ChooseWhy Choose This Program?
Why Study Environmental Studies at Goucher?
As a top-ranked green college, Goucher College recognizes that addressing climate change, urban pollution, food security, environmental racism, and other urgent societal challenges requires a comprehensive approach that draws on diverse fields—from geology and biology to economics and politics
To find creative and innovative solutions to these problems, Goucher’s environmental science concentration within the Environmental Studies Program equips you with multidisciplinary knowledge, action-based strategies, and skills that enable you to unravel complex systems, tackle challenges, cultivate personal agency, optimize solutions, and implement sustainable practices effectively. Equity and justice, as well as experiential learning, are interwoven throughout our courses, research projects, and community-based learning opportunities.
LearnWhat Will You Learn?
What Will You Learn?
Our interdisciplinary curriculum draws on concepts and approaches from the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Through hands-on work and laboratories that rely on our campus and nearby communities, the program allows you to integrate these concepts and approaches. This integration starts by learning about the scientific process and social aspects of resource management across the globe. It continues with theories that explain environmental issues and unravel potential solutions, culminating with an investigation of an environmental issue of your choosing.
The curriculum provides flexibility for you to do a deep dive into specific problems that appeal to you and offers you the breadth necessary to navigate professional careers.
DoWhat Will You Do?
What Can You Do With An Environmental Science Degree?
The integrative and ethical knowledge gained by our students has propelled them into successful jobs and careers, ranging from environmental research, advocacy, consultancy, and policy to urban planning, finance, education, and conservation.
Our students have conducted internships with organizations like Food & Water Watch, Black Yield Institute, and the National Aquarium, among others.
Environmental Studies Course Curriculum
Faculty
Program Contact
Germán Mora
Department Chair, Professor of Environmental Studies
Areas of Expertise: Biogeochemistry; Climate Change; Unequal Distribution of Environmental
Services
View Germán Mora's Bio
Full-Time & Half-Time Faculty
Peggy Eppig
Lecturer in Environmental Studies
Areas of Expertise: Environmental History; Sustainable Agriculture
View Peggy Eppig's Bio
Akana Noto
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
View Akana Noto's Bio
Ohad Paris
Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
Areas of Expertise: Avian Ecology; Forest Ecology; Ecological Statistics
View Ohad Paris' Bio
Jennifer da Rosa
Director of M.A. in Environmental Sustainability & Management, Assistant Professor
of Environmental Studies
View Jennifer da Rosa's Bio
Gina Shamshak
Associate Professor of Economics
Areas of Expertise: Applied Microeconomics; Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
View Gina Shamshak's Bio
Study Abroad
By choosing three-week intensive study abroad courses led by Goucher faculty or semester programs suited to their academic plans, environmental studies students gain a global perspective that enhances their course of study.
Explore the programs on offer:
Veritas University - Environmental Science, Policy, Sustainable Development, Ecotourism, Resource Management, Ecology, Conservation, Eco-Photography
ISEP Direct Summer in Costa Rica - Sustainability & Service-Learning
Opportunities & Internships
Summer Research Program
Students have the opportunity to participate in the Goucher College Summer Science Research Program.
Honors & Awards
Departmental honors and awards are given to students who have shown outstanding academic
achievement. Find more information on the Environmental Studies Honors and Awards page.
Internships
Internships help students explore possibilities, apply classroom learning, and gain experience. Explore internships and credit options.
Student Employment
Student employment connects students to both on and off-campus opportunities. The Career Education Office provides resources and support to students with or without Federal Work Study to find jobs, submit applications, and learn more about the job search process. Students have access to Handshake — a website for job postings, events, resumes/cover letters, and career management.
Major & Career Exploration
Exploring career options, choosing a major, and making career decisions is a multi-step process in which all students are encouraged to engage early and often. Goucher students have a variety of resources available through the Majors and Career page to assist them in this process.
Job Search
A Goucher education prepares students for today’s job market and beyond. Students can explore job opportunities and access job search resources through the CEO Job Search page.
Graduate & Professional School
Students access resources for searching and applying to graduate and professional school through the CEO Graduate and Professional School page, through faculty and staff members, or utilizing their own resources, network and tools.
M.A. in Environmental Sustainability & Management
This program is designed for individuals seeking to lead in the fields of environmental management and sustainability. Environmental injustice, species extinction, climate change, and resource depletion are all increasing concerns for humanity. A graduate degree in environmental sustainability & management equips you to tackle these challenges using the tools of science, policy, system dynamics, and environmental management.
Alumni Spotlight
Nick Boucher ’14
Nick Boucher ’14
Read my story“ The Intensive Course Abroad (ICA) also gave me an experience that not a lot of people had. I felt very comfortable scuba diving for scientific purposes, not just pleasure. And because of that, I was able to get an internship at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. ”
News
- May 26, 2025
Robert Slocum, Emeritus Faculty in Biological Sciences, recently published a research paper in Frontiers related to his long-standing research interest in plant metabolism. The paper is entitled, "Modified pea apyrase has altered nuclear functions and enhances the growth of yeast and Arabidopsisa."
- October 3, 2024
Goucher's Biochemistry and Molecular Biology students have outpaced the national cohort on the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology exam.