For many thousands of years, our ancestors were more shaped by the environment than they were shapers of it. This began to change, first with hunting and then, roughly ten thousand years ago, with the beginnings of agriculture. Since then, humans have had a steadily increasing impact on the natural world.

The Environmental Studies curriculum explores the complex interactions between humans and nature. This exploration requires grounding in the natural sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences, and majors in Environmental Studies take diverse coursework that reflects the subject’s interdisciplinary nature.

The faculty in Environmental Studies include members of over ten departments on campus that come together to engage and advise students interested in preparing themselves for careers in environmental studies and related fields. Questions about the Environmental Studies program at Amherst should be directed to the Environmental Studies Advisory Committee.