Our Mission
The Mission Hiram College’s Department of Environmental Studies is to offer opportunities for students to become informed and responsible citizens of the world by gaining the breadth and expertise to critically evaluate and communicate about issues that concern our complex relationship with the environment at a local and global scale.
Who are Hiram’s Environmental Studies Students?
Environmental Studies majors and minors diligently integrate classroom experiences with campus jobs, internships, and service projects. They are intrigued by not only the natural world, but also the communities and concepts that construct human civilization. Students in Environmental Studies might also pursue Natural History, Political Science, Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Public Health, Communication, or one of the other academic programs that Hiram has to offer.
A “Big Picture” View
Because environmental issues are always also social issues, understanding them requires knowledge of natural and human social systems, and how they interact. Hiram’s Environmental Studies major and minor are specially designed to help students integrate the diverse knowledge and skills necessary for understanding and addressing complex socio-environmental problems. The program includes training in: 
- natural systems
- human social systems
- communicating about complex interdependent systems
- relevant practical skills
Through our integrative curriculum and emphases on systems-thinking, hands-on learning, and communication, students acquire the knowledge, experiences, and skills they need to excel—in their professional roles, as graduate students, and as agents of change in their communities.
