Smith College
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

The need for environmentally literate citizens and well-educated professionals able to address increasingly complex and global environmental issues has never been greater. The Environmental Science and Policy (ES&P) Program seeks to produce future leaders in the environmental field by offering a major and minor in Environmental Science and Policy, and a minor in Marine Science and Policy.

The environmental geosciences track prepares students for a career in a field that addresses environmental issues. In addition to a range of courses within the department, environmental geosciences majors take classes in chemistry, ecology and environmental policy.

At Smith we understand that one way to make a difference in the world is to grow knowledge. That is why in 2011, after demonstrated interest by students and faculty, CEEDS announced a new Environmental Concentration in Sustainable Food. The Sustainable Food Concentration enables students to engage in an interdisciplinary exploration of food and the many issues involved in sustainability. Whether you are interested in global food distribution systems, the economics of agriculture, food cultures around the world, agriculture policy, or the various ways that gender and food intersect, you can explore your interests in a cohesive, directed, and exciting way.

The Sustainable Food Concentration puts theory into practice, offering a chance to connect students with a topic integral to their surrounding community of the Pioneer Valley, which encompasses 43 cities and towns in the Hampden and Hampshire county areas of Western Massachusetts. By studying Sustainable Food at Smith, students can capitalize on the many opportunities for engagement around food and agriculture-related initiatives underway right in their neighborhood.

Many world leaders, scientists and analysts agree that climate change is the most significant challenge the world faces today. The Climate Change Concentration lets students engage in an interdisciplinary exploration of the many complex issues related to climate change. Through two required internships, students gain a valuable opportunity to put theory into practice, immersing themselves in important work that is integral to human life and well-being and the stability of life on Earth.

The Landscape Studies Program at Smith allows students to examine the relationship of people to natural and built environments by studying landscapes, from parks and palaces to sidewalks and backyards. This program is the first in a liberal arts undergraduate college in the United States which joins architecture, landscape architecture, landscape history and theory, art, art history and literature with the sciences and social sciences to investigate critical issues in the built environment.