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Undergraduate Major Environmental Science (BS)

Change Your Environment with an Environmental Science Major

Learn how to think and act critically and creatively to tackle important environmental challenges with an environmental science degree from Southern New Hampshire University. With the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, you'll examine today's most vital environmental topics, including climate change, alternative energy, sustainability and the loss of biodiversity.

See Yourself Succeed as an Environmental Science Major

Through coursework, research, independent study and working closely with your professors, you'll gain the communication, interpersonal and technical skills needed to make a difference in the world. Whether you choose to work for a private company, nonprofit or governmental agency, or continue your studies at the graduate level, you'll leave prepared to meet the growing environmental challenges around the world. Highlights specific to this BS program include:

  • Numerous field research opportunities on and off campus
  • Faculty-led domestic and global learning experience opportunities
  • Small classes that foster individual learning, independent study projects and internships to fit your career goals

As a private, nonprofit university, SNHU has one mission - to help you see yourself succeed. The benefits of majoring in environmental science at SNHU include:

  • Supportive community. Join the SNHU campus community of students who are closely connected with faculty and staff dedicated to your success
  • Affordability. It’s our mission to make higher education more accessible. That’s why, SNHU is one of the most affordable private, nonprofit universities in New Hampshire. 
  • Accessible faculty. Learn from highly credentialed faculty who are experts in their fields and interact with you in the classroom, dining hall, fitness center and the stands
  • Opportunity. Tap into our nationwide network of alumni and strong connections with employers for internship and career opportunities
  • Campus experience. Enjoy more than 50 student clubs, champion Division II athletics and fun events on our 300-acre campus in Manchester, N.H., named a "Best Place to Live" by Money magazine

Internships & Outcomes

With employment opportunities for environmental scientists and specialists expected to grow by 8% between 2020-2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, earning a college degree in environmental science prepares you to capitalize on the growing need for highly skilled environmental professionals.1

Regardless of your particular area of interest, the program gives you the technical expertise and interdisciplinary knowledge base you'll need to address multifaceted environmental challenges creatively and analytically. As an undergraduate environmental science major at SNHU, you'll learn how to:

  • Demonstrate effective oral and written communication necessary to construct, evaluate and present solutions to environmental problems
  • Describe the structure and function of ecological systems and the interfaces between human and natural systems
  • Construct solutions to environmental problems using interdisciplinary approaches
  • Demonstrate thorough competence in understanding quantitative and qualitative research methods as applied to questions related to the natural environment
  • Apply comprehensive concepts and practical experience to ethical issues related to environmental science
  • Prepare for the challenges and expectations of graduate degree programs and/or environmental careers

Curriculum

The environmental science curriculum is based on a solid foundation in the natural and physical sciences, so you gain a broad-based interdisciplinary skill set that companies and organizations are looking for to solve complex environmental problems. Because your professors are passionate about environmental issues and bring specific expertise to the program, you can delve deeply into subjects that most interest you.

Courses To Prepare You For Your Life & Career

SNHU's bachelor's in environmental science program includes:

  • General education courses
  • Degree-specific courses

One course in the program – IT-242: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems – can only be taken online.

General Education Program

SNHU's required general education program, known as The Commons, aims to guide you toward success in not only your academic career, but your personal and professional life too.

Throughout the curriculum, you'll gain some of the most in-demand skills in today's workplace, including:

  • Research and information analysis
  • Diverse audience communication
  • Critical thinking and ethical problem solving
  • Leadership, emotional intelligence and collaboration

This expertise will prove practical, transferable and invaluable as you grow in your career and contribute positively to society.

Beyond foundational skill development, the general education program also provides the benefit of allowing you to explore a wide range of fields outside of your intended major.

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Campus Undergraduate Tuition

Our Manchester campus aims to keep tuition and related costs low for our students so that you can pursue your degree and your goals.

University Accreditation

New England Commission of Higher Education Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) as well as several other accrediting bodies.

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