Tufts University
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Founded in 1984, Tufts' Environmental Studies Program (ENVS) was one of the first multidisciplinary environmental programs in the United States. Students and alumni of the program have become effective practitioners and advocates for the environment in medicine, law, finance, industry, government, and other academic fields. Environmental Studies is offered as a dual major in conjunction with any departmental major in the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering—normally excluding interdisciplinary programs. This dual-major program combines the depth of a major in a specific field with a wide breadth of environmentally oriented courses. Students who major in Environmental Studies must register with the director and are placed in one of the tracks—each of which has its own advisor. The Environmental Studies major requires the completion of five core courses, plus five courses in any one track, and an internship. The core curriculum requires students to master basic scientific principles of environmental processes, to examine interactions between technology and the environment, and to explore the societal context for implementing environmental policy. We recommend that students begin the major by taking Environmental Biology (Bio7/Env7) early on, to get to know the program. In addition to the new core courses, students are required to take five courses in their program track. The program tracks include: Track I: Environmental Science focuses on science and the tools necessary to detect, evaluate, and solve environmental problems (basic principles, theories, and methods in biology, chemistry, Earth and ocean sciences, and physics). Track II: Sustainability, Policy, and Equity focuses on human development policies and practices that can have both positive and negative effects on the natural ecosystem and human well-being, both now and in the future. Track III: Environmental Communication will require students to have knowledge of natural sciences, social sciences, and the arts and humanities to effectively communicate complex environmental issues to diverse audiences. Track IV: Food Systems, Nutrition and the Environment focuses on the importance of sustainable food production systems and critical issues of access to high quality food. Track V: Self-Designed with Advisor is intended to allow students to design their own environmental focus in coordination with an Environmental Studies Advisor. An example of this track might be a student who coordinates with Environmental Studies' engineering and political science faculty to select a series of courses that fit within the requirements of the major on the topic of energy and public policy.

The goals of the BSEVE (Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering) program are to develop a broad understanding of environmental engineering, its relationship to the physical, chemical, health, and earth sciences, and its interaction with the humanities, arts, and social sciences. The comprehensive view of environmental engineering comprising the program includes treatment; health, safety, and risk assessment; pollution prevention; modeling and simulation of environmental systems; and the design and operation of engineered works. All three environmental media are addressed: air, soil, and the traditional departmental strength in water. The curriculum emphasizes the application of mathematics, basic science, computing, engineering science, and multidisciplinary thinking in environmental engineering and seeks to foster enterprise and leadership by developing skills in oral and written communication, project management, policy development economics, and planning. The program prepares students to pursue professional engineering careers in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.

The minor is designed to give engineering majors greater exposure to natural and social sciences, thereby deepening students' understanding of the causes and solutions to problems related to environmental sustainability. The minor focuses on the integration of knowledge and approaches from different fields for the preservation and improvement of the environment. The goal of the minor is to empower student navigation across disciplines and to prepare engineering students for interdisciplinary collaboration in the area of environmental sustainability. The faculty advisor for this minor is John Durant, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering.