Three major degree programs offered are the B.A. in Geography, the B.A. in Environmental Studies, and the B.S. in Environmental Science.  Also offered are minors in geography and environmental studies.

B.A. in Geography

The B.A. in Geography program is an intrinsically interdisciplinary program that offers a well-rounded and useful education and marketable skills to students with interests in the spatial patterns of society and the environment. It focuses on the interactions of humans with the natural environment from a spatial perspective. Toward this end, graduates will have a fundamental understanding of human dynamics and physical patterns such as globalization, climatic variation, commerce, environmental degradation, and natural disasters. Graduates will also be trained in the use of geospatial technologies. The program is founded on the principle that geographical knowledge of place, space, and scale can provide essential insights into contemporary social and environmental issues and promotes the idea that such insight is critical to managing the Earth at local, regional, and global scales. Most students will declare in their first or second year at Villanova, and admission will be based primarily on performance in courses previously taken at Villanova, specifically in geography. Students who have achieved a minimum GPA of 2.0 and have performed sufficiently well in geography courses will be accepted. Maintenance of a minimum GPA of 2.0 and of a minimum technical GPA of 2.0 will be required to graduate and receive a diploma.

B.A. in Environmental Studies

The B.A. in Environmental Studies program focuses on the interface between environmental science and relevant social sciences, including public policy, political science, law, economics, sociology, and planning. Toward this end, the program’s graduates will have a fundamental understanding of the biological, chemical, and physical principles that underlie the structure and function of the natural and physical environments of the Earth coupled with a foundation in the social sciences that underlie the relationships between humans, as individuals and/or societies, and the natural and physical environments of Earth. The program is founded on the principle that the social sciences – both as a bodies of knowledge and as the bases for structuring human societal norms and behaviors – must be applied to assess and to address the direct and indirect influences of human activities on the integrity of the Earth’s systems.  Students may enter the program early in their freshman year, while others will transfer in to the degree late in their freshman year or in their sophomore year. Thus, admission into the program will be based on a combination of performance in high school (e.g., GPA), the standard aptitude tests (including SAT and IB exams), and, as appropriate, in courses already taken at Villanova, particularly in courses included in the requirements of the major taken thus far. Maintenance of a minimum GPA of 2.0 and of a minimum technical GPA of 2.0 will be required to graduate and receive a diploma. Villanova students wishing to declare a B.A. Environmental Studies major via alternative pathways will be considered on a case by case basis.

B.S. in Environmental Science

The curriculum in the B.S. in Environmental Science degree program is typical of other B.S. degrees in the sciences in both breadth and depth. The program provides the technical background necessary for understanding the biological, chemical, and physical aspects of the environment.  It focuses on the application of biological, chemical, and physical principles to understanding the natural and physical environments of the Earth. Toward this end, the program’s graduates will have an understanding of and appreciation for the processes and interactions that occur both within and between the atmosphere, the biosphere, the lithosphere, and the hydrosphere. The program is founded on the principle that science – both as a body of knowledge and as a process that is grounded in intellectual inquiry and the scientific method – must be applied to assess and to address the direct and indirect influences of human activities on the integrity of the Earth’s systems.  Consistent with other science degree programs at Villanova, we envision that most students will either declare Environmental Science as a major immediately in their freshman year. Some freshmen entering Villanova through the undeclared science program may declare an Environmental Science major in their sophomore year. In these cases, admission will be based on a combination of performance in high school (e.g., GPA), the standard aptitude tests (including SAT and IB exams), and, as appropriate, in courses at Villanova. Maintenance of a minimum GPA of 2.0 and of a minimum technical GPA of 2.0 will be required to graduate and receive a diploma. Villanova students wishing to declare an Environmental Science major via alternative pathways will be considered on a case by case basis.