The curriculum emphasizes four components: humanities and social sciences, natural sciences, skills and the capstone experience. It seeks to provide students with an understanding of human attitudes and behaviors toward nature, and provides a grounding in science to prepare them to shape viable environmental policy and practice.

The major includes course offerings from fourteen departments and programs. The curriculum emphasizes the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences to prepare students to address environmental issues in our region and the world beyond, as global citizens as well as environmental educators, planners, policy analysts, advocates, lawyers, and field managers. The major also prepares students for graduate school in related environmental fields.

First-year students are encouraged to begin with the Adirondacks Environmental Studies FIG. After the sophomore or junior year, the optional internship/field experience provides students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the environmental field. In a three-credit seminar, seniors develop and present an independent research project.