Environmental Studies is a multidisciplinary undergraduate program created to promote the study of our natural surroundings, designs that help minimize degradation of those surroundings, and the social and political tools needed to preserve and improve the environment. The program provides training in social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, and humanities.

Begun in 1984, the Tufts Environmental Studies program was one of the first multidisciplinary environmental programs in the United States. The program’s students and alumni have been effective advocates for the environment in medicine, law, finance, industry, government, and various academic fields.

Environmental Studies is offered as a second major in conjunction with any departmental major in the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering–normally excluding interdisciplinary programs.

The program has three tracks:

• Track I: Environmental Science focuses on basic principles, theories, and methods of the natural sciences (biology, physics, chemistry, and geology) and their application to environmental problems.
• Track II: Environment and Technology emphasizes engineering and applied science aspects of resource management, environmental impacts, and pollution prevention and abatement.
• Track III: Environment and Society examines sociopolitical, humanistic, economic, and cultural aspects of managing environmental problems.