Community and environmental sociology is the relationship between people and their environment
Community and environmental sociology explores the communities people live in and the relationships between people and their natural environments.
As a Community and Environmental Sociology major you will:
- Explore specialized topics in environmental stewardship, resource conflicts, public health, social change and justice, agroecology, rural development, labor, science and technology, colonialism, and globalization
- Gain a broad view of the societal factors involved in issues of the environment, food systems, health, and community development, as well as strategies for promoting a more just and sustainable world
- Discover how aspects such as new technologies, globalization, changing social values, public policies, and the rise of new social movements are related to each other
Career Paths
Community and environmental sociology graduates are prepared for careers in environmental conservation, community and international development, food systems, law, public policy, sociology, and public health—in the private, public, and non-profit sectors.
Here are just a few examples of what our community and environmental sociology graduates are doing with their careers:
Your CALS Experience
Get involved with internships
Community and environmental sociology students can earn credit for their internships. Complement what you learn in class, gain real-world experience, and advance in your academic career with a semester or summer internship. Past community and environmental sociology students have interned with:
Learn outside the classroom
Gain hands-on research experience through independent or mentored research with community and environmental sociology faculty. Study demography, health geography, community development, environmental politics, agroecological systems, environmental knowledge, the social dynamics between people and the environment, and more.
Study abroad and explore international communities
See communities and the environment from broader, multicultural perspectives with a study abroad program. Learn about sustainable development in Uganda, food systems and health in South Africa, ecological resistance in Costa Rica, and so much more.
You can also choose from one of UW–Madison’s many semester, summer, and short-term study abroad programs and map your study abroad experience as a community and environmental sociology major.
Get involved. Find your people.
Explore a few of the environment and sociology-related student organizations at UW–Madison:
Connect with your faculty mentor
Every community and environmental sociology student is paired with a faculty mentor based on their academic and professional interests that they can connect with. Discuss career paths, research opportunities on campus, internship options, general advice, and more with your mentor.
63%
Students who participate in research
85%
Students who complete an internship
63%
Students who complete a seminar course
Advisor & Contact Information
Advisors can answer your questions, help you create a degree plan that meets your personal and professional goals, and connect you to resources across the UW–Madison campus.
Incoming students should reach out to CALS Academic Affairs to direct your questions. Current UW–Madison students should schedule with their assigned advisor using Starfish.
CALS Academic Affairs
116 Agricultural Hall
1450 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706
academicaffairs@cals.wisc.edu
(608) 262-3003
Community and Environmental Sociology Major Advising
350 Agricultural Hall
1450 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706
contact@dces.wisc.edu
(608) 262-1510
Want to learn more about community and environmental sociology?