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Areas of Interest

Environment and Sustainability

2 students collecting water samples in a river

Areas of Interest

Environment and Sustainability

Are you committed to protecting the environment? Do you want to use your talents to create a more sustainable future and a healthier planet? Channel your passion into a career in environmental studies where you can explore the interconnectedness of the world, help conserve resources and improve our global health. With an interactive and experiential-based curriculum, our environmental programs will provide a solid foundation for continued exploration in graduate studies or a successful career focused on protecting our world’s natural resources.

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By the Numbers

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$78K Well Compensated

The median annual salary for environmental scientists and geoscientists is $78,730. (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)

+5.6% In Demand

Expected job growth for environmental scientists and geoscientists from 2022 to 2032. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)

96.2% Major Success

Percentage of our 2023 College of Arts & Sciences graduates who are either employed or pursuing graduate study six months after graduation.

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Program Overview

Research and Scholarship (QUIP-RS)

Degrees and Programs

Student Groups

Our Approach to Sustainability

Develop career-ready skills to make a positive impact on the world

As the world addresses issues such as climate change and global expansion, there is an increased demand for conscientious stewards to protect both our natural and designed environments. New regulations implemented at an increasingly rapid rate are creating more jobs each day to tackle the complex issues caused by human activity. Whether your interests are recycling, conservation, reducing industrial contamination or investigating the health risks of pollution, there are a wide range of professional options to fit your interests.

Our undergraduate and dual-degree programs will provide the insight and hands-on experience to gain a deeper understanding of some of the most prevalent environmental issues facing us today. You will examine topics from various perspectives, including political, sociological, legal, economic and cultural. Our academic programs include an emphasis on experiential learning with practicums, fieldwork, internships, global learning and interdisciplinary projects led by faculty experts.

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Environment and sustainability programs at Quinnipiac emphasize the value of experiential learning. Within their courses of study, students will have multiple opportunities to partake in volunteer-based projects and faculty-led research experiences internationally or right here in Connecticut. 

The Quinnipiac University Interdisciplinary Program for Research and Scholarship (QUIP-RS) provides vital funding for undergraduate students of any major to collaborate with faculty members and conduct research on their areas of interest. 

Learn more about QUIP-RS

Donate to the QUIP-RS scholarship fund

Students come out of a river after collecting water samples for a field study.
Professor Courtney McGinnis leads river testing with students during the summer in the Quinnipiac River. The lab examines the river by gas chromatography mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS) for the presence of phthalates and plasticizers with external grand support from the Quinnipiac River Foundation. 
Students come out of a river after collecting water samples for a field study.
The research project entails collecting water samples from locations in Wallingford, Hamden and North Haven, CT. 
Students come out of a river after collecting water samples for a field study.
The students analyze the samples via gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS) for the presence of pesticides, phthalates or plasticizers. 
Students come out of a river after collecting water samples for a field study.
The project addresses the need for water-quality monitoring along the Quinnipiac River to inform and support decision-making around actions targeted at water-quality improvement.
Student collects a water sample from a river during a field study.
Biology students are involved in all aspects of the research — from collecting samples and preparing them for analysis to analyzing samples via GC-MS and presenting their findings.
Students work with their professor in the pollinator garden.
Professor Sarah Lawson has helped establish a pollinator garden on Mount Carmel Campus to invigorate native pollinator biodiversity.
Grasshopper under examination by students and their professor.
Riya Miller ’23, MS ’24, is taking advantage of the new garden for an 8-week research project. She designed her project to study the social hierarchy of the small carpenter bee.
 
Flower in the pollinator garden.
The garden contains eight themed beds hosting 200 varieties of native plants. Plants were chosen to bloom in succession for year-round growth.
Students plant greenery in a pollinator garden
The research explores the role of nutrition in shaping the native bee community, the impacts of floral resource availability on foraging habits, and the effects of nutritional availability on pollinator physiology.

Student Groups

With a variety of student organizations, including academic and service groups, you’ll have many opportunities to connect with people who share your talents and interests. Joining a student organization is an ideal way to boost your skills, get involved, network — and have some fun, too.

  • Alpha Phi Omega

  • The Big Event at Quinnipiac

  • Bobcats in the Community

  • Community Action Project (CAP)

  • Habitat for Humanity

  • Hand Prints for Sunshine

  • Quinnipiac University American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

  • Relay For Life

  • Rotaract Club

  • Society of Women Engineers (SWE)

  • Students for Environmental Action

Learn more about clubs and organizations

Strategic Direction Towards Sustainability

As the model for a sustainable University of the Future, Quinnipiac pursues sustainability in three areas: learning, living and leading.

Learning

We envision a world where Quinnipiac students, faculty, staff and alumni are agents of sustainability for the communities they engage and enrich — locally and beyond. To accomplish this, QU promotes a culture where students gain and develop an understanding of environmental sustainability appropriate to their majors. Students learn about complex connections among natural environments, built infrastructure, and social and cultural institutions. Learning occurs within the curriculum and through engagement in co- and extra-curricular activities.

We are currently proceeding on three fronts:

  • Conducting audits of:

    • Our faculty members’ expertise related to sustainability

    • Current environmental initiatives

    • Campus culture

    • Curriculum

  • Building curricular and co-curricular elements, by:

    • Implementing our three new majors

    • Developing new courses for the University Curriculum

    • Establishing an eco-rep program

  • Setting targets to:

    • Establish an environmental Essential Learning Outcome (ELO)

    • Integrate sustainability as a theme throughout all co- and extra-curricular programs and activities

Sunset over the quad and business center
Sunset over the quad and business center

Living

In both physical presence and action, Quinnipiac serves as a responsible steward of its natural resources and supports the long-term environmental sustainability of humanity on Earth. QU community members live and engage in sustainable practices, contributing to the creation of a more resilient and environmentally sustainable campus and community.

We currently work to:

  • Measure:

    • Waste and energy flows

    • Water consumption

    • Transportation options

    • The use of plastic on campus

  • Implement:

    • Recycling education

    • Food recovery programs

    • Increased access to existing campus and regional transit services

    • Water conservation in our landscaping efforts

    • Programs promoting mindful conservation practices

  • Envision:

    • Targeted reductions of single-use plastics

    • Alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles

    • A flagship sustainable facility on campus

A student studies on the rooftop patio on the north haven campus
A student studies on the rooftop patio on the north haven campus

Leading

The presence of environmental sustainability in all pertinent practices is a central value at Quinnipiac. This value permeates our administrative and operational structures and provides the basis for external communication and internal execution of sustainable practices.

To better lead in sustainability on and off campus, we are:

  • Hiring an in-house environmental health and safety officer

  • Researching appropriate institutional memberships

  • Developing and implementing comprehensive monitoring and reporting systems

  • Working toward the full establishment of an Office of Sustainability with a Chief Sustainability Officer

Snow blankets the campus surrounding the pond on the Mount Carmel Campus.
Snow blankets the campus surrounding the pond on the Mount Carmel Campus.

Recognized for Sustainability

Bronze Level

Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS)

Featured School

The Princeton Review's Guide to Green Colleges: 2024 Edition

LEED Gold Building

The Recreation and Wellness Center is recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council

From The Princeton Review. ©2024 TPR Education. All rights reserved. Used under license.
Sunrise over the Rocky Top Student Center

Our Approach to Sustainability

We envision a Quinnipiac that is a model for sustainability in southern New England, building its practices and leveraging its campuses to promote a healthy regional ecosystem, and to engage in practices that equip current and future students, faculty and staff to embody sustainable practices in their personal and professional lives, equipping them to thrive in a world increasingly influenced and affected by environmental disruption.

Download our Sustainability Plan

Two people talk at world summit day at the ASI table.

Albert Schweitzer Institute

The Albert Schweitzer Institute conducts programs that link education, ethics and voluntarism for the sake of creating a more peaceful and sustainable world. A dynamic presence at Quinnipiac, the institute has drawn notable humanitarians both to campus and to its board, and gives students of all majors opportunities to make a positive impact on local and global communities.

Learn how to get involved with ASI

Quinnipiac Today

Environment and Sustainability Programs

Programs

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  • Undergraduate
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Explore Areas of Interest

We've sorted each of our undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs into 16 unique Areas of Interest. Explore these categories to discover which programs and delivery methods best align with your educational and career goals. As you browse each program, you will learn more about what to expect as a student here at Quinnipiac — from our state-of-the-art facilities and workspaces to the career development and academic advising resources at your disposal.

Business and Finance Health and Medicine Physical and Life Sciences Computing and Technology Humanities and Culture Social Sciences Data and Analytics Law and Public Policy Theater and Fine Arts Education Marketing and Communications Visual Arts and Design Engineering Nursing Writing and Journalism Environment and Sustainability

Contact Admissions

Our graduate and undergraduate admissions representatives are here to answer any questions you may have and help you navigate the application process.

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