Environmental Studies
Available as a major or minor
Environmental studies is an interdisciplinary, community-engaged program crossing the bounds of the humanities, natural sciences and social sciences.
As an environmental studies major, you’ll investigate pressing domestic and global environmental problems, gain insight into your relationship with nature, and develop the skills needed to create a more sustainable and just future. In addition to exploring and studying Virginia’s forests, mountains and rivers, you’ll be engaged in the community and will learn how to make a difference and become an effective problem-solver.

Curriculum & Courses
Sample Course Offerings:
ENSC-101 Environmental Science
ENSC-230 Critical Zone Science
ENSC-390 Water and Society

Student Experiences
Student Organizations
Roanoke College has several student-run clubs and organizations pertaining to Environmental Studies:
- Garden Club
- Beekeeping Club
- Earthbound
- Eco-house
- Alpha Kappa Chi
- Senior Practicum
Learn around the world
Roanoke has semester-long, faculty-led programs all over the world called May Term. Students take classes with their professor, go on cultural excursions, experience language immersion and perform service projects. Our most recent trips for Environmental Studies include Mexico, Kenya and India, among others. Learn more.





What Makes Roanoke Different?
A beautiful place to learn and explore
“Roanoke's environmental program was light years ahead of what other schools offered. The professors were wonderful. So much of my time was spent outdoors. It really opened up my mind for different ways of learning.”
Whitney Sorge ’07, Virginia State Park Ranger
Learn by Doing
Partnerships for Conservation
We have great relationships with many conservation-focused organizations in the valley, and we help students find internships that align with their interests. Recent examples include:
- Clean Valley Council
- The Appalachian Trail Conservancy
- City of Roanoke Parks and Recreation
- Community Garden
- Carilion Sustainability
- Friends Committee on National Legislation
- Roanoke Regional Partnership
Careers & Outcomes
Simme's dedication leads to work with FEMA
Josef Simme ’18 always knew he wanted to work in the environmental field. After graduation, his dedication paid off, and he took a job as an Environmental Compliance Review Specialist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Working with FEMA has fueled Simme’s passion for the environment. He has discovered a desire to help those struggling after the devastation of a natural disaster. He was recently chosen to be the lead for FEMA’s invasive species implementation project and is working toward better informing the public about the dangers of the spread of invasive species.
Pierce facilitates meetings with legislators on climate change
Mackay Pierce, an environmental studies major from Bristol, Tennessee, interned with the Advocacy Corps of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker-based group. As a grassroots lobbyist, his primary role was facilitating meetings between community members and students with legislators to discuss climate change issues. Putting his passion for the environment to work, Pierce met with a variety of legislators, including the staff of both U.S. Senators from Virginia.
Pierce believes the future economy for the Appalachian coal communities will look very different from the past. "In my opinion, the biggest driving force will be a return to localization," Pierce said. "I think the future will highlight the natural resources most readily available: the mountains as a recreational asset."
The ideal time and place for environmental studies
“It is like studying computer science in 1995,” conservationist Scott Segerstrom ’02 says.
Faculty
Work with faculty
Whether your goal is to be out in the field or to make a difference in government or the business world, faculty members will prepare you for your future. Through independent study and research opportunities, you’ll work alongside faculty and get firsthand experience. Our faculty members are experts on environmental justice, sustainability, water and soil quality, environmental policy, conservation science and more. Their community ties help students connect with local organizations and get them into the real world where they can learn how to make an impact long before graduating.
News
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The certification process was led by a team of environmental studies majors.
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Summer Scholars is a competitive program that offers paid research positions and enables students to do a deep dive into an original topic.
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Catch up on the latest news from our remarkable faculty members.