Contact Information
(541) 346-5000
(541) 346-5954 fax
Undergraduate degrees: B.A., B.S.
Undergraduate minor
Defining Your Niche
Eugene is home to a wealth of biological resources. Temperate forests thick with moss line the slopes of the two local buttes. The Willamette River and its tributaries snake through the lush green topography of the Willamette Valley, which is nestled between the breathtaking Coast Range and majestic Cascade Mountains. Birds pass through Eugene’s wetlands on their migration routes and a host of fauna cohabitate your future home.
While this town attracts people who are devoted to protecting and conserving these resources, it’s also a community founded on the logging industry. These opposing perspectives spark debate and dialogue concerning the management of local natural resources.
To further diversify your perspectives, as an environmental studies major, you will take courses in a wide variety of departments across campus. “This is a very broad and interdisciplinary field,” says program director Alan Dickman. “We require that all students have some breadth by taking a set of core courses in different areas, including science, social policy, and humanities. A student may also focus his or her undergraduate studies in a wide range of possible areas, including ecology, policy, analysis, literature, philosophy, or fine arts.”
When you graduate with a degree in environmental studies from the UO, you will have a solid understanding of the factors involved in making resource management decisions. As you learn about the connections among economics, politics, and biology, you’ll develop a new awareness of the problems facing the planet. And if you’re motivated, you will be crucial in contributing to the creation of effective and innovative environmental policies that will protect the health of our planet for future generations.
Points of Interest
- Thirteen core faculty serve as primary advisors of the program, and more than 100 faculty offer courses from a wide range of subjects, including law, architecture, biology, and political science.
- You can supplement your studies by participating in the Environmental Learning Program, a Student Initiated Project, or a study abroad program in urban ecology.
- Eugene is a natural laboratory for environmental case study. The Willamette Valley contains wetlands, forests, rivers, hills, and fertile soil for agriculture.
- The Ecotone is an annual journal published by the Environmental Studies Program. It was started in 1996 to provide a venue for sharing professional, creative, and community achievements.