Also considered is the impact of production and management processes on animal health and welfare, human diet and health, and the natural environment. These majors focus on the broad facets of the human and natural environments and their interactions. They draw on the social, physical and biological sciences as needed to prepare students for leadership and advanced studies in the areas of natural resource management, environmental quality and stewardship, community planning and design, and public policy decision making. These majors foster a deeper understanding of the multiple connections between scientific and cultural issues in the context of human health and the quality of life. Basic physical and biological science, social science, design, and economic priniciples are taught in this context, linking food and fiber production to consumption, emerging knowledge to societal applications and policy, and human development to active, informed citizenship.
Emphasis is on linking resources for humans with humans as resources.
Physiological, social, and aesthetic dimensions of the human experience are explored. The collegewide programs cut across all of the above areas, providing students in a variety of majors with a background in such areas as public policy, economic principles in a global context, and the intersections among environmental, agricultural and socio-economic issues. Collegewide programs also include non-degree, lower division curricula aimed at providing students with a foundational knowledge base and the potential for developing individualized programs.