The Story Behind the Faculty

Faculty of Environmental Studies begins as the Department of Environmental Sciences, which was formed in August 1976, under the Faculty of Science. Due to the addition of this new department, the Faculty of Science was renamed as Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies. This newly formed department was responsible in offering the Bachelor of Environmental Science programme that same year. The programme was the first environmental undergraduate programme offered in Southeast Asia, and has been recognized by the Public Service Department of Malaysia.

However, on 1 September 2004, the higher management of UPM has agreed to allow the Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies, to be an independent faculty. Hence, the department separated from the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies and was renamed Faculty of Environmental Studies. Due to this separation, Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies was again renamed as Faculty of Science.

Faculty of Environmental Studies is the only academic institution in Malaysia that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in environmental studies. The expertise of the lecturers and researchers in the faculty runs gamut from biology to law, as to meet the demands of environmental studies, which cover almost everything from the sky to the sea, and from deep in the forest and out in the city. Therefore, the faculty has introduced the Department of Environmental Sciences and the Department of Environmental Management to better manage these different fields that are available.

As a body that is committed to the environmental studies, Faculty of Environmental Studies also collaborates with other organizations, within and outside of UPM, in environmental research projects. Some of the organizations are the Department of Environment, Malaysia, and the Ministry of Environment, Japan.