Environmental Studies

Explore Your Environment

The field of environmental studies (ES) explores the relationship between humans and the environment. To fully understand the causes and consequences of environmental problems and to acquire skills for developing potential solutions requires an interdisciplinary approach that draws on the natural and social sciences and the humanities. The goal of the ES program is to provide students with a holistic understanding of enviromental issues of local, national, and global importance.
   The core courses offered in the ES major will ground all students in the study of the environment from scientific, cultural, historical, and societal perspectives. The broad distribution of elective courses will offer the ES major the opportunity to explore a wide range of interdisciplinary approaches to environmental concerns. In addition, a student may choose to focus her elective studies. For example, a student interested in environmental science may choose to center her electives courses in biology, chemistry, and economics, while a student interested in global environmental issues may choose elective courses in international studies, political science, and anthropology. The Hollins program is distinguished by its experiential component, which requires all majors to be involved in an internship or service project that pertains to their field of interest within the interdisciplinary approach of environmental studies.
   Majors are also encouraged to explore career opportunities in the environmental field through internships and independent studies. During the academic year, interns may work with one of the many environmental organizations in the Roanoke Valley, while other students may elect to spend January short term interning in D.C., New York, or even in their own hometowns. The headquarters for the Jefferson National Forest is a 10-minute drive from the Hollins campus, and Roanoke is one of the few cities in the nation that is attempting to make "cradle to cradle" architecture a reality. Our students have also interned with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, The Nature Conservancy, The U.S. National Park Office, The National Zoo, and Save Our Bay Organization -- to name a few.

Experiential Outdoor Program: Wilderness Education Association’s (WEA) National Standards Program (NSP)
Hollins University is the first women’s university to be certified by the Wilderness Education Association to offer a National Standards Program. The Hollins NSP course will be based on the standard NSP curriculum. The main focus is to train introductory outdoor leaders and in the process develop strong leadership skills. The Hollins NSP program will also offer leave no trace (LNT) trainer certification. The LNT certification process trains students to think carefully about the relationship of humans to their environment. Completion of this program will count as your experiential requirement for the ES major.

Study-abroad opportunities
Through our affiliation with the School for Field Studies, environmental studies majors can get hands-on, research-based experience in ecology, environmental issues, and sustainable development in environmentally sensitive areas around the world. The school’s programs are designed to train students to engage in field research that addresses the environmental problems and needs of local communities. All courses taken will transfer into your environmental studies major.
   There are several field station locations, each with a different focus. They include Costa Rica (sustainable agriculture and natural resources development), Baja, Mexico (marine mammal conservation and coastal ecosystem studies), Kenya (wildlife ecology and management studies), and Australia (tropical rainforest management studies). Each field station offers four courses, including one involving directed research. The faculty are experienced teachers and research scientists with extensive knowledge of the local cultures.
   Students at the School for Field Studies take classes, live, and eat at the field stations and do their research at nearby sites.

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