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Majors, Minors & Areas of Study

Environmental Sustainability and Policy

Understand a complex relationship

Major in environmental sustainability and policy at the University of Mary Washington and you’ll seek answers to the most important questions of our time: How do humans affect the natural world, and how can we protect the systems necessary to sustain life? Explore the natural world from the nearby Rappahannock River to the planet’s most threatened ecosystems. Discover a new way of thinking and communicating about the world as you develop the problem-solving skills to make a difference.

Degree Awarded

Students majoring in Environmental Sustainability and Policy who complete all requirements earn the degree of Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Environmental Science and Geology.

Areas of Study

The environmental sustainability and policy major starts with a firm foundation in chemistry, biology, and geology. Then you’ll select from environmental science, geography, political science, economics, and sociology classes to create a course of study that meets your interests and career goals.

Career Opportunities

Recent UMW environmental sciences graduates have found positions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Peace Corps, consulting firms, state and local governments, and nongovernmental organizations. Many pursue advanced degrees in law school or fields such as marine conservation, soil science, environmental management or policy, or forestry.

See Career Paths

Internships

In recent years, UMW environmental sciences majors have participated in internships with the City of Fredericksburg, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Friends of the Rappahannock, Marstel-Day LLC, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Greenpeace, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and more.

Highly motivated and talented students can engage in rigorous honors-designated coursework, interdisciplinary seminars, internships, extended research and creative projects, and community service. Honors students often present at professional conferences and publish in journals, making them highly sought-after by employers or graduate programs.

Major Requirements

The environmental sustainability and policy major requires 46-47 credits including courses in environmental science, geography or GIS, biology, chemistry, and economics. Major electives include courses in philosophy, political science, or sociology.

Minor Requirements

The environmental sustainability minor requires 18-21 credits.

Recent awards include the Peggy Ellis Gill Scholarship for an outstanding physical science undergraduate and the Elsa von Muller Leidecker Scholarship for excellence in academics, service, and research.

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Majors, Minors & Areas of Study

Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies

View gender through new perspectives.

Major in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at the University of Mary Washington and you’ll explore a breadth of gendered experiences, complicated as they are by race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality and class. Craft an interdisciplinary course of study to test your assumptions about our similarities and differences. Internships, research projects and opportunities for study abroad prepare you for graduate school or a career that makes a difference right away.

Degree Awarded

Students majoring in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies who complete all requirements earn the degree of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in general liberal arts and studies.

Areas of Study

Our 33 affiliated faculty members with expertise in nine separate disciplines will introduce a breadth of gendered experiences. Professors in such fields as art, Spanish literature, history, political science, sociology, and psychology will support you as you identify your interests and craft your major. In the classroom, they will challenge your assumptions about our similarities and differences and lead you to reflect on the concerns that sex and gender create in society. You will design a capstone project with faculty guidance, and you may do up to two faculty-supervised independent studies.

Career Opportunities

Because you will craft your courses from across disciplines, you can leave prepared to pursue higher education or work in such fields as law, nonprofit advocacy, teaching, health care, social work, journalism, public relations, and more.

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Internships

Majors have completed internships at local agencies and national organizations. You will craft an internship that will reflect your area of interest and course concentration.

Learn more about how to earn honors in this major at the honors program section of the undergraduate catalog.

The major requires 33 credits from across disciplines. Its advisory board – made up of faculty from the departments of political science; sociology and anthropology; art and art history; and English, linguistics, and communication – encourages the majors to work with faculty advisors to formulate their coursework around issues or themes that interest the students. The foundation courses are women’s studies and feminism. Other requirements include a methods course, approved electives, an internship, and a student-designed capstone course.

None specific to this major, but UMW offers many scholarships.

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Majors, Minors & Areas of Study

Applied Environmental Science

Find your place where the sciences converge.

Driven by curiosity about the structure and order of the world, you’ll conduct scholarly interrogation as you major in applied environmental science at the University of Mary Washington. Explore the intersection of biology, chemistry, physics, geology and Earth science while building experience in the methods and research you’ll need as a graduate scholar or working scientist.

Degree Awarded

Students majoring in applied environmental science who complete all requirements earn the degree of Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Environmental Science and Geology.

Areas of Study

The applied environmental science major gives you a solid background in biological, ecological, chemical, and geological principles. With this foundation, and with guidance from faculty advisors, you’ll craft a course of study that meets your interests and career goals.

Career Opportunities

Recent UMW environmental sciences graduates have found positions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Peace Corps, consulting firms, state and local governments, and nongovernmental organizations. Many pursue advanced degrees in fields such as marine science, soil science, environmental management, or forestry.

See Career Paths

Internships

In recent years, UMW environmental sciences majors have participated in internships with the City of Fredericksburg, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Friends of the Rappahannock, Marstel-Day LLC, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Greenpeace, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture among many others.

Highly motivated and talented students can engage in rigorous honors-designated coursework, interdisciplinary seminars, internships, extended research and creative projects, and community service. Honors students often present at professional conferences and publish in journals, making them highly sought-after by employers or graduate programs.

Major Requirements

The applied environmental science major requires 46-48 credits including environmental science, geology, biology, chemistry, GIS, and elective courses.

Minor Requirements

The environmental sustainability minor requires 18-21 credits.

Recent awards include the Peggy Ellis Gill Scholarship for an outstanding physical science undergraduate and the Elsa von Muller Leidecker Scholarship for excellence in academics, service, and research.

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Majors, Minors & Areas of Study

Philosophy

Philosophy is the love of wisdom.

Major in philosophy at the University of Mary Washington and you’ll investigate the science of argument. Cut through the clamor of our insult-driven digital world to seek answers with an open mind. Consider multiple viewpoints, test theories, detect fallacies, and express your findings clearly. You’ll leave prepared for law school or seminary or a career in business or politics – and for a meaningful life.

Degree Awarded

Students majoring in philosophy who complete all requirements earn the degree of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in philosophy and religious studies.

Areas of Study

Explore introductory logic and ethics, ancient Greek philosophy, and early modern philosophy. Then choose from additional courses covering medieval philosophy; social and political philosophy; aesthetics; feminism; existentialism; phenomenology; practical, medical, or environmental ethics; Hinduism, Buddhism, and Daoism; Asian and comparative philosophy; 20th-century philosophy; Freud’s greatest hits; and in-depth examinations of Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Marx, and Nietzsche.

Career Opportunities

Philosophy is great preparation for grad school, law school, seminary, or a career in business, consulting, or politics. UMW philosophy graduates have continued study in such disciplines as law, research, and teaching. Some have headed directly into business, journalism, publishing, and other professions that demand critical thinking and clear writing.

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Internships

Undergraduates have opportunities to complete research and present at conferences, making valuable contacts for the professional world.

To graduate with honors in philosophy, you must have at least a 3.5 grade-point average in the major. You’ll complete a research project and write and defend a senior thesis.

The philosophy major requires 30 credits from 10 courses including logic, ancient Greek philosophy, and early modern philosophy; a selection of courses from other philosophy disciplines; and two additional courses, including one at the 300 level or above.

Scholarships are available for all disciplines in the Department of Classics, Religion, and Philosophy.

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Majors, Minors & Areas of Study

English

Read. Write. Create. Consider absolutely everything.

The University of Mary Washington English program draws the most versatile minds of the liberal arts and sciences, challenging you to investigate the great body of English-language literature, from Shakespeare to the graphic novel, and to produce your own works of literary and cultural analysis, fiction, journalism, poetry, memoir, and creative nonfiction. Study abroad for a summer to expand your perspective, or design your own internship as you develop and apply your creative, analytic, and communication skills. The future is wide open for anyone with the linguistic and cultural competencies at the heart of the UMW English major.

Degree Awarded

Students majoring in English who complete all requirements earn the degree of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English.

Areas of Study

At UMW, you’ll find relevant course offerings in ancient to modern literatures, literary theory, memoir, poetry, creative writing, journalism, magazine writing, digital storytelling, and more. Faculty bring passion and wide-ranging expertise to the study of language, literature, and their social and historical contexts, whether in the novels of Jane Austen or Charles Dickens, nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first century African-American literature, literature by LGBTQ authors, postcolonial literature, contemporary poetry or fiction, literature of the American South, environmental writing, electronic literature, and much more.

Career Opportunities

Every field values employees who can think critically and communicate clearly. Recent UMW graduates with English majors report employment in business, media, schools, government, and NGOs. They’re writers, editors, public relations specialists, teachers, IT professionals, lawyers, counselors, community organizers, business owners, and more.

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Internships

Students may complete for-credit internships to gain knowledge and job experience. Many students study abroad to increase cultural awareness, broaden their perspectives, and develop skills for an increasingly international employment marketplace.

To earn honors in English, you must have a 3.7 GPA in the major and earn an A on an honors project approved by your advisor.

The major requires 36 credits in the Department of English and Linguistics, including introductory and upper-level linguistics, literature, and writing courses; one 400-level seminar; and electives including internships or individual projects. Majors select a concentration in either literary studies or creative writing (the former including at least 3 credits specifically focused on writing, the latter requiring at least 15 credits specifically in creative writing).

The Department of English and Linguistics offers numerous scholarships and awards.