Environmental Science
West Point also offers a major in environmental
science. Environmental science is a 40 course major
which attracts 20-25 cadets each year. Twenty seven of
the 40 courses are required as part of the professional
major and guarantee that each environmental scientist
is familiar with all disciplines including humanities,
social sciences and language. Cadets majoring in en-
vironmental science are also required to take the three
course environmental engineering sequence. The en-
vironmental science major itself is a broad, integrative
science-based major which seeks to develop a stu-
dent’s curiosity about the natural world, the student’s
ability to study natural processes using a scientific
approach, and to inculcate an individual and collec-
tive sense of environmental stewardship. These goals
are achieved by enhancing the core science education
by requiring additional courses in the natural sciences
such as geology, biology, meteorology and ecology.
The broad background provided by the core curricu-
lum coupled with a strong study in depth component
creates a well educated student capable of analyzing
a problem from multiple perspectives before recom-
mending a course of action.
The environmental science major culminates in an
Environmental Security course, taken in the cadet’s
final semester. This course directly explores the rela-
tionship between a degraded, unhealthy environment
and conflict which may ultimately require engage-
ment of the U.S. military. If, on the other hand, the
underlying environmental issues can be addressed,
the seeds of violence, terrorism, infectious disease and
the drug trade may not take root.
The Environmental Security course begins by de-
fining the term environmental security and comparing