The College offers five academic programs focused on the environment.
Environmental Studies Concentration
The Environmental Studies Concentration includes courses from the Sciences, Arts, and Humanities and Social Sciences, along with a required senior capstone project. All of the courses, although diverse in their perspective, revolve around current issues in environmental studies. More information can be found on the TCNJ Environmental Studies website
Environmental Studies Minor
Approved by the Board of Trustees in the fall of 2015, the Environmental Studies Minor preserves the importance of studying the environment from multiple disciplinary perspectives, but narrows its focus of courses to those with content and learning goals explicitly centered on the human/environment relationship. The minor deliberately embraces multi-disciplinary, and at the same time reinforces a growing community at TCNJ that seeks and values interdisciplinary inquiry. As such, the minor has incorporated an additional school (Engineering) and is being developed in conjunction with the minor in Environmental Sustainability Education (SE) in the School of Education. Before the minor was approved, associated students and faculty members wrote and publicizes the “Hurricane Sandy Project” and more climate-related research is expected from their recently-launched program. For more information see the environmental studies minor page.
Environmental Sustainability Education Minor
Started in the Spring of 2015, the Environmental Sustainability Education Minor is an interdisciplinary 5-course minor designed to develop content knowledge and teaching skills to give TCNJ students the tools to teach sustainability professionally. The minor is housed in the School of Education but is open to all TCNJ students. More information can be found at the environmental sustainability education minor page.
Public Policy Minor
The Public Policy minor aims to increase students’ understanding and active participation in efforts of the public sector to address a wide range of social problems. While many human interactions can be accomplished best through private interactions, some of the most important issues in society fall under the public sphere due to their direct or side effects of third parties or the mass public. Students can specialize in environmental policy. More information is on the public policy minor page.
Technological Studies
The technological studies program prepares P-12 teachers to deliver the New Jersey Technology Education Standard (Standard 8.2), which requires significant exposure to sustainability and green technology. Students from the School participate in a solar-powered boat project every year. For more information see the technological studies PDF.