Learn
Study issues in environmental, energy, and resource management ranging from local water pollution to global climate change. Use economic principles to design effective policy and management solutions, and develop data science skills to analyze spatial data and quantify relationships between human well-being, policy, pollution, and resource quality.
Do
Conduct independent research on a topic you choose, such as food waste policy or the costs and benefits of recycling. Complete a summer internship at organizations like the Illinois Department of Natural Resources or Argonne National Lab, or join the Students for Environmental Concern organization to help evaluate proposals for campus sustainability.
Advance
Influence policy by working in legislative offices and government agencies. Help conservation groups maximize their effectiveness, and drive sustainability initiatives across industries such as food manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, energy, transportation, and production agriculture. Graduates also continue their education in graduate school for environmental economics, public policy, or law.
Students who entered the University of Illinois during Fall 2026 or prior were admitted to our old major structure, which included one major and nine concentrations. You can learn more about those concentrations here. Students majoring in ACE: Environmental Economics and Policy are permitted to apply to transfer into the new curriculum. The major which is mostly closely aligned with Environmental Economics and Policy is Environmental & Resource Economics & Policy, BS. Unsure of which curriculum is best for you? Check out our pre-recorded info session, available here.
