Major Mondays: Environmental Science and Health
Major: Environmental Science and Health (ENSH) is offered as either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. Both degree programs consist of a combination of classes related to sustainability, environmental social science, biology, and chemistry. The BA degree prepares students for careers in environmental science and graduate school, and the BS degree incorporates more of the preparation required for medical school. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of this major, students look at environmental issues from multiple points of view and study how humans both contribute to and are affected by their environment. Classroom learning is supplemented by field trips, research, guest lectures, and hands-on projects.
Unique Academic Opportunities: The ENSH department strives to immerse its students in the environmental landscape of Los Angeles, the surrounding communities, and far away environments. The Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies hosts numerous opportunities for jobs, internships, weekend trips, and classes on Catalina Island, a small island just off the coast of Los Angeles. Two required classes for the major, ENST 320a “Water and Soil Sustainability” and ENST320b “Energy and Air Sustainability,” are offered as Julymesters on Catalina Island, along with other 400-level courses. There are also related Problems Without Passports trips, which are research-based summer classes in another area or country. If a summer abroad doesn’t seem like enough, the department works with students to accomplish their major requirements in a semester abroad. There is a unique semester abroad program that travels to the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador, and students can choose from a variety of environmental tracks, from Marine Ecology to People, Politics, and the Environment.
Current Student Perspective: I switched into this major at the end of my sophomore year. I entered USC with an interest in medical school, but I wanted a major that would teach me more than the biology and anatomy I would need for my medical school applications. I had always been passionate about environmental sustainability but had never taken an earth science class. I switched into this major not knowing quite what I would be doing, and I have been pleasantly surprised by every class I have taken so far. This major is the perfect opportunity for me to be exposed to general biology, chemistry, and earth science. Moreover, I get to combine these passions and look at how humans affect their environment and how the environment affects human health. Whether we are looking at wildfires causing lung issues, or humans threatening marine life and inadvertently threatening their seafood supply, environmental and human issues are constantly linked and interwoven into a complex fabric tackled by this degree. This is approached through classes like HP 408: “Environmental Health in the Community.” I hope to use the knowledge I obtain here to weave environmental health into my career in the medical field and heal my patients in a way that is best for their unique circumstances. This major has given me the opportunity to not only pursue my passions, but to combine them.
The Environmental Science and Health degrees offer students ample opportunity to explore the intersection between environmental politics, earth science, and human health. The application should be submitted by November 1 for Early Action or January 15 for Regular Decision for first-year applicants, and by February 15 for transfer applicants. There is one additional short essay response required for the Dornsife College which you can read about on their website.
Written by: Avery Longdon, USC Student Ambassador