Environmental Science and Policy

Major Requirements: The degree requires 49 hours of coursework. All students take 25 hours of a core curriculum that includes introductory courses on sustainability and environmental science, as well as upper level courses on environmental politics and policy, research in environmental science and policy, and internship. In addition, students will choose between an environmental policy track more focused on politics, communication, law and economics, and an environmental science track more focused on biology and chemistry. 

View Degree Plan 

Electives: Students complete 15 hours of elective courses in any area of study they choose. These courses do not have to relate to the major.

General Education Requirements: The degree requires 48 hours of general education courses that students complete over four years in addition to their major courses and electives.

A few examples of courses students in this major take:             

• Climate Change – explores the issue of global climate change through an interdisciplinary lens, covering the science, impacts on the environment and human populations, and management and policy responses 
• Chemistry in the Environment - students learn about how nutrients and toxic chemicals move through the environment and what we can do to reduce their impacts, and participate in a hands-on service-learning project testing lead in tap water of at-risk homes in Travis County
• Environmental Politics and Policy – examines the political process through which environmental decisions are made and the different regulatory and market-based policy alternatives for achieving environmental goals.  
• Research Experience in Environmental Science and Policy – students train in research methods and design and conduct a guided research project on an environmental topic of their choosing. 

What You Will Learn

As an Environmental Science and Policy major, you’ll learn about both the natural world and the world of government and politics.

Experiential Learning

• Your courses will take you all over Central Texas, as you visit parks and preserves and conduct research in the field. Your classes will also feature guest speakers from local environmental organizations, helping you learn about potential career paths and start to build your network.
• Introduction to Sustainability is the first course you’ll take in your major. You’ll apply the sustainability concepts you learn to campus projects like planting and maintaining the campus garden. You’ll also research sustainability initiatives to pitch to school officials for potential adoption on campus.
• Natural Resource Conservation and Management emphasizes the real-world challenges of natural resource conservation and management. You’ll go on numerous outings to parks preserves and private lands throughout Texas to learn about different resource management techniques and meet professionals in the field.
• In Environmental and Ecological Field Methods, you’ll learn different methods natural and social scientists use to collect data for research. Students in this course recently studied how dockless scooters were affecting traffic and safety in central Austin and whether scooters are helping people drive less. They also measured the diversity of species in Blunn Creek, a preserve next to the St. Edward’s campus, comparing patches of forest that were mostly native trees and patches that had been taken over by invasive species.

Research

ENSP majors will work closely with faculty members to gain research skills and experience both in the laboratory and at our Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve. Funding is available through the Hook Fellowship for students interested in conducting field research at Wild Basin and other properties in the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve.  Students can also apply for the BSS Research Award to obtain funding to present their research at academic conferences. This research experience has been influential in enabling graduates to acquire positions with employers and graduate schools.

Internships

ENSP majors gain valuable practical experience conducting internships within the public, private and non-private sectors. ENSP majors have interned with state and federal legislators, state agencies such as Texas Commission for Environmental Quality, environmental organizations such as the Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy and Save Our Springs Alliance and private companies such as Freedom Solar and Wildlife Management Services.

Student Organizations

Students for Sustainability educates the St. Edward’s community about eco-friendly practices and works with the St. Edward’s administration to implement environmental initiatives. Members help maintain the campus garden, organize the campus Earth Day festival and initiate numerous sustainability measures on campus, including composting and reusable plates and silverware in the dining halls, clothing swaps and water-bottle-filling stations throughout campus.

The St. Edward’s Office of Sustainability offers internships and welcomes volunteers who help coordinate Earth Week and maintain the office’s blog.

Learning about environmental issues overseas can help you develop perspective on the problems American cities and states are trying to solve. In recent semesters, ENSP faculty have led environmental-themed study abroad programs in France, Costa Rica and South Africa, although this is not an exhaustive list of places you can study abroad.

Learn more about St. Edward’s enhanced study abroad opportunities with 20 partner universities across 17 countries and 5 continents.

In the Sustainable Development in Costa Rica source, you’ll take on a community service project; the program includes a study tour of Costa Rica, where you’ll explore issues of sustainable development and ecotourism.

Whether you are interested in environmental consulting, research management, or simply adding an environmental perspective to your prospective field of interest, a minor in Environmental Science and Policy can help you prepare for a more sustainably mindful career.

Required Coursework:

• Introduction to Sustainability
• Environmental Science
• Environmental Politics and Policy
• Two other upper-division ENSP courses
• One additional ENSP elective