Environmental Studies Major

The Environmental Studies Program is an interdisciplinary program that stimulates informed democratic citizenship in a global environment and enhances knowledge of the complex and dynamic relationship between humans and the natural world. All students seeking an Environmental Studies degree should consult with the Environmental Studies Coordinator early in their college experience to ensure the most appropriate course of study to achieve their goals. The program features both a major and a minor.

Learning goals for the Environmental Studies Major:

1. Understand this multidisciplinary field of study, and identify courses that provide the breadth and depth of knowledge needed for their chosen career path in environmental studies.
2. Analyze a complex environmental issue using appropriate sources and include the ethical underpinnings of the issue.
3. Connect theory and practice through either participating in an internship, or by completing a research project, related to environmental studies.
4. Evaluate the importance of an environmental topic to local and global communities and reflect critically on their relationship to that topic.

Core Courses (required and earn a grade of C- or above)

• EV110. Introduction to Environmental Studies (1)
• EV130. Environmental Biology (4)                                                            
• EV251. Creating a Green Society in the U.S. (3)                                
• PH219. Environmental Ethics (3)                                           
• EV350. Global Environmentalism (3)                                               
• EV370, EV371. Environmental Studies Internship (1-4) OR EV391, EV392. Environmental Studies Research (1-2)
• EV481. Environmental Studies Capstone (1)           

Supporting Courses (required)

• PO105. The American Political System (3)                              
• EC120. Principles of Economics (3)                    
• EN210/BU250. Business and Professional Writing/Written Business Communication (3)                                   

Concentration Courses (required and earn a grade of C- or above):

Choose at least 6 courses, with at least 4 @ 300 level

(4 courses from one concentration and 2 courses from the other concentration)

Environmental Policy Concentration

• AT110. Introduction to Digital Media (3)
• CJ361/SO361. Criminology (3)
• CJ235/PO235. Introduction to the Criminal Justice System (3)
• CO251. Introduction to Public Relations (3)
• CO310. Small Group Communication (3)
• CO343/OL343. Communication and Conflict (3)
• CO360. Crisis Communication (3)
• CO470. Persuasive Campaigns (3)
• EN212. Writing and the Environment (3)
• EN308. Beyond the Page: Writing in Multiple Modes (3)
• ET340. Foundations of Entrepreneurship (3)
• HI206. Cultural Geography (3)
• IS240. Foundations of Information Systems (3)
• OL310. Group and Team Dynamics (3)
• OL385. Leadership, Diversity and Multiculturalism (3)
• PO201/SO201. Statistical Methods in the Behavioral Sciences (3)
• PO221. Introduction to International Relations (3)
• SO120. Introduction to Anthropology (3)
• SO330. Sociology of Gender (3)
• SO390. Environmental Sociology (3)
• SO365. Sociology of Globalization (3)

Natural Resources Concentration

• BI102. Principles of Sustainability (4)
• BI125. Local Flora (4)
• BI220. Field Ecology (4)
• BI280. Ecological Journeys (4)
• BI314. Ecology (4) (pre-req. = BI105/155 and BI108/158 or consent of instructor)
• BI325. Vertebrate Biology (4) (pre-req. = BI108/158 or consent of instructor)
• BI326. Plant Biology (4) (pre-req. = BI108/158 or consent of instructor)
• BI340. Conservation Biology (4) (pre-req. = BI105/155 or BI108/158 or BI130 or consent of instructor)
• CH105. Earth and Space Science (4)
• CH114. Fundamentals of Chemistry (4)
• ES321. Health and Pollution (3)
• MA130/131. Elementary Probability and Statistics with Spreadsheets (4) OR BI240. Analysis of Biological Data (4)
• PH223. Scientific Revolutions: History and Philosophy of Science (3)

Click here to find the plan of study