Wellesley College
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Environmental studies is an interdisciplinary program at Wellesley College. It trains students to address pressing issues, such as the biodiversity crisis, the collapse of oceanic fisheries, toxic waste disposal, global climate change, green building design, and the inequities and causes of environmental degradation. Through course work, field trips, internships, and directed research, students develop the knowledge and skills needed to study, understand, and address contemporary environmental challenges at the local, national, and international level. The Environmental Studies program brings together students and faculty with a wide range of interests and disciplinary backgrounds at Wellesley. The program hosts special events for the campus community, including guest speakers, nature walks, and faculty lectures. The program also works closely with student organizations and the college administration to promote sustainability on campus. Alumnae of the program have pursued work in policy, science, education, journalism, and other fields related to the environment.

The minor is designed to provide all students with a set of core knowledge and exposure to a breadth of approaches and ideas important to environmental studies. There are three components to the 5-course minor: 1. One introductory course: ES 101 or ES 102 or ES 103 2. One 200-level core course each in two of these three categories (two courses total): Science: ES 201 or ES 220 or BISC 201 Social Science: ES 214 or ES/ECON 228 (which requires ECON 101 as a prerequisite) Humanities: ES 203 or ES 299 or PHIL 233 or AFR 226 or [ES 207] or [ES 215] 3. Two electives from ES courses or the list of Courses for Credit Toward the Major: Introductory, core, and capstone courses may also count as electives, but no single course can fulfill two requirements for the minor. A student may petition to count a course not listed in the Courses for Credit Toward the Major list. Students should contact the Director for approval, and the Director will use her/his discretion in seeking guidance from the ES Advisory Faculty.

Addressing the challenge of using earth’s resources sustainably requires a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, in which basic research about the causes and consequences of environmental problems is combined with an understanding of the incentives and processes for a large‐scale reworking of economic activity and the technology with which to reconfigure the human effect on the natural world. Wellesley, Olin, and Babson Colleges are uniquely suited to address this challenge by providing a joint program capable of educating students in ways that each cannot accomplish alone. By truly integrating business, engineering, and the liberal arts in the service of environmental sustainability, this program provides students with the cross‐ disciplinary academic preparation and the cross‐campus cultural collaboration experiences needed to approach environmental issues holistically.