Cornell University

The Environment & Sustainability (E&S) major is available in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences. The requirements for the major are the same in both colleges. E&S provides students with a basis for understanding the structure and functioning of the earth’s environment. How do we as humans value, use, benefit from, and protect the environment?  How can we do so sustainably?  Students take courses in environmental natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, examining how these disciplines can be applied to develop policies and cultural practices that maintain biodiversity, sustain food production, and develop renewable energy resources.

The E&S curriculum advances the ability of students to understand and address contemporary environmental issues. This goal requires an interdisciplinary and integrated undergraduate experience that provides both breadth and depth in understanding the causes and consequences of changing environments throughout the world. The curriculum relies upon a core foundation in biology, physical and social science, humanities, economics, and statistics, supplemented by coursework and experiences integrating these topics of study. In addition, the E&S curriculum provides flexibility to pursue greater depth in specific disciplines encompassing environment and sustainability issues, while taking advantage of Cornell’s diverse range of courses and opportunities.

All students complete a set of foundation courses (core curriculum) after which students tailor their upper-division courses by selecting one of six concentrations: Environmental Biology and Applied Ecology (EBAE), Environmental Economics (EE), Environmental Humanities (EH), Environmental Policy and Governance (EPG), Land, Air and Water Resources (LAWR), or a Student-Designed Concentration (SD).