The Environment and Sustainability Program – formerly the School of the Environment – is the interdisciplinary home for academic programs, research and scholarship, and community outreach activities that link environmental and sustainability initiatives at the University of South Carolina. We foster creative interactions among multiple campus units, provide undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and are dedicated to providing the broader community with educated scholars and scientists, as well as research- and policy-based solutions for the planet’s environmental and societal needs.

The Environment and Sustainability Program promotes a university-wide focus on the environment and the creation of a sustainable future by: 

• supporting interdisciplinary activities among faculty and students,
• fostering and enhancing research and scholarship to generate new knowledge,
• helping to apply new knowledge and create new technologies to advance environmental understanding and sustainable practices,
• promoting awareness of environmental and sustainability issues among students, faculty, and administrators,
• providing interdisciplinary education for undergraduate and graduate students, and
• providing outreach to the broader public communities to promote sustainable use of natural and cultural resources.

The ESP represents a wide range of synergistic disciplines, with over 100 affiliated faculty cutting across the Columbia and regional USC campuses.  Interdisciplinary teams conduct research on complex problems related to sustainability, eco- and earth systems, climate change and weather, environmental risks and hazards, water resources, and society and the environment.   The academic programs offer equally diverse opportunities, which take advantage of outstanding expertise from departments and programs across campus.  The undergraduate major in Environmental Science was launched in Fall 2009, and has produced its first graduates.  Undergraduates also have the opportunity to enrich their university experience through the minor in Environmental Studies, which provides an interdisciplinary curriculum and environmental perspective to their main courses of study.  Through the Masters in Earth and Environmental Resource Management (MEERM), graduate students are trained for management positions in earth and environmental resources, such as minerals, water, sustainable development within ecosystems, or safe and effective use of man-made materials in the environment.  The joint MEERM/JD degree provides a streamlined program for students wanting both the Masters and Law degrees.