Environmental Policy, BA

Western Washington University - International Study Center (StudyGroup)

Graduates with an environmental policy major will have completed coursework that studies the intersection of humans and resource/environmental use. Students also learn the intricacies of policies toward environmental/resource sustainability, and how the policies impact individuals and communities. Why Consider an Environmental Policy Major? Do you want to make a difference in protecting the environment and the public good, as well as diversify access to resources for everyone? WWU’s College of the Environments BA degree in Environmental Policy trains students in the policies and practices that make that happen. The program focuses on resource sustainability and environmental resilience, while at the same time querying positionalities and cultural-economic lenses around resource access in diverse populations and landscapes. Over 200 students have received this BA degree, many of whom have attained professional careers in policy management, program implementation, and action planning for positive environmental change. The program focuses on problem solving and implementing shared visions to effect laws and policies that monitor and manage critical environmental problems, such as climate change, polluted landscapes, and food insecurity. Such laws and policies protect diverse, culturally appropriate, health-driven, and economically viable landscapes - in the United States and throughout the world. We are proud to offer this degree to our students and to continue our programs strong community partnerships worldwide, in which students apply their learning to assist communities in organizing for sustainable futures. This major supports students in exploring how stakeholders regulate pollution and manage natural resources to counter environmental disturbances and protect natural spaces. It emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to solving urban problems that face communities. With sustainability and climate change on the forefront of humanity’s greatest social and ethical problem, students studying environmental policy will acquire knowledge on ''how'' government works, and how to be most effective in addressing global issues. The program prepares students with the knowledge and skills needed to make positive changes towards a socially and environmentally just world. Graduates are prepared for professional careers in policy agencies, consulting firms, and nonprofit organizations at the local, state, and federal levels of government, as well as for advanced graduate study.