The  Department of Geography offers a B.A. in Environmental Studies.  The Environmental Studies Program focuses on promoting students’ understanding of the structure and complexity of regional and global environmental problems and the character and implications of human-environment interactions, as well as providing students with the analytical and technical tools to enable them to become future environmental analysts and decision-makers. An overall objective of the Environmental Studies major is to foster students’ critical thinking skills and to promote their ability to speak and write effectively about environmental issues from a variety of perspectives.

The Environmental Studies major is interdisciplinary in organization thereby allowing students the opportunity to learn from faculty in a number of departments, and subsequently to apply the knowledge and expertise acquired during their course of studies to teaching, research and other professional endeavors that cross disciplinary boundaries. The major is designed with a set of core courses that ensures a common interdisciplinary background for all students. At the same time, by choosing electives and minor areas of study, students gain depth in a particular natural science discipline (e.g., chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics) or social-science discipline (e.g., economics, urban planning, sociology, geography) or earth science discipline.   The curriculum includes a strong emphasis on urban environmental problem solving.

Program Description and Requirements 

The present Environmental Studies major was created from the existing Energy and Environmental Policy Studies Program in September of 2001.  Since then, the enrollment has increased many folds and the program of studies has evolved in response to students’ demands and departmental growth in the research areas related to environmental science and policy.  To ensure that students are exposed to the breadth and rigor of contemporary environmental studies, our major is being re-structured along two distinct concentrations of study within the field of environmental studies: Environmental Earth Science and Environmental Management and Policy.  These concentrations are organized to promote an intensive understanding of contemporary physical science, specifically earth system science as it relates to environmental issues, and an intensive understanding of a system-based approach to the dynamic nature of human-environmental interactions particularly as manifest in contemporary politics and economics.   Required Classes    Electives   

Choice of Minors.  
The suggested minors are designed to simultaneously further focus the students’ course of study while encouraging them to specialize in a specific area of application as biology, chemistry, computer science, economics, math/statistics, physics, political science, and urban studies.   List of Minors

Core courses.  
Five courses and capstone experience define a common core for the two concentrations.  This common core provides an excellent physical science and environmental studies bases for all the majors.  The capstone experience is designed to provide ‘real world’ research/employment experience for the majors nearing graduation.   The capstone experience must be approved by the major advisor, and will include the development of a significant writing project that reflects the research done, among other possible requirements specific to each experience.   Helpful Guidelines

I. Required Courses for
a. Environmental Earth Science Concentration
b. Environmental Management and Policy Concentration

(*) CHEM102/103 and CHEM 104/105 together constitute one year of general chemistry for science majors
(**) Honors can be taken for 3 credits, the Internship can be taken for 3-5 credits.

II.  Electives -
A MINIMUM of 18 credits from the list of courses below, subject to the condition that 4 courses (or 12 credits) must be at the 300-level or higher. Courses taken as electives can not also be counted towards the minor requirements and vice versa.*, ** Courses not listed may be included in a student's concentration with permission of the Environmental Studies adviser.

a. Guide for Environmental Earth Science Concentration

b. Guide for Environmental Management and Policy Concentration
    In addition to courses listed in a., the following choices:

*Courses may be added or deleted as college offerings change.  One or more courses not listed may be included in a student’s concentration with the advice and consent of the ES advisor.
**Is it strongly recommended that students take STAT 113 - Elementary Prob. and Stat.
***Available to upper seniors or with instructor’s permission

Total number of credits to satisfy Environmental Studies Major             40-42

Minors in Related Disciplines for either Environmental Earth Science or Environmental Management and Policy Concentrations

The course requirements for minors can be modified only in consultation with and approval of the ES advisor; minors in disciplines not listed are possible only with permission of the program advisor.  Courses taken for the minor can not also be counted towards the elective requirements and vice versa.

1. Biology: total credits 12 
At least two courses beyond the Distribution or General Education Requirement (BIOL 100, 102) at the 200 level or above are required.  Note:  Both BIOL 100 and BIOL 102 must be completed in order to receive the 9 course credits.  

2. Chemistry: total credits 12 or 13

3. Computer Science: total credits 12

4. Economics: total credits 12

5. Mathematics/Statistics: total credits 12.5 (mathematics) or 13 (statistics)

Note: MATH 100 (Basic Structures of mathematics), MATH 101 (Algebra for College Students), and STAT 113 (Elementary Probability and Statistics), or the equivalent, are strongly recommended.  These three courses may not be applied towards the minor.   

6. Physics: total credits 12 (without calculus) or 14 (with calculus)

Note: PHYS 101 (Basic Concepts of Physics), or the equivalent, is strongly recommended. This course can not be applied towards the minor. 

7.  Political Science: total credits 12

8.  Urban Studies: total credits 12

Note: These courses maintain pre-requisites and/or conditions of instructor’s permission.   Graduate courses (*) are typically only open to upper seniors.