New major approved: BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies

In addition to its two flagship undergraduate programs—Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) and Bachelor of Arts in Statistics and Data Science (SDS)—Parami University recently received approval from the Higher Education Licensing Committee (HELC) of Washington, D.C., in the United States this week to introduce a third major: Bachelor of Arts in Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ESS).

The study of the environment is an interrelation between ecology and culture, between natural and human systems. The ESS program brings together natural, social sciences, and the humanities to explore the social, economic, political, physical, and biological dimensions of the environment. Students in this program are placed at the forefront of global and local thought, scholarship, and action to address the Anthropocene’s unprecedented transformation of the world’s climate and ecosystems in a systems science approach.

The ESS major examines the relationship between natural and human systems. Combining sciences and humanities, it prepares students to address climate and ecological challenges. Also, students can choose between two tracks: 1) Ecology and Conservation and 2) Environmental Justice and Policy.

The program aims to develop students’ essential skills in policy advocacy, social mobilization, and effective communication with diverse stakeholders, and equip them to:

• To identify, investigate, and explain complex ecological, environmental, and sustainability issues;

• To design, integrate, analyze, and critique various environmental policy approaches based on scientific inquiry;

• To demonstrate the skills to facilitate change on environmental issues at the local, regional, national, and global scales;

• To apply knowledge and skills for policy advocacy and social mobilization;

• To organize, communicate, and collaborate with various audiences and stakeholders for sustainability
  

Graduates of the ESS program are prepared for careers in government, nonprofits, the private sector, and research institutions—especially in areas like sustainable development, climate action, and environmental management. Possible roles include environmental consultant, sustainability coordinator, urban planner, disaster recovery specialist, policy analyst, conservation scientist, educator, and climate change analyst.

Check out the 4-year study plan at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1soEvIzE3YQIgmBVWVcI-bWHZpWMya8-Q?usp=sharing.

For further inquiries, you can send us a direct message or email at admissions@parami.edu.mm.