The Environmental Studies program can help students use the resources of the entire University to gain an interdisciplinary understanding of such increasingly serious issues as pollution, wildlife and wilderness preservation, land use, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, energy conservation, and a generally healthful relationship between nature and society.

The major is designed to help students understand environmental issues in their political, social, and scientific context. Because dealing with environmental issues requires an interdisciplinary approach, California State University, Sacramento emphasizes the development of strong writing, research, and quantitative skills and a broad liberal arts perspective.