavior (EPIB) examines the human dimensions of environmental problems. It addresses such issues as how human actions affect the environment; how societies adapt to changes in natural resource availability; and how individuals, nations, and international agencies respond to environmental hazards. Courses in the program deal with local, regional, and national differences in the use of resources; social and environmental aspects of health and illness; strategies for environmental management; ethical, moral, and legal dimensions of environmental and resource issues; and roles of industry and governmental and nongovernmental organizations in environmental affairs.

The geography curriculum at Rutgers provides the technical training and theoretical grounding to meet today’s environmental challenges while encouraging students to envision the world of the future in which they will be important decision-makers. Geography majors at Rutgers approach spatial phenomena by specializing in one of three tracks: (1) Global Culture, Economics, and Society; (2) Environment; or (3) Geographical Techniques. Geography is a subject that will deepen your knowledge about the spatial dimensions of life on Earth, through looking at the climate and the physical landscape, the human relationship to environmental concerns, as well as global social, political, and economic systems.

The Environmental Planning curriculum provides a broad educational experience emphasizing an understanding of planning and management of the physical and cultural environments. The program strives to consider our relationship with the land, in an effort to foster ethical planning solutions. A program that that promotes sustainability regardless of location, strives for social equity and envisions a post-industrial landscape that provides ecological services.

The minor in Sustainability focuses on the central principles of sustainable development: the environment, the human social system, and the economic system. Using a systems lens, students in this minor learn about the ethical, practical, and innovative approaches to balance the need for human consumption and development with environmental and social equity. Studying principles of sustainability involves an interdisciplinary skill set (see the learning goals to the lower right). Careers in sustainability are vast and include (but are not limited to): environmental protection, engineering and design, business management and planning, human dimensions of resource use, etc.

The Environmental Studies program provides an interdisciplinary curriculum that spans the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Distribution requirements enable students to develop a broad understanding of complex environmental issues that entails thinking beyond existing disciplinary frameworks and boundaries. Through their coursework, Environmental Studies students acquire skill sets – in historical and scientific inquiry, critical thinking and effective communication, and social, cultural and political analysis – that are essential to solving contemporary environmental problems. Students in the program are trained in the use of digital mapping and spatial analytical tools that are increasingly in demand by governmental agencies, non-profit organizations and the private sector, preparing them for a range of professional opportunities

The Minor in Sustainable Global Food Systems (18 credits) is designed for students who wish to expand their understanding of issues and challenges facing food systems that bridge the boundaries of nations and continents. Through this minor program, students will explore how food systems on a global scale are shaped by social, cultural, historical, political, environmental, and economic factors—and how global food systems in turn affect the environment and society. This option should be particularly useful to students who may pursue careers in the international arena.