Why Study the Environment?
Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary program that focuses
on the study of the relationship between humans and the environment. Managing
the environment requires the specialized tools and knowledge of the social
and natural sciences, the ability to understand and express ideas and values,
and the dissemination of these ideas through business, education, nursing
and other professions.
The social sciences provide perspectives on the environment from a
human point of view, balancing the ecological perspectives contributed
by the natural sciences with the economic and political aspects of human
society. The courses in the humanities bring the insights of religion and
ethics as well as a body of literature and artistic appreciation that connect
the natural world to human sensibility. Many biologists, chemists, and
geoscientists study the ways humans interact with the natural ecosystems,
trying to find answers to complex, inter-related problems of resources,
population and pollution.
Why PLU?
The mission of the Environmental Studies Program at Pacific Lutheran
University is to lay the foundation for an integrated and interdisciplinary
approach to address environmental problems. The program embraces the broad
liberal arts objectives of the university and prepares students for professions
in environmental fields. Students develop grounding in science, an understanding
of institutional processes, an appreciation of values, beauty, and holistic
thinking, and a solid foundation in various methodologies and skills.
The setting of PLU in the Pacific Northwest is ideal for the study
of the environment. The northwest is a region striving to balance between
the pressures of population growth and the preservation and restoration
of the natural environment. Students have the opportunity to explore local,
regional and global issues with community experts who are actively involved
in dealing with these issues.
Career Opportunities
The Environmental Studies program prepares students for employment
in laboratories, consulting firms, environmental and regulatory affairs
offices in corporations and government, and non-profit organizations that
focus on environmental concerns. Recent PLU graduates have put their environmental
expertise to work in such areas as:
Central to the Environmental Studies program at PLU is integration and interdisciplinary method. This is achieved through a combination of discipline-based courses and interdisciplinary courses. Breadth is provided in courses that introduce students through offerings in other units to the scientific, institutional, ethical, and aesthetic dimensions of the environment. Methods, integration and interdisciplinary competency are emphasized in the two program courses, Environmental Methods of Investigation (ENVT 35O) and the Capstone Project (ENVT 490). Essential depth in a discipline is gained through a complementary major or minor. In keeping with PLU’s mission of “education for service,” an internship is required for the major, as students benefit greatly from an experience in the professional world and in turn they are able to contribute to the community. The Environmental Studies program offers two paths of study, a minor or a major.