<p>Are Northwestern University and the University of Chicago good for environmental science majors? Which one is better?</p>
<p>In my opinion, a strong environmental science program should offer six things:
- Great ecology
- Excellent earth sciences
- A strong program in policy analysis, particularly as it pertains to the environment and urban planning
- Heavy fieldwork opportunities
- An interdisciplinary focus</p>
<p>From browsing through the environmental science curriculum it seems that there are only two things for which Chicago is definitively better than Northwestern at: a highly specialized subfield of geology that you likely wouldn’t encounter until you’re an upperclassman (at least) and the mandatory internship as well as the Calumet Quarter. I suppose a case could be made that urban policy might be better at Chicago, owing to the plethora of related courses, but really it’s a wash up.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in ecology you might want to consider the potential drawbacks of going to school in the middle of the city in terms of field work availability, but that could also be a major plus depending on what you want academically and socially.</p>
<p>Chicago’s core might also be of assistance in developing your interdisciplinary thinking (environmental science is inherently an interdisciplinary major) but it may hinder the number of courses you can take. From my experience, environmental science courses often meet more than one gen ed which is not the case at a school like Chicago where the gen eds are rigidly defined.</p>
<p>Try Middlebury College. It has the oldest ES program.</p>
<p>West Point also has the oldest engineering program in America. Doesn’t mean it’s right for the vast majority of engineering students. Same thing goes for Middlebury’s environmental science.</p>