Geoenvironmental Science and Sustainability, BS

The Geoenvironmental Science and Sustainability major harnesses a truly interdisciplinary approach to prepare students for career opportunities in the natural and social sciences. Students develop skills through courses and applied experiences that set them apart by building the capacity to solve real-world problems. The program delivers the critical skills to integrate environmental monitoring with state-of-the-art data analysis technologies. Excellent internship opportunities are generated through the professional network we maintain throughout the region. Our graduates have the technical skills needed to successfully join the work force and communication and leadership skills needed to advance in their careers. Employers consistently seek out Ship Geoenvironmental Science students to fill their job openings. They know that students who take advantage of the opportunities in our program are the kind of successful employees they want.

Students will learn that the field of geoenvironmental science is diverse, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary. It is a major that involves learning core natural sciences (i.e. the geographic and geologic study of land, sea, air, soil, rocks, water and the processes that shape them) as well as the social sciences (the study of humans and their interactions with each other and with the Earth). As the Earth's population grows, students will learn that they must be able to identify local to global patterns and processes that shape our planet and our lives today and in the future. In addition, students will also learn that they must develop a strong working knowledge of geoenvironmental disciplines and hone the skills and aptitudes needed to be critical thinkers and effective problem solvers in a wide range of natural/social science-centered careers.

Students should expect that they will have a student-focused learning experience that encourages them to become active learners both in the classroom and through co-curricular activities. First, students should expect that the world is their classroom and their laboratory. The department is proud both of the commitment we have to provide field experiences in our courses, and of our commitment to provide students with access to cutting edge geotechnologies that they will use in their careers beyond Shippensburg. This includes course work experiences that engage learning in the field, whether students are asked to engage in stream studies at the Burd Run watershed living laboratory adjacent to campus, or use ground penetrating radar and GIS skills to solve geological/environmental problems in the Cumberland Valley and South Mountain region, use field surveying equipment such as total stations and GPS systems, and scientific sampling instruments along the mid-Atlantic seaboard at the Chincoteague Bay Field Station, or even internationally in places like Chile, Curacao, China and more. Outside of the classroom, students will have a required internship, and will have numerous opportunities to participate in faculty-student research which may also take place through the Center for Land Use and Sustainability. Moreover, many students avail themselves of numerous networking opportunities whether these include participation in our annual career day, or by becoming a member of the Green League student organization, or Gamma Theta Upsilon, our disciplinary national honor society.