Environmental Studies

The Environmental Studies program is rooted in the understanding that complex environmental problems cannot be grasped through a single discipline. As a student in the program, you investigate the relationship between humans and their environment through social, ecological, and political dimensions. We emphasize three main areas:

• A firm grounding in the natural sciences, particularly urban ecology and resilience
• A sustained engagement with environmental policy and politics, particularly around aspects of inequality, race, and justice
• Studio-based work on design and sustainability

Environmental Studies students take classes at Lang, in the Adult Bachelor's Program, and at Parsons School of Design. In an interdisciplinary curriculum that blends liberal arts with science, policy, and design, you take seminar and studio-based courses and engage in fieldwork and internships to gain practical, hands-on experience that is grounded in a rigorous theoretical framework. This prepares you to identify the critical environmental issues that face contemporary cities - and to devise creative and scientifically sound responses that draw on multiple academic disciplines.

Major requirements

Minor requirements

Lang continues to offer courses and co-curricular opportunities in environmental studies. Students who begin their studies at Lang in Fall 2026 or after can continue to explore this subject through:

• The Environmental Studies minor.
• Topical courses in environmental studies, such as Fieldwork: Observing and Writing Nature, Green Roof Ecology, and ARTSCI-Environment Lab. 
•  programming and events hosted by institutes such as the Tishman Environment and Design Center and the Multispecies Lab.
• Fellowships and grants such as the Lang Sustainability Internship grant, which supports Lang students working with New School centers, labs, and institutes focused on the environment.
• Internships and independent work in the community. Students have recently interned at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Urban Agriculture, the Bee Conservancy, and the Climate Museum.
• Lang’s annual Dean’s Honor Symposium, in which students connect their interests and scholarship with experiences outside of the classroom and in context with one another.

Connecting to New York City

While it offers the atmosphere and intimacy of a small college, Eugene Lang College is part of The New School, a major progressive university in New York City. As an Environmental Studies student your learning laboratory is the city itself and its diverse, surprising forms of nature. By studying environmental justice issues in NYC, you explore sustainability and climate change as they relate to inequalities along axes of race, class, and community. Finally, senior capstone projects and optional internships with nearby businesses, government agencies, and community groups take you into the professional world of environmental policy, science, business, and design. 

Career Paths

The Environmental Studies program prepares you for careers in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and for graduate study in a wide range of fields. Graduates are able to hold meaningful conversations with experts in related fields and even manage teams of experts in complex projects. Career options include sustainability consulting, public policy, working with corporations in environmental analysis, working with nonprofit environmental organizations, urban design, and urban planning.

Consult our 4-Year Lang Career Pathways Map (PDF) for helpful steps and resources to link your academic journey to your future plans. If you are planning to pursue graduate studies, consider applying to the Bachelor's-Master's program, which enables you to earn graduate credits that will apply to both your Lang degree and a master's degree in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management at the university's Schools of Public Engagement.

Outcomes at Lang

Note: This program is STEM-designated. After graduating, eligible F-1 students in this program can apply for an additional 24 months of Optional Practical Training at the end of their Post-Completion OPT.