College of Arts and Sciences, The Department of Earth, Environment, and Society
John Roach Center for the Liberal Arts (JRC) 432, (651) 962-5566
Lorah, Kelley (Co-chair), McKay
Program Website: https://cas.stthomas.edu/departments/areas-of-study/earth-environment-society/index.html
The mission of Geography and Environmental Studies program is to provide both the highest quality liberal arts education and applied, career-oriented preparation. Our students learn to integrate knowledge and gain the depth of expertise to prepare them competitively for professional life and/or graduate school. We value the application of theory and research to real-world problems that affect the common good.
The Department of Earth, Environment, and Society offers multiple courses of study including a major and minor in geography, a major in environmental studies with various concentrations, a geographic information systems (GIS) minor (for non-geography majors) and a concentration area in GIS for majors, as well as a minor in sustainability.
With foundations in both the natural and social sciences, our courses prepare students for a wide range of careers in government, the private sector, and education. Geography and environmental studies graduates collect and analyze demographic data, model landscapes with GIS, perform location analysis for retail and service stores, are urban planners and land use managers, teach, and hold a wide variety of other jobs in the public and private sectors. Graduates also pursue advanced degrees in geography, environmental studies, business, urban and regional planning, community development, GIS, and natural resource management.
The GIS major and minor pair well with other majors in the physical and social sciences, and complement studies in education, marketing, real estate, and entrepreneurship. Our emphasis on GIS laboratory work, internships, collaborative faculty-student research, and service learning give our students a solid foundation in geographic principles and techniques, as well as an appreciation for the diversity of people and places.
The Environmental Studies major and Sustainability minor provide students with a broad interdisciplinary background as well as a basis for career specialization and practical application and problem solving. The program is based upon an investigation both of the Earth’s environment and the wide variety of human interactions with that environment.
Explore the Geography majors and minor
Explore the Environmental Studies major and Sustainability minor