
Our Mission
To help solve local and global environmental challenges through interdisciplinary teaching and research in support of environmental sustainability and justice. To do so, we strive to embrace an anti-racist, multicultural curriculum and to develop greater diversity among our faculty, students and staff than has been represented in the field historically.




The first public Master of Science Thesis Defense of Spring 2023
The Department of Environmental Studies at San José State University is pleased to present the first public Master of Science Thesis Defense of Spring 2023 with Gwendolyn Barry, M.S. Candidate. The topic is 'Examining the Role of MPA Signage in Helping Provide Protection for Marine Environments of Monterey Bay MPAs'. The public is welcome to join via Zoom. Date & Time: Wednesday, February 8, 2023 (1:30 – 2:45 PM)
Welcome Back, Spartan! We want to remind you that the Class Schedule and Syllabi in Spring 2023 semester are available now!
27 million under flood alerts across California (NBC Nightly News)
Our Dr. Cushing was interviewed by NBC Nightly News about the recent storms and flooding period across the state of California. This news showed how urgent and significant the storming and flooding situation was. The state of California had to start the evacuations in many different cities, especially cities of Santa Cruz county.
New ORISE internships and fellowships with EPA
ORISE (Research Participation Programs at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and ORI (Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education) are opening various internships and fellowships opportunites. Applications are accepted till March 2023 from current students, recent graduates, and U.S. College/University faculty year round. Apply now!
2022-2023 Campus Reading Program Book Selection
"All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis" is SJSU's Campus Reading book for the fall 2022 incoming class of first-year students. All We Can Save is a collection of essays, poetry, and art that serves as “both a balm and a guide for knowing and holding what has been done to the world, while summoning truth, courage, and solutions, to turn away from the brink and toward life-giving possibility.”
Article: The Terrifying Choices created by Wildfires
"Many Californians are confronting a series of confounding decisions—among them, whether they should fight or flee." This is an article that reflected the wildfire situation in the state of California in 2020 and how much it affected Californians.
Great news! SJSU Environmental Studies is officially nominated by Best Accredited Colleges in 2022
Best Accredited Colleges have nominated SJSU Environmental Studies as #7 in Best Bachelor's Degrees in Environmental Science. SJSU Global Studies is also #28 on the Best International Studies Bachelor's Degrees.
The Grass is Greener on This Side of the Fence
A recent research article by ENVS MS Grad Alex Dahl and ENVS Department Chair, Dr. Cushing, has been recently published!This publication talks about the "garden-based pedagogy as a strategy for increasing student environmental literacy" (Dahl, 2022)
Paid MS Assistantships in Prescribed Fire Ecology
The prescribed fire ecology team at San José State University is offering two internship opportunities for MS Ecology students. The deadline to apply for a position in the fall 2023 semester is March 1st, 2023.
We have ENVS communities for both current and alumni Environmental Studies students at San José State University. We strongly encourage you all to join if you want to know/have more updates on job postings, internship opportunities, and news from ENVS at SJSU.








