Environmental Studies

The Department of Environmental Studies at Pacific University offers two majors—sustainable design and environmental science—which combine course, lab and field experiences for a comprehensive understanding of relationships between people and the environment. Graduates of the program are prepared for entrance into top graduate programs or for positions in the public and private sectors. Some graduates find work in local, state and federal environmental agencies. Others find employment with scientific consulting firms and private industry. Graduates also work as research scientists for environmental nonprofits.

Program Highlights

  • An interdisciplinary approach that integrates courses from art, political science, business, economics, psychology, philosophy, English, history, biology, chemistry, physics, math, computer science and environmental studies
  • Access to the B Street Permaculture Project—three acres of farmland and riparian forest used to investigate sustainable systems of food production and building design
  • A location surrounded by diverse ecosystems including oak woodland, bunchgrass prairie, coastal communities and old-growth forests
  • Opportunities to study abroad in the Galapagos Islands, Belize, Costa Rica and other locations
  • Close connections to Pacific's graduate programs in health science and regional programs in environmental science, sustainability and environmental law

Courses

The environmental studies curriculum consists of a core group of courses (Environmental Studies Core) that all students within the program must take, followed by specialized tracks. The purpose of the core curriculum is to convey knowledge about how ecological and physical earth systems work and how these systems are being affected by human activities. Students will develop the ability to think systematically and will "solve for pattern" by understanding the cause and effect of environmental and social relationships and how initiatives to solve problems in one area will affect conditions in the other.

Research Opportunities

Students in the environmental studies program conduct research in unique nearby surroundings such as the coniferous forest of the John Blodgett Arboretum, the riparian corridors of the Gales Creek and Tualatin River watersheds, and the 300-acre Fernhill Wetlands. Regionally, there are many exemplary resources available within a one- to two-hour drive of campus, such as the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, Tillamook and Willapa Bays, and the forests of the Coast and Cascade ranges.  

More Information

Department Fast Facts

Boxer Tales are a collection of stories highlighting the individuals that create our Pacific University community. Experience Boxer life through the voices of students, faculty, alumni, staff and supporters. Check out student Hannah Poirier. 

Jordan Nakayama, Nakayama worked as an intern for Partners for a Sustainable Washington County Community, writing sustainability reports for the cities of Banks and Cornelius, Ore. For his senior project, he presented a report on the history behind sustainability reports, the benefits and the potential for application of the studies.

Find Out More

Want to know more
about our professors?
Faculty pages are a
great resource for
contact and general
information.

Find Out More