Overview of Courses

The courses listed below represent the curriculum offered within this discipline. Here’s a sample of what you can expect to learn and do:

Humanities

• Foundations in Environmental Studies
  Students engage in major questions of environmental studies through readings, class discussions, interaction with faculty and others working in the field, field observation, and through their own inquiry. Required for all environmental science and environmental studies majors.
• Environmental Ethics
  This course examines our moral responsibilities to the beings in the natural world. Among the topics discussed are environmental justice, biodiversity loss, animal welfare, wilderness preservation, world population, global climate change, toxins and pollution, duties to future generations, and the meaning of sustainability.
• Christianity and the Environment
  Students develop an understanding of the universe and of the Earth as divine manifestations. The course focuses particularly on the Creation-affirming tradition within Christianity and on this view’s capacity to inform contemporary scientific perspectives and interpretations with an appreciation for and articulation of their sacred dimensions.

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Social Sciences

• Foundations in Environmental Studies
  Students explore the major questions of environmental studies through readings, class discussions, interaction with faculty and others working in the field, field observation, and through their own inquiry. Required for all environmental science and environmental studies majors.
• Environmental Sociology
  Through readings, films, lectures, and discussions, students learn to think critically and theoretically about environmental issues, problems, and controversies. Emphasis is placed on developing a system of values that will allow students to contribute to the future sustainability of the planet.
• Environmental Communications
  This course presents an overview of how environmental information is expressed in mass communication and media. Important environmental theory and issues will be discussed. Students use and sharpen their writing skills, learn how to evaluate scientific information, and study issues with conflicting data.

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Curriculum for Environment Studies Majors

All majors enrolled in this program take a 4-course core curriculum, 11-12 hours of concentration courses within their major, selected adjunct courses and 30-33 hours of electives (major electives and general electives). This curriculum introduces students to the major global and regional environmental issues facing the planet today, and provides students with the knowledge and problem-solving skills that will enable them to play an active role in understanding our global and regional ecosystems and contributing to their future well-being. Depending on the area of concentration, this curriculum will prepare students for entry into graduate or professional schools and career paths in a diversity of fields such as environmental research, environmental policy/law, sustainability planning and development, natural resource management and conservation, environmental communications, environmental education, creative writing, environmental consulting and many others, in both public and private sectors. Graduating seniors must also complete an exit interview with the Program Director. 

Core Curriculum

Environmental Science and Environmental Studies majors are expected to complete a 4-course core curriculum that consists of an introductory foundations course, a course in statistics, an ecology and evolution course, and a senior capstone course (The Senior Experience).

Environment Core Courses:

• ENVA A105 Foundations in Environmental Studies
• BIOL A208 Ecology & Evolution
• MATH A260 Introduction to Statistics
• ENVA A497/498/499 Senior Experience (Capstone Course)

Concentration Courses include 3-4 advanced courses within the Biological Sciences (B.S.), the humanities (B.A.), or social sciences (B.A.) depending upon the major and area of concentration chosen by the student. For the Environmental Science (B.S.) degree, the concentration courses include a combination of lecture only and lecture + lab courses.

Adjunct And Major Elective Courses

In addition to the concentration and core courses, students will take appropriate major elective and adjunct courses in each of the three main program areas: natural sciences/mathematics, social sciences/business/law, and humanities/arts. These courses are intended to provide students with an increased understanding of the breadth of perspectives examining environmental issues and to strengthen fundamental skills and knowledge in the natural sciences and the environment. All students are required to take a course in Environmental Ethics or Environmental Philosophy. B.S. and B.A. (Humanities concentration) students are required to take Environmental Sociology. Beyond these requirements, the specific adjunct and major elective courses required vary depending upon the major and area of concentration.

Adjunct and Major Elective Course Requirements for the B.A. in Environmental Studies (Humanities Concentration):

• PHIL J243 or J245 Environmental Ethics/Environmental Philosophy
• SOCI A355 Environmental Sociology
• NATURAL SCIENCE 2 Natural Science/Mathematics Environment electives
• SOCIAL SCIENCE/LAW 2 Social Science/Law/Business Environment electives

Adjunct and Major Elective Course Requirements for the B.A. in Environmental Studies (Social Science Concentration):

• PHIL J243 or J245 Environmental Ethics/Environmental Philosophy
• NATURAL SCIENCE 2 Natural Science/Mathematics Environment electives
• HUMANITIES/ARTS 2 Humanities/Arts Environment electives

The Senior Experience (Capstone Course)

The culmination of the major and minor is a Senior Capstone Experience consisting either of an internship (ENVA A497), a research project (ENVA A498) or an independent study (ENVA A499). 

Senior Capstone Experience
Senior Capstone Experience Agreement
​Capstone Waiver of Liability Form
Evaluation Form

Environmental Studies Course Information

Find out more about the Environmental Studies major:

• Curriculum Requirements
• Curriculum Requirements By Entering Year
• Course Descriptions