Environmental Studies
About Our Program
Our program empowers you to make a positive difference in the world through science and stewardship. You’ll develop deep environmental knowledge as you connect what you’re learning to how issues, such as climate change, impact the economy, public health, and societal well-being.
You’ll learn from and be inspired by professors who are just as passionate about the environment as you are—and you’ll gain experience through internships, research, and other, literal get-your-hands-dirty learning activities.
Learning Experiences to Prepare for Your Career
The very nature of the environmental studies major means plenty of hands-on learning. We also take full advantage of our North Country location and our strong alumni network to provide opportunities.Living Lab
So many environmental studies classes make good use of our 110-acre Living Lab, whether it’s observing amphibians in our wetlands to shearing sheep for an eco-fiber course.
Research
Dig deeper into environmental topics or pressing issues through research, either during the semester or as part of a paid summer fellowship. You may even get to co-author a paper with a faculty mentor like Ethan Collins ’18 did; he and his professor Peter Pettengill collaborated on a study about visitor impact to the Adirondack Park.
Senior Year Experience (SYE)
Turn your passion into a project with a Senior Year Experience. For example, Emma Brandt ’20 went on a multi-day backpacking trip with a faculty advisor for her SYE. They recorded data on the impacts of camping around Cranberry Lake, such as exposed soil, trash, and the number of fire pits. They compared their findings with historical data, and Emma drafted a paper for journal submission.
Nature Up North
This community-based organization housed at St. Lawrence connects people to the North Country environment through citizen scientist projects and outdoor adventures -- and it offers internship and volunteer opportunities for environmental studies majors like you.
Recent Internships
Learn by doing in a real-world environment. Our majors intern with a wide range of organizations, including:
- St. Lawrence Land Trust
- Central Park Conservancy
- Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
- Environmental Voter Project
- Clean WaterAction
Volunteer Opportunities
You can also gain experience while making a difference through service work.
- GardenShare, Canton, N.Y.
- Campus Kitchens
- Habitat for Humanity
- Birdsfoot Farm
- littleGrasse Foodworks
Study Abroad
Choose from more than 30 semester-long programs offered in more than 20 international locations, including Australia, China, Denmark, Sweden, and Thailand.
The Adirondack Semester
Live off-the-grid in a remote yurt village: forage food, cook meals, enjoy the wilderness, and take classes like nature writing and environmental ethics.
Sustainability Program
Environmentally conscious students of any major can apply for this unique year-long program just four miles from campus.
Off-Campus Study in the U.S.
Other U.S-based off-campus study programs include a Liberal Arts in New York City experience, which includes an internship with a Manhattan-based business or nonprofit.
Short-Term Trips & Field Experiences
In addition to semester- and year-long programs, you’ll also have the chance to participate in short-term travel study trips with your professors.
Clubs & Organizations
Among the 150+ clubs and organizations at St. Lawrence, you’ll find many that involve the outdoors, wildlife, and environmental advocacy, including:
- Outing Club
- Environmental Action Organization
- CLAW - Connecting Laurentians Around Wilderness
- The Finer Things Cheese and Turophile Society
- Seed to Table
- St. Lawrence River Alliance
- The Greenhouse
- Model U.N.
- Divestment Club
- Geology Club
Why St. Lawrence for Environmental Studies?
97%
of St. Lawrence’s environmental studies majors are employed or continuing their education within a year
#2
oldest collegiate outdoor club in the nation
20
miles from the Adirondack Park and St. Lawrence River
1,000+
bricks students laid for the foundation of a new energy-efficient greenhouse
1:1 tree-to-student ratio
Our 1,000-acre campus is an outdoor experience in itself
Living Lab
Our 110-acre living lab includes fields, forests, wetlands and a garden.
A Green College
St. Lawrence is among the most environmentally-responsible schools (The Princeton Review, 2020)
120+
varieties of 49 vegetable crops at the University's Organic Farm
More Program Information
Program Requirements & Courses
Explore environmental studies major requirements, as well as electives and combined study options.
Complimentary and Related Programs
We offer 10 combined studies programs that allow you to pair your passion for the environment with another major area of study.
Popular Double Majors with This Program
Other Programs You May Be Interested In
Environmental Studies Faculty
Meet Our Faculty
Sam Byrne
Assistant Professor
Environmental Studies Department
Aaron Iverson, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor
Environmental Studies Department
David Murphy, Ph. D.
Associate Professor
Environmental Studies Department
"Growing up in the 21st century, environmental degradation is impossible to ignore. As a skier in the Northeast, the climate crisis is something I think about and notice every day."
Lucy Hochschartner
2020
Environmental Studies/Government major, Fulbright Scholar, Nordic skier
Expert, Passionate Faculty
By day, they’re botanists, field ecologists, climate change scientists and renewable energy experts; by night, they’re hobby farmers, beekeepers, explorers and environmental justice activists.
Into the Environment
Local family farms. The North Country’s wilderness. Urban centers. Majoring in environmental studies at St. Lawrence means constantly venturing out of the classroom.
Adirondack Semester
This 20+-year program empowers students to better understand critical environmental issues, live in a materially simple, close-knit community and in close connection to wild nature, and reflect critically and creatively on the experience and the many questions it raises.
Sustainability Program
Explore and discuss global sustainability problems, tackle issues facing St. Lawrence and the North Country, and spend a year preparing to make a difference.
Get More Information
We’re excited to learn more about you, tell you more about our interdisciplinary academic programs, show you around our beautiful campus, and help you navigate your college search.
Apply to St. Lawrence
We’re looking for curious students who are eager to make a difference. We take a holistic approach to reviewing applications and consider all aspects of your application and what we learn about you.