Areas of Study

Program highlights in hands-on learning

You’ll gain valuable hands-on experience and develop professional skills throughout your four years by earning credits in and outside of the classroom in internships, environmental immersions, capstones, and more. In addition to classroom learning, here are a few core learning experiences that make the degree unique:

We strongly encourage students to take advantage of the program’s incredible opportunities to participate in immersive environmental experiences abroad, within the United States, or in Washington, DC. These experiences offer an opportunity for students to gain hands-on practice and diverse perspectives, integrating the real-world dynamics of different places, people, and environments. Experiences like conducting field work tagging sharks to help monitor ocean habitats or supporting community-based environmental justice effort help provide unparalleled educational experiences the develop in-depth knowledge bases and practical applications of environmental and sustainability concepts. All environmental immersions are designed to be mutually beneficial with local partners, with the goal being that students are able to engage with new contexts, share their own experiences, and work collaboratively on shared environmental issues.

Because the BS in Environment & Sustainaility program is committed to a holistic approach to learning, a portion of credits are dedicated to both personal and professional development throughout all four years. These experiences are focused on supporting students to develop a sense of hope, purpose, and agency in their personal, professional, and academic lives. These courses embrace the “Spirit of Georgetown’s” core Jesuit values of “care for the whole person,” “people for others,” and “care for our common home.” These learning experiences develop practices of self-reflection and contemplation, opportunities to lead and mentor peers, learning directly from environmental practitioners and experts, and pursuing a credit-bearing professional development experience (e.g. an internship).

At the end of the second year of the BS-ES degree, students design, propose, and pursue a custom pathway that guides the remainder of their coursework and learning experiences. Students’ Custom Pathways focus on complex environmental topics that span disciplines so that students can follow their curiosity while demonstrating their mastery in the program’s educational foundations in environmental science, governance, justice, culture. Students are guided in the development of their Custom Pathways with the support of program and faculty advisors.

In the fourth year of the BS-ES degree, all students complete a substantial culminating research project in the form of a traditional thesis, an impact or advocacy project, or an original creative work that demonstrates their learning throughout the BS-ES degree. The capstone project promotes collaboration and challenges students to think beyond their own individual academic path to work with other students, professionals, and community members to catalyze tangible change. Students present their capstone work to the learning community at a closing symposium at the end of their senior year. Examples include “The Role of Software in Sustainable Agriculture”; “Changing Fisheries: Marine Life, Climate, and Human Activity”; and “Attention to Place: How Our Environments Shape Us.”

Your Journey Can Start Now!

There’s time to pursue the BS-ES! We’re here to facilitate your journey toward environmental leadership!

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