Bringing our academic resources in the areas of the environment and sustainability together to focus on some of the most important grand challenges of the 21st century.
To build on and strengthen the areas of climate, environmental, and sustainability science and policy at the University of Iowa, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) will combine the current departments of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences and Earth and Environmental Sciences, along with the Environmental Sciences program, in a new School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability. The school will strategically build environmental work as a core pillar of the college, grow collaborative and interdisciplinary research, and increase student access to the wide range of career paths in these areas.
Three majors; seven tracks; endless possibilities.
The School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability is the place for you to discover how you want to study these topics–and the type of career you want to pursue. From working in a lab to drafting policy, you’ll find your place here.
Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES)
Do you wonder how Earth and other planets work? Want to help society address environmental challenges like a changing climate and preserving safe drinking water?
The EES major trains students to use an integrated approach to understand the natural world.
Geographical and Sustainability Sciences (GSS)
Are you curious about how humans impact the environment, and the environment affects societies? Interested in human mobility, environmental health, biodiversity, and how climate change connects to these and other societal challenges?
The GSS major teaches students how to make a positive impact in the world through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates geospatial data science with social and natural sciences.
Environmental Policy & Planning (EPPL)
Are you committed to environmental protection and stewardship? Might you consider a career in environmental law?
The interdisciplinary EPPL major trains students to tackle environmental problems through action, advocacy, and compliance.
Many of society's largest environmental challenges will require working across disciplines to solve. The education offered in the School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability will prepare you to tackle these challenges through our majors, minors, and certificates.
Learn more about the unique aspects of each major
Suited for students who are...
| Earth and Environmental Sciences major | Geographical and Sustainability Sciences major | Environmental Policy and Planning major |
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| fascinated by the natural world. | interested in the dynamic interplay between natural and social systems. | passionate about addressing environmental challenges through policy or planning pathways. |
Tracks within the major
| Earth and Environmental Sciences major | Geographical and Sustainability Sciences major | Environmental Policy and Planning major |
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Skills development
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In-the-field experience and research
| Earth and Environmental Sciences major | Geographical and Sustainability Sciences major | Environmental Policy and Planning major |
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Career readiness
| Earth and Environmental Sciences major | Geographical and Sustainability Sciences major | Environmental Policy and Planning major |
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Student experiences and opportunities
Learn by doing
Build a versatile skill set and apply your knowledge to solve meaningful problems through hands-on projects, gaining practical experience valued by employers.
Make an impact
The challenges facing society often require transdisciplinary, collaborative approaches to science, management and problem solving. Students will develop a foundational understanding of human and natural processes, a deep understanding in an area of disciplinary expertise, and the ability to work in the context of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams.
A foundation for success
In the school you'll take four courses that give you a strong foundation in environmental science, regardless of your major. Build your interdisciplinary thinking, connect with students across different fields, find your specialization, and gain essential skills for tackling complex challenges.
Research
The school will focus on collaborative research in a core set of areas that CLAS is ideally suited to address from a strong interdisciplinary lens.
Environmental management and policy
GIScience (geographic information science), modeling, and remote sensing
Human-environment Interactions
Health, vulnerability, and natural hazards
Climate variability and change
Ecology and paleontology
Natural resources and sustainability
Tectonics, solid earth, and planetary geology
Water, soil, and surface processes
Your front door for environmental study and research
As the incoming leader of the School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability I want to welcome you to your new home for environmental study and research at the University of Iowa. This is the place for those of you who have broad interests spanning the natural and social sciences from geology and geography to environmental science and sustainability.
Here, you’ll find your path and passion through our flexible curriculum and breadth of majors – in addition to exciting field trips, research opportunities, and internships that will take you out of the classroom and into laboratories and natural settings for you to gain hands-on, real-world experience. You’ll leave our school ready for your next step and to make a difference in the world.
Emily Finzel
News
CLAS geographical and sustainability sciences faculty member receives three grants
Facilities upgrades to CLAS research spaces will spur discovery, creative activity
UI receives gold rating for sustainability efforts
University of Iowa prepares to launch new environment and sustainability school
A look at the UI’s plan for a new School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability
Two CLAS departments collaborate for third Edge of Space Academy
Find your path, and your passion
Be a part of the convergent research and education around issues of global importance that affect us right here in Iowa.