School of Earth, Environment and Society

College of Arts and Sciences

190 Overman Hall, 419-372-3327

The School of Earth, Environment and Society is an interdisciplinary unit within the College of Arts & Sciences that includes the departments of Geography, Geology, and Environment and Sustainability. Students interested in the interactions between the Earth, its environment, and human societies will find a wide range of opportunities for programs of study, research, and service learning activities. The school structure allows flexibility for students to pursue interests in any one of the disciplines or design an interdisciplinary program of study.

Currently, there are two broad areas of interdisciplinary teaching and research in the School: Geospatial Science and Environmental Quality. Geospatial science includes GIS (Geographic Information Systems), remote sensing, and GPS (Global Positioning Systems). These powerful tools can be used to address a wide range of problems related to the environment, natural resources, and human interactions. Environmental Quality includes how human and natural factors affect the quality of our environment.

Programs of Study

Environmental Policy and Analysis
This program was developed for students with a commitment to environmental quality and an interest in the administrative, legislative, and organizational problems that have resulted from the impact of human activities on the natural and constructed world.

Environmental Science
Environmental Science is the interdisciplinary study of the biological and physical world as it is affected by natural and human action. It is a field that has become increasingly important as population pressures have forced us to recognize our responsibilities for pollution, resource depletion, and land abuse.

Geography
Geography is a broad, integrative discipline that bridges the physical and social sciences to study the location, distribution, and relationships among global human and non-human features. It includes human relationships with the natural environment; land use; spatial analysis (computer mapping, Geographic Information Systems-GIS, air photo interpretation, remote sensing); population analysis; urban, rural, regional, and community planning; recreation and tourism; cultural and national and foreign area studies stressing regional change; problems of economic and agricultural development.

Geology
Geology is the study of the Earth, its materials, its structure, and the processes that are acting upon them, including the evolution of the organisms that inhabit our planet. Geologists are responsible for discovering natural resources, identifying natural hazards, and supplying information critical for solving problems and establishing policy on resources management, protection of the environment, public health, safety, and welfare.

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Art - Environmental Policy and Analysis, Geography, Geology
Bachelor of Science - Environmental Science, Geology
Master of Science - Geology
Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Science - School of Earth, Environment and Society