Structure of the Major

Major Requirements: BA and BS Programs

Yale College Environmental Studies majors learn to critically examine the most important environmental challenges of our time using the lenses provided by the natural and social sciences and the humanities.  Environmental Studies (EVST) offers both BA and BS Programs.  The BA Program is designed for those likely to pursue careers as well as professional degrees in law, policy, or management, or to pursue advanced disciplinary degrees in the social sciences or humanities.  The BS Program is designed for those who are likely to pursue careers requiring advanced degrees in ecology, environmental medicine or health, climate science, or other related disciplines.

The concentration, or the concentrated study of one environmental field, forms the heart of the EVST major, allowing students to acquire discipline-based and issue-based knowledge that prepares them to lead and serve in the environmental fields they care most about.  The concentration complements other academic and professional goals as well.  It is, most immediately, academic preparation for the EVST senior essay, the major’s capstone project leading to degree completion.  For students who wish to double-major, developing a concentration in EVST can lend coherence to the selection of courses and research projects required to complete the second major.  Concentrations also provide a path to fulfilling the requirements of related Certificates as for example, the Climate and Energy concentration for the Energy Studies Certificate, Human Health and the Environment for Global Health Studies, or Environmental Justice for Human Rights Studies.

For more information on the EVST program, major requirements and courses, refer to the  Yale College Programs of Study (YCPS) and explore Yale Course Search for the most up to date information on course offerings in Environmental Studies.