Jump to...
- Major Curriculum
- Minor Curriculum
- Advanced Placement
- ENVS courses in 2017-2018
- Montserrat
- Other information
The Environmental Studies major curriculum
The Environmental Studies (ENVS) major is a challenging multidisciplinary program of study that involves 14 courses from at least five departments. Each student tailors the major to her/his own interests and strengths within curricular guidelines.
Many of these courses are not offered every year, so careful planning is a must. We recommend that potential Environmental Studies majors complete most of the required 100-level courses by the end of their second year. Environmental Studies majors are required to successfully complete all prerequisite courses, particularly Bio 163 and Econ 199, to be admitted into upper-level courses. Once a major, students will be given preferential placement in some Environmental Studies courses.
After reviewing the course requirements, students should also review the information in the Guide for Prospective Students page.
Students seeking to major in Environmental Studies are required to meet with the Director of Environmental Studies (currently Prof. Sara Mitchell) to devise an initial plan of study. Please see the Procedures for Enrolling in Environmental Studies page for more details.
All majors must complete the following six courses:
- BIOL 117 Environmental Science
- BIOL 163 Introduction to Biological Diversity and Ecology w/Lab
- CHEM 181 Atoms and Molecules w/Lab
- GEOS 150 Introduction to Geology w/Lab
- ECON 110 Core Principles of Economics (prerequisite for ECON 224)
- ECON 224 Environmental Economics
Majors must also complete courses in each of the following categories:
7. One Environmental Politics or Policy Course:
POLS 257 Politics of Development
POLS 285 Global Environmental Politics
POLS 286 Comparative Environmental Policy
POLS 259 Natural Resource Conflicts in Latin America
8. One Environmental History or Environmental Philosophy Course:
HIST 140 Nature and Society
HIST 230 Environmental History
HIST 299 Europe's First Global Age
HIST 305 America’s First Global Age
PHIL 249 Environmental Ethics
PHIL 247 Environmental Political Philosophy
9. One upper level Geology or Biology course with a Lab:
BIOL 233 Freshwater Ecology w/Lab
BIOL 235 Marine Biology w/Lab
BIOL 250 Field Botany w/lab
BIOL 280 General Ecology w/Lab
GEOS 210 Geomorphology w/Lab
GEOS 270 Watershed Hydrology w/Lab
10. One upper level Geology or Biology course (lab optional). Students may choose a second course under requirement 9 or one of the courses listed below:
BIOL 331 Ecosystem Ecology
BIOL 361 Toxicology
BIOL 381 Conservation Biology
GEOS 310 Paleoclimatology
GEOS 350 Oceanography
11. One environmental arts, social science or humanities course. Students may choose an additional course under requirements 7 or 8 or one of the courses listed below:
CHIN 251 China and the Environment
CLAS 233 Nature in the Classical World
ENGL 344 Romantic Revolutions
ENGL 399 Georgic and Pastoral
ENGL 399 Environmental Poetics
ENGL 399 Thoreau Then and Now
ENGL 399 Reading Nature
GERM 299 German Environmentalism
RELS 255 Ecology and Religion
RELS 260 Comparative Mysticism and Human Ecology
RELS 353 Theology and Ecology
RELS 340 Gardens and World Religions
SOCL 210 Consumer and Corporate Sustainability
SOCL 236 Environmental Sociology
SOCL 238 Cities and Environment
SOCL 399 Disaster Sociology
SOCL 399 Social Disruption and the City
VAHI 250 Making the Modern City
VAHI 299 American Landscapes
VAST 206 Drawn to Nature
12. One course with a major quantitative or spatial analysis component:
BIOL 275 Biological Statistics
ENVS 247 Introduction to Geographical Information Systems
GEOS 270 Watershed Hydrology w/Lab (if used for quantitative component then doesn’t count for
requirement 9 above)
MATH 220 Statistics
13. And 14. Two additional upper-level (200 or higher) ENVS courses in any discipline (categories 7-12 above).
One of the upper level course requirements can be fulfilled by undergraduate research for academic credit with prior permission of the ENVS Director.
This list is frequently updated, and new courses (199, 299, and 399 courses) are added as appropriate. A small number of specific humanities courses may be taken for ENVS credit if class papers and projects are done on environmental topics; speak to the Director for more information.
Advanced Placement Credit in the ENVS major
AP credits may be used for advanced placement in the Environmental Studies curriculum but do not reduce the number of courses required. If you have AP credit in Chemistry or Environmental Science, we suggest that you contact the ENVS director to discuss your options prior to enrolling in either BIOL 117 or CHEM 181.
- AP Chemistry: Students scoring a 4 or 5 on the AP Chemistry exam may opt to skip CHEM 181 and take CHEM 231 (Equilbrium and Reactivity) instead.
- AP Environmental Science: Students scoring a 5 on the AP Environmental Science exam may opt to skip BIOL 117 and take an additional Environmental Studies elective in any discipline.
- AP Statistics or AP Microeconomics: Talk to the Director.
AP credits cannot be applied toward the ENVS minor.
The Environmental Studies minor curriculum
The Environmental Studies Minor is a multidisciplinary program of study that involves 7 courses from at least 3 departments. Each student tailors the minor to his/her own interests and strengths within the curricular guidelines. Students may apply for an Environmental Studies Minor in conjunction with any major.
Students seeking to minor in ENVS are required to meet with the Director of ENVS (currently Prof. Mitchell) to devise a list of available courses that complement the student’s major.
All ENVS minors are required to have successfully completed all of the pre-requisite courses to be admitted into upper-level courses.
Students majoring in the natural sciences must take 4 courses in the social sciences and humanities and 3 courses in the natural sciences. Students majoring in the social sciences and humanities must take 4 courses in the natural sciences and 3 courses in the social sciences and humanities. We strongly recommend that all non-science ENVS minors take BIOL 117 and consider taking BIOL 163.
Only two courses can count toward both a major and the ENVS minor.
Examples of ENVS Arts, Social Science, and Humanities Courses:
- ECON 224 Environmental Economics (highly recommended for ENVS minors)
- ENGL 399 Thoreau Then and Now
- HIST 230 Environmental History
- HIST 305 America’s First Global Age
- PHIL 240 Environmental Ethics
- PHIL 247 Environmental Political Philosophy
- POLS 257 Politics of Development
- POLS 285 Global Environmental Politics
- POLS 286 Comparative Environmental Policy
- RELS 255 Ecology and Religion
- RELS 353 Theology and Ecology
- SOCL 210 Consumer and Corporate Sustainability
- SOCL 236 Environmental Sociology
- VAHI 299 American Landscapes
Examples of ENVS Natural Science Courses
- BIOL 114 Biological Principles: Oceans and People
- BIOL 114 Biological Principles: Plants and Human Affairs
- BIOL 117 Environmental Science (highly recommended for ENVS minors)
- BIOL 163 Introduction to Biological Diversity and Ecology w/Lab
- BIOL 233 Freshwater Ecology w/Lab
- BIOL 235 Marine Biology w/Lab
- BIOL 250 Field Botany
- BIOL 280 General Ecology w/Lab
- BIOL 331 Ecosystem Ecology
- BIOL 361 Toxicology
- BIOL 381 Conservation Biology
- CHEM 141 Environmental Chemistry
- CHEM 181 w/Lab Atoms & Molecules
- ENVS 247 Introduction to Geographical Information Systems
- GEOS 150 Introduction to Geology w/Lab
- GEOS 210 Geomorphology w/Lab
- GEOS 270 Watershed Hydrology w/Lab
Students may also use study abroad courses and courses at other colleges and universities to fulfill Minor requirements with the prior permission of the Environmental Studies Director.
The courses listed above are regularly offered. Departments frequently offer additional courses that may be counted for ENVS credit. The Director will publicize other courses and how they may be used to fulfill Minor requirements.
Environmental Studies courses planned for 2018-2019 (subject to change)
| Department | Fall 2018 | Spring 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Biology |
117 Environmental Science 163 Intro to Div.& Ecol. with lab 233 Freshwater Ecology with lab 235 Marine Biology with lab 280 General Ecology with lab 275 Biostatistics* GEOS 150 Intro to Geology with lab |
117 Environmental Science 163 Intro to Div. & Ecol. with lab 275 Biostatistics* 331 Ecosystem Ecology 381 Conservation Biology GEOS 210 Geomorphology with lab GEOS 199 Geohazards (for minors only)
|
| Chemistry |
181 Atoms & Molecules with lab |
181 Atoms & Molecules with lab 231 Equilbrium and Reactivity with lab |
| Modern Languages | ||
| Classics | ||
| Economics |
110 Core Principles of Microeconomics (all seats held for 1st and 2nd year students)
|
110 Core Principles of Microeconomics (all seats held for 1st and 2nd year students) 224 Environmental Economics |
| English |
|
399 Environmental Poetics |
| ENVS | 247 Intro to Geographic Information Systems | |
| History | 230 Environmental History | |
| Mathematics | 220 Statistics | 220 Statistics |
| Philosophy | 249 Environmental Ethics | |
| Political Science | 259 Natural Resource Conflicts in Latin America | |
| Religious Studies |
260 Comparative Mysticism and Human Ecology 340 Gardens and World Religions |
|
| Sociology | 210 Consumer and Corporate Sustainability |
|
| Visual Arts | VAHI Making the Modern City | VAHI 299 American Landscapes |
Montserrat courses that count towards ENVS requirements
Each year, several Montserrat courses are approved for ENVS credit. Montserrat courses only count as a single course for either the major or the minor, even if both semesters are "environmental."
2014-2015
Me and the Environment/The Environment and Me (Prof. Hess), counts toward major as an environmental philosophy course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
The Idea of Wilderness/The Last Wilderness (Prof. Bunke), counts toward major as an environmental history course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
2015-2016
The Idea of Wilderness/Environmentalism 1940-2010 (Prof. Bunke), counts toward major as an environmental history course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
I Mean, Therefore I Eat/I Esteem, Therefore I Eat (Prof. Borghini), counts toward the major as an environmental philosophy course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
2016-2017
Energy and the Environment/Nanotechnology and Energy (Profs. Hupp and Farrell), counts toward major as a non-lab science course and towards the minor as a science course
I Mean, Therefore I Eat/I Esteem, Therefore I Eat (Prof. Borghini), counts toward the major as an environmental philosophy course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
Me and the Environment/The Environment and Me (Prof. Hess), counts toward major as an environmental philosophy course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
The Idea of Wilderness/The Last Wilderness (Prof. Bunke), counts toward major as an environmental history course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
Go West, Young Man and Woman/Bright Lights, Big Cities (Prof. Reents), counts toward major as an environmental arts/social science/humanities course and towars the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
2017-2018
Wilderness and Environmentalism (Bunke), counts toward major as an environmental history course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
Habitat Explorations (Schmitz-Burgard), counts toward major as an environmental humanities course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
Environmental Mathematics (Little), counts toward major as a quantitative course and towards the minor as a science course
Writing/Reading Place (Reents), counts toward major as an environmental humanities course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
Global Imagery (Raguin), counts toward major as an environmental humanities course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
2018-2019
*Better Living (Dustin and Mills), counts toward major as an environmental philosophy course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course (*pending ENVS approval)
Environmental Justice (Hess), counts toward major as an environmental philosophy course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
Environmental Mathematics (Little), counts toward major as a quantitative course and towards the minor as a science course
Nature in the City (Luria), counts toward the major as an environmental humanities course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
Wilderness and Environmentalism (Bunke), counts toward major as an environmental history course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
Writing/Reading Place (Reents), counts toward major as an environmental humanities course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
Global Imagery (Raguin), counts toward major as an environmental humanities course and towards the minor as an arts/humanities/social science course
Other information
After reviewing the course requirements, students should also review the information on the Guide for Prospective Students page. If a student wished to enroll in the program, please see the Procedures for Enrolling in ENVS page.
Advice for potential ENVS majors and minors:
Students contemplating the ENVS major or minor should be advised to take BIO 117 Environmental Science during their 1st year (and no later than Spring of 2nd year), and potential majors should plan to take ECON 112/199 before the end of their 2nd year. Performance and interests in these courses will help you in contemplating majoring or minoring in ENVS.
Students interested in ENVS must meet with the Director to discuss the program’s curriculum and to determine their level of interest and aptitude. Below are a series of questions we use to help potential ENVS students find the best major and level of involvement in the program. We encourage students to pursue majors in traditional departments and be involved in ENVS as either a minor or "friend of the program."
OPTION #1: Are you really best served by majoring in Biology or Chemistry? Students who aspire to attend graduate school or careers in environmental science should be advised to fully consider Biology or Chemistry as a major and Environmental Studies as a minor.
OPTION #2: Are you really best served by majoring in a social science discipline with a traditional department (e.g., Economics, Political Science, or Sociology) and minoring in ENVS? Students who aspire to pursue graduate school in the social sciences or environmental policy or work at an economic firm are advised to fully consider this option.
OPTION #3: Are you really best served by majoring in a humanities department (e.g., English, History, Philosophy, or Religion) and minoring in ENVS?
OPTION #4: Finally, are you perhaps really best served by majoring in ENVS? A) Are your interests in Environmental Studies and post-graduate aspirations well defined? B) Do you have a sufficient academic record and strong performance in Environmental Science, suggesting that you will succeed in the other required science courses? C) Are you likely to flourish in a multidisciplinary program?
Revised 1/3/18