Academic Advising Resource Center

Environmental Studies & Sciences

Why take courses in Environmental Studies or Sciences?

The next generation faces an unprecedented environmental crisis: mitigating and adapting to climate change while developing complex socio-ecological systems to create a sustainable future. These challenges, while daunting, also present tremendous opportunities to construct a world that is more socially just and more resilient. In Environmental Studies & Sciences, we seek an understanding of the causes and consequences of our environmental predicaments, as well as to develop the creative problem-solving skills to design a more sustainable relationship between humans and the rest of the natural world.

What kinds of questions does Environmental Studies explore?

  • How can we address the pressing environmental challenges of today and tomorrow in a way that is inclusive, equitable and socially just?

  • What are the relationships between economic, social, and environmental challenges facing our communities, towns and cities where the majority of the human population resides?
  • How can we become more connected to nature and more aware of the impacts of resource consumption to accelerate climate change adaptation, mitigation and resilience?
  • What role can real-time information feedback play in optimizing the sustainability and resilience of socio-ecological systems?
  • How does  global, regional and local environmental history help us to understand context and design solutions? How can indigenous and local environmental  knowledge and Indigenous rights movements, nationhood, inform contemporary perspectives and decision-making?
  • What are the specific contributions of Indigenous, enslaved, and immigrant peoples to American agricultural practices and foodways?
  • How can we transform an economy that is currently powered by fossil fuel and based on one way flow of materials from extraction to landfill?  How can we develop a circular economy that eliminates the concept of waste.  
  • What are the fundamental characteristics of a regenerative agricultural system that sustainably provides food, fuel and fiber while sequestering carbon and building ecological capital? 
  • What role do the humanities play in helping us to understand, represent and explore the complexity of human-nature relations? 
  • How do we understand and leverage environmental policy, politics and social movements to shift political economy to best address environmental problems and solutions?

 

What advice would you give students interested in Evironmental Studies or Sciences?

Environmental Studies (EStudies) and Environmental Sciences (EScience) are interdisciplinary programs that explore and design  solutions to various environmental challenges facing our world through critical thinking, skill development and community engagement. Our curriculum is is designed to support individually tailored pathways that cater to each student’s interests and goals. Students have many opportunities to explore a topic or subject that they are interested in and passionate about, regardless of their intent to declare a major or minor. 

Taking Courses

Courses for non-majors or general interest

  • Environment and Society (ENVS101) is designed to provide an overview to problems and solutions and to introduce students to core faculty in Environmental studies and sciences;  it is a good place to start exploring.

Getting started in the major

  • Prospective majors are encouraged to take ENVS 101 during their first year and the core natural science requirements by the end of their sophomore year. 
  • The core natural science requirements for the EScience major are more extensive than for EStudies; in addition to ENVS101 students interested in EScience are encouraged to take CHEM101, BIOL100 and/or an Intro GEOS Course their first year. Because EScience core courses can be counted towards EStudies, it is easier to switch from an EScience major to EStudies than vice versa. 

Advanced Placement Credit 

Although ENVS101 places an emphasis on social science, students who score a 5 of AP Environmental Science can choose to bypass this class if they wish. If they do, they are required to take one additional upper-level ARHU, SSCI or NSMA elective course in addition to the other major requirements to complete the ES major. Refer to the AP/IB chart for complete information about AP test scores. 

Majoring in Environmental Studies

Provided are two examples of how a student could distribute courses required for the major over three or four years. See the catalog for additional details about major requirements.

Sample Four-Year Plans for Environmental Sciences
  Fall Spring
  Y1 Fall EVSS 101
CHEM 101		 Spring CHEM 102
ECON 101
  Y2 Fall GEOS 2XX
BIOL 100		 Spring EVSS 201
BIOL 210 & 211
  Y3 Fall ECON 231
EVSS 2XX/3XX		 Spring Study Away
  Y4 Fall GEOS XXX Spring EVSS 3XX
  Fall Spring
  Y1 Fall GEOS 120
BIOL 103		 Spring CHEM 101
EVSS 101
  Y2 Fall CHEM 102 Spring EVSS 201
GEOS 2XX
  Y3 Fall EVSS 208
BIOS 343		 Spring GEOS XXX
  Y4 Fall GEOS XXX Spring EVSS 3XX
Sample Four-Year Plans for Environmental Studies
  Fall Spring
  Y1 Fall EVSS 101 Spring BIOL 103
ECON 101 
  Y2 Fall ENVS 2XX
CHEM 051		 Spring GEOS XXX
EVSS 201
  Y3 Fall ECON 231
EVSS 2XX/ 3XX		 Spring Study Away
  Y4 Fall EVSS 2XX/ 3XX
One NS/SS/HU course		 Spring EVSS 3XX
  Fall Spring
  Y1 Fall   Spring EVSS 101
BIOL 103
  Y2 Fall EVSS 2XX
CHEM 101		 Spring GEOS XXX
EVSS 201
  Y3 Fall EVSS 208
EVSS 2XX/3XX		 Spring One NS/SS/HU course
  Y4 Fall EVSS 2XX/ 3XX Spring EVSS 3XX

 

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Learn More

Environmental Studies and Sciences Major Requirements
Environmental Studies and Sciences Department