Legacy Environmental Studies Minor (Legacy Program)

The former Environmental Studies (ENST) program was founded at Georgetown more than 20 years ago. The minor equipped students to address complex ecological challenges—such as food, water, energy, biodiversity, and climate change—through an interdisciplinary approach spanning the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. By offering foundational knowledge across these fields and the flexibility to focus on specific interests, the program fostered critical thinking and effective communication. Students explored transformative solutions through research, policymaking, and cultural production, engaging with environmental issues from local to global scales. Rooted in Georgetown’s mission and values, and enriched by its Washington, DC, location, the ENST minor provided a meaningful framework for addressing environmental challenges and opportunities for change. The final cohort of ENST students will graduate in 2026 from the College of Arts and Sciences.

The ENST program emphasized core competencies that promoted systems thinking, interdisciplinary fluency, and active engagement. Students participated in cohort-based coursework, gaining diverse perspectives on science, policy, and humanities. They engaged in service, advocacy, and creative expression while developing scalable inquiries bridging social and ecological spheres. Through hands-on experiences in research, policymaking, and communication, the program cultivated a comprehensive understanding of environmental issues and prepared students to address them effectively in academic, professional, and community contexts.

The history of this program, with its foundational values, curriculum, student work, and faculty, have informed the creation of the undergraduate Environment & Sustainability degrees at Georgetown and transformed into this new joint degree. We recognize the contributions of this program to our new BS-ES degree and Minor in Environment & Sustainability. Have questions about the legacy ENST program, or any of our environment and sustainability academics? Email JESP@georgetown.edu.

Cura Terra Archive

Cura Terra was Georgetown University’s undergraduate journal of the environment, emphasizing justice, equity, and the personal connection to environmental issues. In 2020, students revived the journal—which was established in the 1990s—publishing three issues that combine academic rigor with creative and journalistic content to inspire action, foster interdisciplinary dialogue, and highlight the vital role individuals played in addressing pressing global challenges.

Download Issue 1Download Issue 2Download Issue 3Explore the Blog

Capstone Project Archive

While minoring in ENST, Environmental Studies students majored in various fields, and their senior Capstone Projects showcased this diversity. Each year, they presented their work at a symposium-style event, celebrating their achievements.

Explore the project archive