The goal of the major is to prepare students either for employment in the field or for advanced academic training in the environmental area. The degree allows students to obtain a rigorous interdisciplinary background necessary for working with environmental issues. It also requires students to specialize in areas useful in the environmental workforce.
Students learn the technical and regulatory aspects of environmental protection.
Internships have been completed with the Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, Cook County Forest Preserve, City of Chicago Recycling Program, several interest groups and non-profit organizations, and Illinois Department of Natural Resources. In addition to the general education requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, the major requires 13 courses with seven of those courses in core areas such as political science, economics, chemistry, biology, and research methods. The remainder of the courses are taken in four specialty areas chosen by the student. Political Science 101 2. Economics 101 3.