Status of Environmental Education in the United States's Colleges and Universities

In the fall of 1995, the National Environmental Education Advancement Project (NEEAP) surveyed 253 state environmental education (EE) leaders to determine the status of state level EE programs in each of the fifty states. Each survey asked two questions about EE programs at the college and university level. The following responses to the question concerning graduate and undergraduate programs were compiled from information provided by respondents.

Please note that this listing is not presented as a complete or exhaustive listing of all EE programs available at colleges or universities in the United States.

For information on colleges and universities reported to have EE preservice and inservice opportunities for teachers, click here.

List colleges and universities in your state which have undergraduate or graduate programs in environmental education.

(Please note: Respondents were asked to list the college or university, city, and department(s) and to mark if environmental education was available at the undergraduate level, graduate level or both.) Comments found below were provided by respondents, except where italicized.


Alabama
None have EE programs, but many offer Env. Science, Env. Biology, etc.

Alaska

  • University of Alaska, Fairbanks; Department: Natural Resources Management; Both Graduate and Undergraduate
  • Univeristy of Alaska, Anchorage; Department: Education; Undergraduate-Adventure Education & PE
  • Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage; Department: Environmental Science/Education; Undergraduate

Arizona

  • University of Arizona, Tucson; Department: College of Education; Graduate
  • Prescott College, Prescott; Both Graduate and Undergraduate

Arkansas
None reported.

California

  • California State Univ., San Bernardino; Graduate
  • California State Univ., Hayward; Both Graduate and Undergraduate

* Environmental Science: 24 schools offer Bachelors degrees, 4 offer Masters, 2 offer Doctorates.

Colorado

  • Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Connecticut

  • Yale University, New Haven; Department: School of Forestry & Environmental Studies; Both Graduate and Undergraduate
  • Southern Connecticut State Univ., New Haven; Department: Environmental Studies; Graduate

Delaware

  • University of Delaware, Newark; Both Graduate and Undergraduate (Courses not programs)
  • Wesley College, Dover; Undergraduate (Courses not programs)
  • Delaware State Univ., Dover; Undergraduate

Florida

  • Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne; Department: Science Education; Graduate (presently offers the only degree program in the state)

Georgia

  • North Georgia College, Dahlonega; Department: Education; Undergraduate

Hawaii
None reported.

Idaho
None reported.

Illinois

  • Northern Illinois Univ., DeKalb; Department: Education/Outdoor Education; Both Graduate and Undergraduate (Masters in Outdoor Educ.)
  • Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale; Department: Education; Graduate

Indiana
The following were listed as universities within the Science and EE Resource Network:
(No information was given concerning whether programs were undergraduate or graduate level)

  • Indiana University, Bloomington; Department: Science & EE; Contact: Dr. Hans Anderson
  • IUPUI, Indianapolis; Department: Science Educ.; Contact: Dr. Charles Barman or Florence Juillerat
  • Indiana University-Bradford Woods, Martinsville; Department: Outdoor Educ.; Contact: Margaret Lincoln
  • Ball State University, Muncie; Department: Natural Resources; Contact: Dr. Tim Lyons
  • Indiana University-Southeast, New Albany; Department: Education; Contact: Dr. John Moody
  • Indiana State University, Terre Haute; Department: Science Educ.; Contact: Dr. Marshall Parks

Iowa

  • Iowa State Univ., Ames; Department: Animal Geology; Both Graduate and Undergraduate
  • Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City; Department: Science Education; Graduate
  • University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls; Department: Biology/Institute for EE; Both Graduate and Undergraduate

Kansas
While there may not be specific degrees in EE, several teacher training institutions do allow individual courses of study at the graduate level to focus on EE.

Kentucky
No colleges or universities offer graduate or undergraduate programs in environmental education. Seven of Kentucky's colleges and universities offer an environmental major, seven offer a minor. In addition, one college offers a pre-professional program, another two offer master's degree options,and one offers a PhD option.

Louisiana
The following universities were listed as “primarily non-formal/education in Project Learning Tree or Project Wild.”

  • Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge; Department: Education & Forestry; Undergraduate
  • Louisiana State Univ., Alexandria; Department: Education; Undergraduate
  • Tulane, New Orleans; Department: Education; Graduate
  • Northwestern, Natchitoches; Department: Education; Undergraduate
  • Northeast, Monroe; Department: Education; Undergraduate
  • University of New Orleans; Department: Education; Undergraduate
  • Louisiana College, Pineville; Department: Education; Undergraduate
  • Southeastern, Hammond; Department: Education; Undergraduate

Maine

  • Audubon Expedition Institute (through Leslie College), Belfast; Both Graduate and Undergraduate
  • Unity College, Unity; Undergraduate
  • Univ. of Maine, Orono;No information on graduate or undergraduate reported.

Maryland

  • Univ. of Maryland, College Park; Department: Science Teaching Center (only individual program); Graduate

Massachusetts
None reported.

Michigan
No information was given on whether the program is graduate or undergraduate.

  • Michigan State University, East Lansing
  • Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Minnesota
The following universities were suggested as contacts for graduate and/or undergraduate programs in EE.

  • Bemidji State Univ., Bemidji; Contact: Dr. Ray Nelson
  • Concordia College, St. Paul; Contact: Dr. Robert Holtz
  • Hamline Univ., St. Paul; Contact: Jennifer Gasperini
  • Mankato State Univ., Mankato; Contact: John Frey
  • Moorhead State Univ., Moorhead; Contact: Dr. George Davis
  • St. Cloud State Univ., St. Cloud; Contact: Dr. Patricia Simpson
  • Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth; Contact: Timothy Bates
  • Univ. of Minnesota-Morris; Contact: Dr. Judy Kuechle
  • Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul; Contact: Dr. Stephan Carlson
  • Winona State Univ., Winona; Contact: Bob Herman

Mississippi

  • Jackson State University; Both Graduate and Undergraduate

Other universities have course work but no programs.

Missouri
None reported.

Montana
None reported.

Nebraska
None reported.

Nevada
None reported.

New Hampshire

  • Antioch New England Graduate School, Keene; Department: Environmental Studies; Graduate
  • Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham; Undergraduate (not a degree program but is one in Env. Conservation & a course in EE)

New Jersey
No information was provided about which universities had graduate or undergraduate programs.

  • Montclair State Univ., Montclair
  • Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick
  • Trenton State, Trenton
  • Rowan College, Grassboro

New Mexico

  • Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque; Department: Natural Resources/Parks & Recreation; Both Graduate and Undergraduate; Contact: Dr. Paul Miko

New York
None reported.

North Carolina
None reported.

North Dakota
None at this time.

Ohio

  • Ohio State University, Columbus; Department: School of Natural Resources; Both Graduate and Undergraduate
  • Akron University, Akron; Department: Physical Education; Graduate
  • Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green; Department: Center for EE; No information on graduate or undergraduate level reported.

Oklahoma

  • Oklahoma State University, Stillwater; Both Graduate and Undergraduate

Oregon

  • Southern Oregon State College; Both Graduate and Undergraduate

Pennsylvania

  • Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock; Undergraduate
  • Penn State University, University Park; Undergraduate

Rhode Island

  • University of Rhode Island; Department: Natural Resources/Oceanography; Both Graduate and Undergraduate
  • Brown University; Department: Environmental Studies; Both Graduate and Undergraduate

South Carolina

  • University of South Carolina, Columbia; Department: Center for Science Education; Graduate

South Dakota
None reported.

Tennessee
None reported.

Texas
None reported.

Utah
No information on graduate or undergraduate reported.

  • Utah State University, Logan; Department: College of Natural Resources; Contact: Dr. Ohlhorst

Vermont

  • University of Vermont, Burlington; Department: Environmental Studies; Both Graduate and Undergraduate

Virginia
None reported.

Washington

  • Western Washington Univ., Bellingham; College: Huxley (Environmental Studies); Graduate
  • The Evergreen State College, Olympia; No information about graduate or undergraduate level was reported.

West Virginia
None reported.

Wisconsin

  • University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Department: College of Natural Resources; Both Graduate and Undergraduate
  • University of Wisconsin-Green Bay; Department: School of Education; Both Graduate and Undergraduate
  • Northland College, Ashland; Undergraduate

Wyoming

  • University of Wyoming, Laramie; Department: Natural Science; Graduate
  • University of Wyoming, Laramie; Department: Education; Graduate