Environmental Studies
Office of Interdisciplinary Degree Programs
College of Arts and Sciences
203 Clemens Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-4670
Phone: 716.645.2245
Fax: 716.645.3640
Web: cas.buffalo.edu/programs/idp/ugrad/
Lee Dryden
Director
dryden@buffalo.edu
About the Department
The Environmental Studies concentration of the Social Sciences Interdisciplinary major is designed for those who find the environmental perspective compelling. It is a field in which studies in human society overlap with basic science courses. Students study natural science and social science in order to understand environmental problems and processes. Policy issues are considered.
Degrees Offered
Undergraduate: B.A., B.S., and Minor in Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
Concentration: Environmental Studies
About Our Degrees
Acceptance Criteria
Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall.
Minimum grade of “C” in SSC 118.
A student originally entering the B.A. program may transfer applicable credits to the B.S. program.
Acceptance Information
Deadlines: Rolling
Minimum required GPA: Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall
Number of accepted majors (2003-2004): 33
Total number of majors currently enrolled: 64
Degree Requirements
See the Undergraduate Catalog.
Transfer Policy
Transfer students must first apply to the university and meet the university’s transfer admission GPA requirements. Applications for students are then forwarded to the Interdisciplinary Degree Programs (IDP) office for review and course equivalency evaluation. Newly admitted transfer students who have completed the prerequisite requirements or have completed 60 or more credit hours at their transfer school are accepted to the major on a provisional basis, with full admission dependent upon completion of prerequisite requirements and attainment of a minimum UB GPA of 2.0 within a specified time frame.
Courses from two-year colleges cannot be used toward fulfillment of the advanced-level course requirements in any of the interdisciplinary programs. At least 50 percent of coursework toward the major must be completed at UB.
About Our Courses
Each of the Interdisciplinary Degree Programs' concentrations offers a curriculum that allows students to combine coursework from three or more departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. In aulition, a number of interdisciplinary and special-interest courses are offered through the IDP. There are also options to incorporate courses from other areas of the university, allowing students to obtain a broad range of skills and education.
The typical class size for:
Freshman/introductory courses is: 30-200
Sophomore/intermediate courses is: 25-200
Upper level/advanced courses is: 10-45
In the Environmental Studies program, what do student teaching assistants (TA's) do?
There are no teaching assistants in the IDP. Many courses in the social sciences interdisciplinary program's curricula originate in other departments, where teaching assistants may be assigned instructional or grading duties.
Suggested Introductory Courses
- SSC 118 Introduction to Environmental Studies
- BIO 200 Evolutionary Biology
- GEO 101-GEO 106 Physical Environmental Geography or GLY 101-GLY 102 Global Environmental Science I
- A course in statistics
For course descriptions, please see the Undergraduate Catalog.
About Our Faculty
The IDP faculty, though limited in number, not only teach courses applicable to the program's degree tracks, but are also involved in the advisement of IDP majors, a function that is vitally important for students selecting courses from a number of different departments.
Special Academic Opportunities
The Interdisciplinary Degree Programs' concentrations offer an opportunity to focus studies on a particular topic whose brealih and diversity overlap several departments in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Internships
The program in Environmental Studies includes an opportunity for practical fieldwork in an internship experience. Often B.A. and B.S. degree students work in local environmental agencies or companies. The primary academic emphasis of the internship notwithstanding, many graduates have found the experience beneficial when seeking employment.
Extracurricular Activities
The UB Environmental Network is an environment-focused student organization composed primarily of students in the environmental studies concentration. Their activities include environmental awareness and advocacy, sponsoring campus speakers and organizing Earth Day programs.
See the UB Student Association.
Complementary Programs and Courses
Majors that Complement Environmental Studies
- Anthropology
- Biology
- Business Administration
- Civil Engineering
- Geography
Minors that Complement Environmental Studies
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Geography
- Geology
- Management Science and Systems
Career Information
While the IDP concentrations were not developed primarily to train students for specific careers, they are intended to provide an academic background relevant to a wide range of occupations and fields of graduate study.
Alumni have found employment as:
- Americorps Team Member at South Whidbey Americorps
- Camp Counselor at the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
- Community Coordinator at the Georgia Environmental Organization
- Consultant with Friends of the Buffalo River
- Emission Control Monitor at E3 Killiam
- Environmental Conservation Police Officer at the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
- Environmental Educator at the UB Green Office
- Environmental Educator at the NYS dept. of Environmental Conservation
- Environmental Engineer at IBM
- Field Chemist at Teris LLC DBA Ensco, Inc.
- Health and Safety Consultant at OSHA
- Lab Technician at Severn Trent Laboratories
- Lab Technician at Sorrento Lactalis, Inc.
- Quality Analysis Test Engineer at US Web KKS
- R and D Lab Technician at Waste Stream Technology
- Rehabilitation Counselor at Eckert Youth Wilderness Program
- Teacher for the WNY Audubon Society
Post-undergraduate Opportunities
- Anthropology at SUNY Buffalo
- Business Administration at Alfred University
- Earth Science Education at Columbia University
- Environmental Science at Pace University
- Landscape Architecture at SUNY Environmental Science & Forestry
- Law School at SUNY Buffalo
- Law School at the University of Miami
- Recreation & Leisure Studies at SUNY Brockport
- Science Education at SUNY Cortland
- Urban Planning at SUNY Buffalo
- Water & Wetland Resources at SUNY Environmental Science & Forestry
- Water Resource Management at SUNY Environmental Science & Forestry
What percentage of graduates goes on to graduate school?
25-30%
What percentage of graduates goes on to find related employment?
50-55%