Planning Unit Descriptions

Your academic study at Evergreen is organized into intensive, interdisciplinary programs that allow you to immerse yourself in issues and ideas that interest you, and to get a deeper and broader understanding of those topics.

As you begin to chart your pathway through our curriculum, take a look at the academic areas below and find the list of current programs offered:

First-Year Programs-This is where you'll begin to get the hang of Evergreen. First-year students study central themes and topics in core programs taught by faculty teams from different disciplines; all-level programs that enroll a mix of freshmen, sophomores, junior and seniors; and intermediate programs that are designed for sophomore-level students.

Culture, Text and Language-Faculty and students engage in scholarly inquiry about our social world (both past and present), and interpret great works of literature, historical decisions and religious rituals. You'll make exciting discoveries about how language and art are keys to understanding society, how the media and pop culture shapes our world, and how the workings of power affect our everyday life, to name just a few.

Environmental Studies-You'll explore the field of environmental studies by learning within and across three thematic areas: Human Communities and the Environment, Natural History, and Environmental Sciences. Students gain knowledge about major environmental issues like public policy, conservation and science, while at the same time focusing on particular areas of interest like eco-design, hydrology, agriculture, and rainforest research.

Expressive Arts-Creativity and collaboration are essential elements in these programs, which include study in the visual and media arts, music, dance and theatre. You'll be encouraged to create across a wide spectrum of media, to understand the historic and contemporary influences of expressive art and to work on creative projects with other students. Faculty bring a wide range of artistic skills and experiences, and programs support a strong multi-cultural perspective.

Native American and World Indigenous Peoples-You'll focus on the study of indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, the Americas and the world through on- campus and reservation-based programs. You'll study political, social, economic and cultures issues related to indigenous history both in the on-campus and reservation-based program-and make a real contribution to building stronger Indian communities by responding directly to their goals and needs.

Scientific Inquiry-Whether you want to be a researcher, a physician, a policy maker or work in private industry, programs in this area will teach you to think like scientists-that is, to collect and evaluate data, theorize and use technology to find solutions. Subjects like physical science, mathematics, computing and laboratory biology are studied in several ways, not only through hands-on and collaborative research, but also in terms of the philosophical issues they raise and for their place in society.

Society, Politics, Behavior and Change-You'll gain a keen understanding of society at large and the individual's role in society from a diverse range of faculty who lead you in the integrated study of areas including anthropology, economics, history, law, political science and philosophy. You'll explore the evolution of historical and contemporary social issues and problems, and examine strategies for social change.