Students in the USC Dornsife Environmental Studies Program (ENST) train to become the world’s next generation of environmental leaders: scientists, policy makers, communicators, educators, and more.
Environmental issues affect every part of our lives, and our program trains you to tackle environmental and sustainability problems from multiple angles. Plus, we’ve got some pretty cool experiences waiting for you at the Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island!
Ways to Connect with Environmental Studies
Get a degree!
ENST offers several options for undergraduate majors and minors, plus master’s degrees.
Become a scientific diver
If you’re planning a career in scientific research connected to the ocean, we can help you earn the certification you need.
Take a class or two
Regardless of your major, if you’re interested in sustainability, ENST classes can add depth to your degree.
Picture this: you’re a USC environmental studies major with a lifelong fear of sharks and swimming in the ocean. You want to spend a semester abroad. Where do you go? The…Galápagos Islands?
If you’re Alisha Soni, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” But then again, she’s never been one to do something halfway.
Soni, who’s in her senior year as a dual environmental studies and NGOs and social change major, first became interested in sustainability as a high schooler and immediately dove headfirst into the field.
“I took an AP environmental studies class and just fell in love with it and decided to hit the ground running. The more I dove into it, the more I realized I was passionate about the environment,” she says.
After completing an internship in sustainable agriculture in her hometown of Knoxville, TN, Soni decided to look for a university with strong offerings in sustainability and the environment. Enter the USC Dornsife Environmental Studies Program (ENST), which is part of the Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability.
“The environmental studies program was a huge factor for me in coming to USC,” Soni says. “I could tell that it was really robust and had a lot of resources for me. I even reached out to professors and could tell that the environmental community here was strong.”
Once she arrived at USC, Soni worked to make the most of her experience, landing internships in climate justice, sustainable economics, and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) alongside her classroom studies. She also completed a Maymester in Argentina and a Julymester in Italy. Those experiences sparked her interest in spending a full semester abroad. As she began researching programs, one in particular caught her eye: 17 weeks in Ecuador with the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ).
Thirty years ago, the USC Environmental Studies program (ENST) was established with an important mission in mind: to train the next generation of creative and effective environmental leaders who will address our planet’s complex challenges. The program, which is now part of the Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability, engages students in coursework that taps into the natural sciences and social sciences, equipping them with knowledge and skills to tackle the interdisciplinary nature of today’s environmental problems. Upon graduation, environmental studies alumni are prepared to embark on a wide range of professional journeys – from pursuing graduate studies in sustainability fields to launching careers in applied science, environmental policy, conservation, and more. Keep reading to learn about how earning a degree in environmental studies propelled seven USC alumni toward meaningful work.
Both soil and water are essential components of human livelihood; they’re important for food production and security, they provide critical ecosystem services, and much more. ENST 320a, a core course in the USC Environmental Studies Program, gives students the opportunity to learn about issues related to soil and water sustainability through hands-on activities in the laboratory and in the field.
Previously, the course offered these field activities at the Wrigley Marine Science Center, USC Wrigley Institute’s satellite campus on Santa Catalina Island. When hydrologist Andres Sanchez joined the USC Environmental Studies Program’s faculty team as a lecturer, however, he refined the course to provide enhanced learning opportunities to students without having to journey far from USC’s University Park Campus (UPC). USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences supported the expansion by completely renovating a lab for the course at UPC.
Although Los Angeles is a global biodiversity hotspot, its flora and fauna face serious threats from climate change, habitat loss, and other human-induced disturbances. As a conservation organization, the Los Angeles Zoo is leading efforts to address these challenges. In partnership with the USC Wrigley Institute, environmental studies majors Sedona Silva and Valerie Katritch participate in the Los Angeles Zoo Conservation Internship, working on research that supports efforts in the Zoo’s five-year Conservation Strategic Plan to protect California’s native wildlife.
Get a behind-the-scenes look at a typical day in their summer internship focusing on native species and ecosystems in undeveloped areas on the Zoo grounds!
Read Sedona’s blog post about her experience >>
