The Undergraduate UMass Boston Navitas GSSP is the first year of a bachelor’s degree program at UMass Boston. The Navitas GSSP consists of for-credit coursework and provides an academic and cultural bridge from the high school experience to studying at a university in the United States. When students successfully complete the UMass Boston Navitas GSSP, they will progress directly into the second year of their undergraduate degree program.

The School for the Environment's nationally recognized Environmental Studies and Sustainability program emphasizes solutions integrating the humanities and social sciences with economics and business. As environmental and sustainability advocates, students customize their course of study, drawing from such diverse fields as anthropology, law, history, management, economics, and the sciences. In addition to coursework, this hands-on degree incorporates internships, research, cooperative education, and capstone course experiences in which students work as members of a multi-disciplinary team partnered with agencies and organizations throughout the Boston metropolitan area.

After completing the requirements in the BA in environmental studies and sustainability, students will have a firm grounding in the multiple fields that contribute to advancing the understanding of the connections of the human-natural system. They will have the critical thinking skills necessary to communicate complexity and the analytical skills required to advance new programs, policies, and communication strategies in support of a sustainable future.

With an undergraduate degree in environmental studies and sustainability, students graduate with an understanding of the interconnectedness of natural and human systems and how these connections can enable sustainable practices in organizations, communities, and individuals. Alumni from this program work as sustainability officers for corporations and nonprofits; as advocates and communication specialists for industry and government; and as researchers developing new pathways to sustainability for the organizations with which they work. Alumni are also well positioned for graduate-level studies.