Welcome to Pre-Environmental Studies!
Pre-Environmental Studies at Purdue University is the first program of its kind in the country. It is a program that allows freshmen to take their first year at Purdue to explore the 16 academic majors that focus on the environment. When it is time to register for classes for the sophomore year, all students will have found an academic advisor in a home department that is most suited to their interests.
What is Pre-ES?
PreES is a new program at Purdue designed specifically for freshmen at Purdue who have an interest in studying the environment but need to know more about the environmental majors offered at Purdue. Environmentally related academic pursuits are found in the College of Engineering, College of Science, College of Agriculture, and the College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Health Sciences. The preES advisors provide counseling during the freshman year to insure an easy transfer to these colleges. In addition, all students in preES will take a course that provides detailed information about each of the majors. Students visit facilities, talk with other faculty, and are directed to information concerning academic requirements and employment opportunities within each major.
How does Pre-ES work?
Incoming freshmen in preES will meet with an academic advisor who will work closely with the students to assign classes and determine the academic pathways that fit the students’ interests. During the Fall semester of the freshman year, student will learn which majors are available, the classes required for each major, and the types of jobs normally available to the graduates of these majors. The diagram below outlines the process:
What happens at the end of the freshman year?
The preES program is available only to freshmen at Purdue. By the end of the freshman year, all preES students must find an academic home. Advisors will work with the preES students to determine the best home department based on interests and future plans, and the student will then begin the transfer (CODO) process. Students must complete this process before registering for classes for the sophomore year.
What careers are available to Purdue graduates with environmental majors?
A wide array of careers is available to Purdue environmental graduates. Most jobs have specific requirements, and not every major will provide the proper preparation for every job. Students from our programs have found employment with environmental consultants, industry of all kinds, regulatory agencies, wildlife agencies, law/policy consultants, environmental research, compliance, resource conservation, and many more. After completion of their degrees, many students attend graduate school at the most highly regarded institutions in the country.
Announcements
2008 Environmental Idea to Product Competition
The Center for the Environment is sponsoring an Idea to Product competition open to graduate and undergraduate Purdue students. Teams of students wishing to compete must submit feasibility plans by December 1. For more information, see I2P Home.
Interdisciplinary Environmental Research Opportunity for Undergraduates
Organized by Lewis & Clark College with support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
- Who: Two dozen U.S. environmental program students graduating spring 2009 or 2010
- What: An opportunity to do site-based research in conjunction with students across the country
- Why: To train our next generation of interdisciplinary environmental scholars and leaders
- When: Application deadline 10/15/07; awardees notified by 12/15. Launch workshop spring 2008, Lewis & Clark College, Portland Oregon. Concluding conference spring 2010, Lewis & Clark College. Results widely disseminated summer 2010.
- How: Students will work with faculty mentors from their host institutions on site-based research culminating in a capstone project. Between spring 2008 and spring 2010, students collaborate with each other online, sharing in-progress results. Student-mentor teams receive a $4500 stipend to defray expenses.
- For further information and to apply, visit www.lclark.edu/dept/envs/mellon.htm