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Environmental Science at Sweet Briar

Environmental Science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the environment and the effects of humans on environmental systems. Environmental science students acquire knowledge from many academic disciplines including biology, chemistry, engineering, geology, economics, political science, and physics. They also undertake specialized courses in the study of the environment.

The Sweet Briar Environmental Science major requires a core of 40 science and 13 non-science credits plus at least 6 additional science credits. Students must complete an internship or an intensive research experience of at least 3 semester hours. The major has depth and breadth in both the life sciences and the physical sciences as well as advanced courses in the environmental sciences.

Students receive exposure to cutting edge technologies including global positioning systems, analytical chemistry instrumentation, geographical information systems, and environmental systems software. Courses tend to be less sequential than some other science disciplines, enabling students to study elsewhere for a semester or year. The environmental sciences program emphasizes field experiences, undergraduate research, and environmental problem-solving on the 3250 acre Sweet Briar campus, as well as in the neighboring Virginia piedmont and Blue Ridge Mountains.

Careers

The interdisciplinary, yet rigorous, nature of Sweet Briar's environmental programs provides opportunities for employment in the private or public sector as well as preparing our graduates for professional or graduate study. Opportunities exist for employment in corporate technical positions, environmental consulting firms, non-governmental organizations, or in the public sector at the federal, state, and local levels. In the last few years, around 90% of our graduates have been successfully placed in environmental careers or are in graduate or professional school! If you would like to contact some of our alumnae to get their view of how our programs prepared them for life, just let us know and we'll put you in touch.

Research and Internships

All Environmental Studies and Environmental Science students are required to conduct research for at least one semester or participate in an internship. Selected students are invited to participate in faculty research; all faculty have from one to three research students each semester.

Sweet Briar students conduct environmentally relevant research and often present their data at scientific meetings during the academic year. Recent students have attended meetings at such locations as Baltimore, Washington, Memphis, and Boone, NC. These students have found such high level of activity to be extremely valuable. Research and faculty interaction are among the advantages of Sweet Briar! See our Research page for more details on the type of research Environmental Studies and Environmental Science students are doing at Sweet Briar. If you plan to attend graduate school after graduation, we recommend you choose the research option.

Recent student internships have included work with the National Audubon Society, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Robert E. Lee Soil and Water Conservation District, the Sierra Club, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality. The faculty strongly believe that internships enhance the marketability of our graduates as well as their educational experience. If you plan to go to work after graduation, we recommend you choose the internship option.

Environmental Junior Year/Semester

The Environmental Junior Year enables rising juniors to expand their study of environmental problems by spending part or all of their junior year at one of several universities in different regions of the country. These include the University of California at Santa Barbara; Texas A&M; American University in Washington, D.C.; the University of Washington; Florida State University; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute; and Duke University's Marine Laboratory in Beaufort. Other students spend a semester or year overseas with costs partially defrayed by the department. Recent countries hosting our students include Australia, Tanzania, Mongolia, Kenya, and Costa Rica. We encourage such extended interaction at other institutions, and our programs are designed to make it easy for you to take advantage of these opportunities.

Program Requirements

B.S. in Environmental Science (62 semester hours)

Minor in Environmental Science (18 semester hours)