Environmental Studies

Degree Options: Major, Minor
Locations: Lincoln Center, Rose Hill
Visit the Environmental Studies Department

Who speaks for Earth? With a degree in environmental studies from Fordham, you can.

Two male students collecting samples in woods - LGOur program explores the intersection of the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

The goal: to explore the causes, effects, and policy solutions to environmental problems that we all face—and we all must address. Our mission reflects Fordham’s: to respect the environment and serve the greater good. We stress environmental literacy, stewardship, sustainable development, and environmental justice.

You’ll learn the complex scientific, economic, political, and ethical interactions and processes that create our home on Earth. You’ll study in New York City, one of the most vibrant centers of environmental education and urban ecology in the world. Fieldwork can take you around the globe.

You’ll learn more than environmental studies here. You’ll also study philosophy, theology, history, mathematics, languages, literature, and the performing arts through Fordham’s common core curriculum, the centerpiece of our liberal arts education. We want you to excel in your field—and as a human being.

  • The environmental studies major has many specialized Concentration Career Tracks involving electives, professional internships, study abroad, and thesis research:

    • Conservation Biology
    • Environmental Law
    • Environmental Economics & Sustainable Business
    • Environmental Politics and Government
    • Green Architecture and Urban Planning
    • Environmental Journalism
    • Environmental Education K-12
    • Public Health and the Environment
    • Organic Agriculture and Food Security
    • Parks and Recreation
    • Environmental Organizations
    • Environmental Philosophy, Religion and Ethics
    • Environmental History and American Studies
    • Environmental Art and Literature

    Facilities

    At the Calder Center Biological Field Station, a 113-acre expanse of forest, lakes, and wetlands in nearby Armonk, NY, you can take ecology classes and conduct field research alongside a selected number of biologists who focus on water management and conservation for government and industry.

    At the Center for Urban Ecology, you can study the intersection of nature and the city with scientists researching the impact of urbanization on regional ecosystems and the role people play in physiological, ecological, and evolutionary processes.

    Local fieldwork

    • St. Rose’s Garden, an urban organic agricultural project and outdoor classroom on the Rose Hill Campus
    • Community Supported Agriculture project, which brings food to the campus from local organic farmers
    • Campus Sustainability Program, a Fordham-wide initiative to minimize our environmental impact and pursue best practices in sustainability

    Academic Internships

    Gain professional experience and academic credits in environmental organizations such as:

    • Bronx River Alliance (New York Department of Parks)
    • Wildlife Conservation Society (Bronx Zoo)
    • New York Botanical Garden
    • American Museum of Natural History
    • Environmental Consortium of Hudson River Colleges and Universities

    Paid Summer Internships are available throughout the U.S. and the New York City area:

    • Fordham University Louis Calder Center
    • Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
    • Mohonk Preserve
    • Mianus River Gorge Preserve
    • NYC Department of Environmental Protection
    • NYC Department of Parks
    • Environment America
    • Washington Internship Institute
    • Center for American Progress
    • League of Conservation Voters

    Study Abroad

    Environmental studies are widely available throughout the globe. Fordham’s International and Study Abroad Program has dozens of possibilities in Central America, Africa, Australia, Europe, and Southeast Asia.

    A few options:

    • Sustainability in Europe in Denmark
    • Tropical ecology and conservation in Costa Rica
    • Coastal ecology in Tanzania
    • Amazon resource management and cultural ecology in Brazil
    • Environmental studies in China
  • Chemistry of the Environment
    Global Ecology
    Basic Macroeconomics
    North American Environmental History
    Maritime Cities
    History of Capitalism
    History of Climate Change
    Animal Rights Literature and Film
    Tropical Ecology
    Environment: Science, Law, and Policy

  • It’s as big world. How will you change it? Our alumni work in a wide range of government, private, and nonprofit industries around the globe.

    Our Alumni Career Advisory Board will be a constant resource during every year of your studies.

    Some fields our graduates work in:

    • Environmental law
    • Environmental policy
    • Sustainable business
    • Urban planning
    • Conservation biology
    • Organic agriculture
    • Food policy
    • Sustainable development
    • Environmental journalism

    Many have gone on to study at prestigious graduate programs at Yale, Columbia, and the London School of Economics. Others have studied environmental law programs at Pace, Fordham, and Vermont.

    You also get access to our powerful (and Fordham-loyal) network of alumni, who want to see you succeed as they have.

Learn More About the Environmental Studies Degree

Visit the Environmental Studies Department