Incoming George Mason University students have a new “green” major to add to their list of potential programs of study. In the fall of 2010, Mason will offer a bachelor of arts in environmental and sustainability studies. New Century College in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Environmental Science and Policy department in the College of Science jointly offer the program.
The major is the culmination of a process that began in 2007, when faculty members organized the first annual “Sustainability Across the Curriculum” on-campus workshop. This program was designed to help professors understand how to create or modify courses to include knowledge and projects grounded in principles of sustainability. In the fall of 2009, Mason began offering a 16-credit minor in sustainability studies, a result stemming from discussions held within the annual workshop. Although the major will be released only a year later, faculty members have been discussing producing a curriculum since 2007, said Andrew Wingfield, associate professor of integrative studies and director of the environmental and sustainability studies degree.
“We have a lot of really talented faculty members here at Mason who are interested in sustainability and the environment, and who are coming at it from many different perspectives,” he said. “We started talking about creating a curriculum and a major to respond to student needs and faculty interests.”
The new 59-credit (in addition to general education requirements) major features 11 required core courses, required credits in experiential learning and four concentrations:
- Climate Change and Society
- Environmental Economics
- Environmental Policy and Politics
- Equity and Environmental Justice
Environmental and sustainability studies course offerings include environmental science & public policy, government, philosophy, sociology and a host of other subjects. In some classes, students will have to complete out-of-class service hours, Wingfield said.
“We focus on having a strong service component, on learning things in class and applying them in the real world,” he said. “We want to give students a great deal of information in this degree, but we also want them to be able to do things, so they can finish college and go out into the community and contribute immediately.”
This major is the latest in a series of programs based on environmental sustainability. In the fall of 2009, the College of Science began offering a minor in renewable energy. In January, Mason’s Office of Sustainability developed a climate action plan to reduce campus emissions over the next 40 years. Another Office of Sustainability project, an organic garden on campus, is producing fresh vegetables this summer.
“Over the last several years, George Mason University has been creating and growing academic and non-academic programs to respond to sustainability and environmental concerns,” said Nance Lucas, associate dean of New Century College. “This really demonstrates that if a student is serious about matters small and large related to the environment, George Mason University is the place for them to come to pursue their studies.”
Photo provided by ess.gmu.edu.