Major in Environmental Studies

53 credits

Environmental challenges, solutions, and justice do not have disciplinary boundaries. Our curriculum is designed to teach students to approach a particular topic not simply as a question of biology, politics, or theology, but rather to combine these (and many more) perspectives to better understand environmental issues in all their complexity.

Required Core Courses: 25 credits

This sequence is designed to offer introductory knowledge on environmental issues. Skills developed in this sequence - reading and writing comprehensively, understanding how to create and/or analyze data, building research skills across disciplines - provide a scaffold for both academic and career success.

  • ENVR 150: Intro to Environmental Studies (4) (BN)
  • ENVR 175: Earth Systems Science (4) (NS, NW, QR)
  • ENVR 275: Humans in the Environment (4) (NS)
  • ENVR 279A: Environmental Methods and Analysis (4) (SS, SW, TF-TR)
  • ENVR 320: Research Colloquium (4) (WR)
  • ENVR 395: Research Seminar (4)
  • ENVR 397: Internship (1)

Environmental Perspectives: 12 credits

These courses offer a deeper dive into relevant environmental topics. Students must take at least one course from each category.

1. Environmental Science

  • ENVR 300T: Sustainable Agricultural Science (4) (NW, TE3-MV)
  • ENVR 331: Science of Climate Changes (4)

2. Environmental Social Science

  • ENVR 310: Environmental Geography (4) (SW, TE3-MV)
  • ENVR 377A: Energy and Society (4) (SW, TF-JU)

3. Environmental Humanities

  • ENVR 278A: 20th Century World Environmental History (HM, HE, TF-MV)
  • ENVR 300D: World Literature of Climate Change (HE, TE3-JU, WR)
  • ENVR 315: American Environmental Literature (4) (HM, HE, TE3-JU)
  • ENVR/HIST 360: U.S. Environmental History (4) (HM, HE)

Environmental Electives: 16 credits

Students must complete four elective courses selected from the following lists. The flexibility in elective choice allows students to decide to add depth in a particular discipline (i.e. science, policy, energy), or continue to add breadth and depth to their interdisciplinary credentials.

Note that the courses in Environmental Perspectives are listed here as well; courses that were not selected to fill that requirement may be taken as electives. Additional ENVR 397: Internship credits may not be counted toward elective requirements.

  • ENVR 200A: Environmental Art and Architecture (FA, AE, TE1/2-JU)
  • ENVR 210: Field Experience (1 credit)
  • ENVR 278A: 20th Century World Environmental History (HM, HE, TF-MV)
  • ENVR 300D: World Literature of Climate Change (HE, TE3-JU, WR)
  • ENVR 3000N: Conservation and Natural Resource Management (TE-MV)
  • ENVR 300Q: Environmental Health
  • ENVR 300T: Sustainable Agricultural Science (NW, TE3-MV)
  • ENVR 300Z: Outdoor Adventure Education & Leadership (2 credits)
  • ENVR 303: Climate Action Workshop (EX, TE3-JU)
  • ENVR 305: U.N. Climate Change Conference (2 credits) (SS, SW, EX, TE3-JU) enrolled students typically attend the UNFCCC COP
  • ENVR 306: Global Climate Change Policy (2 credits) (SW, TE3-JU)
  • ENVR 310: Environmental Geography (SS, SW, TE3-MV)
  • ENVR 311: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (AS)
  • ENVR 315: American Environmental Literature (HM, HE, TE3-JU)
  • ECON 318: Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (TE3-JU)
  • PHIL 322: Environmental Ethics
  • ENVR 327: Gender and Environment (GE, ES, CS)
  • POLS 330: Environmental Politics/Policy
  • ENVR 331: Science of Climate Changes
  • BIOL 334: General Ecology
  • BIOL 337: Aquatic Ecology (NW, TE3-MV, BN)
  • SOCI 349: Environmental Anthropology
  • POLS 350A: Sustainable Urban Planning
  • PCST 354: Global Environmental Politics
  • ECON 359C: Environmental Economics & Policy
  • ENVR 360: U.S. Environmental History (HM, HE)
  • GBUS 368: Sustainable Business
  • ENVR 377: Energy and Society (SS, SW, TF-JU)
  • COMM 378A: Environmental Rhetoric (BN, HM, HE, TF-MV)