About Us

Welcome to the Department of Environment and Society

Welcome to the Department of Environment and Society, where natural and human systems are considered of equal importance in natural and environmental science and management.

Formed in 2002, the department is the first of its kind in a college of natural resources in this country and has served as a model for the development of similar departments at other institutions of higher learning.

Prospective Students

Undergraduate Program

Unlike other majors in the College of Natural Resources, the Environmental Studies major is not a single field of study leading to a specific profession. This degree prepares students to understand broad biological, physical, social, and political aspects of natural resource problems and environmental issues.

Undergraduate Program Details

Graduate Programs

The department offers opportunities for graduate study through MS, Ph.D, and graduate certificate programs. Application occurs through the USU Graduate School. We no longer require submission of GRE scores for application to any of our graduate programs. Applicants may submit GRE scores if they think such evidence is important to their case for admission.

Graduate Program Details

In addition to the programs above, explore our courses offered, and special graduate offerings such as Certificates in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Natural Resources and Environmental Education (NREE), and the professional Master of Natural Resources (MNR) degree.

Finally, if you want a forthright treatment of how we think we are doing, view our Assessment. Whatever your interest is in our department, we are available to answer your questions at any time, so please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you have questions, please reach out to our department or the college's Academic Service Center.

Mission Statement

Department of Environment & Society - Bringing people and science together for healthy communities and enduring ecosystems

Promote scholarship and creativity in the discovery, synthesis, and transfer of knowledge relating to the human dimensions of natural resource and environmental management;
Apply social science concepts and approaches to better understand human-environment interactions at a range of spatial scales; and
To enhance the effectiveness of policies, planning, and administrative processes that affect sustainable use of the natural world.

To this end, the department’s academic programs provide undergraduate and graduate students with a balanced exposure to the social, physical, and biological sciences within an interdisciplinary framework. This combination has great relevance for students aspiring to careers in natural resource and environmental policy, planning, management, education, and science, as well as careers in geography. The program is designed to provide students with a working knowledge of the human aspects of ecosystems and a speaking knowledge of the biophysical aspects, as well as experience using “state of the art” tools and techniques for integrating this knowledge.