• Study sustainability and environmental science at a university that practices sustainability as a core value
• An interdisciplinary approach to understanding contemporary issues such as local hydrofracking and wilderness preservation. We study modern concerns like global warming from both scientific and social perspectives.
• Job-related experience in a wide variety of organizations through a required practicum, or internship. Practical experiences in private businesses, farms, and government agencies are an important step in developing a career in environmental sustainability.
• Research opportunities on student-faculty collaborative projects, such as a grant-funded steam restoration project in a local mountain community.
• EMU cross-cultural study abroad trips that focus on sustainability issues, like recent trips to New Zealand, Bolivia and the Galapagos, and Kenya.

Classes address local and global sustainability issues and include hands-on research projects. During a required internship, students work with a local environmental organization such as Shenandoah National Park, The Nature Conservancy or the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. 

Internships in environmental science and social sustainability 

Washington D.C. internships through WCSC: USDA Anacostia Watershed Society Faith and Politics Institute Action Africa Amnesty International Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Research Experience for Undergraduates

Local internships in Harrisonburg, Virginia: Shenandoah Valley Soil and Water Conservation District  Secure Futures Fairfield Center  Habitat for Humanity Shenandoah National Park

Student clubs and opportunities focused on sustainability

• Earthkeepers club
• Creation Care Council
• Sustainability Food Initiative
• Campus Gardens and Composting

Research and Capstone projects

The capstone course centers around activities that help students reflect on their knowledge about sustainability and bring together threads from diverse disciplines to create an integrated understanding of contemporary sustainability issues. 

In addition to their capstone experience, students often collaborate with faculty on long-standing research projects, sometimes presenting research at the Virginia Academy of Sciences.

Careers Campus Sustainability Coordinator Communication and Policy Coordinator Farm Manager Data Entry Feeding Manager Garden Manager Horticulture Research Technician Native Plant Corp Project Leader Park Ranger Teacher Assistant Transportation/GIS Planner

Organizations Brown County Planning Commission Kish View Farm Mountain Breeze Farm North Carolina State University Project GROWS Rockingham and Harrisonburg  SPCA Secure Futures, LLC Student Conservation Agency Watershed Management Group

• Prospective students may be eligible for the  EMU STEM Scholars Engaging in Local Problems (SSELP) grant, up to $10,000. Learn more about departmental scholarships.
• EMU has offered close to $1 million in academic merit scholarships collectively to students with outstanding academic achievement. 
• Academic scholarships range from $12,000 to $20,000 per year and are renewable for four years depending on academic performance.
• EMU students are eligible for Pell Grants and Federal Need-Based Grants as well as student loans.
• Virginia students may be eligible for a Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG).
• Learn more by contacting  EMU's Financial Assistance Office or checking out our cost of attendance calculator.