Environmental Studies Major & Minor

The Environmental Studies (ES) Program offers a highly interdisciplinary major and minor that explore the interactions between human societies and the environments in which we exist.  ES students examine a broad range of environmental issues throughout their courses, using methods and perspectives from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.  Graduates develop a broadly based foundation for recognizing, assessing, and solving environmental challenges.

  • Bachelor of Science

    The Bachelor of Science Degree

    Note: The grade point average of all the coursework comprising the major must be no less than 2.00 with no course grade below C- (1.70) in all courses other than Calculus II.

    15 units, including:

    • ENVR201 Introduction to Environmental Studies

    • ENVR230 Environmental Economics

    • ENVR269 Topics in Environmental Ethics

    • ENVR362 Environmental Law and Policy

    • ENVR391 Environmental Senior Seminar

    • One course in environmental life science chosen from:

      • ENVR109 Introduction to Ecology

      • ENVR111 Marine Biology of the Chesapeake Bay

      • ENVR199 Introduction to Biological Thinking

    • One course in physical environmental science chosen from:

    • Introductory statistics requirement: DSST189 (preferred), BIOL320, BUAD202, CHEM300, PSYC200, or equivalent course approved by the ES coordinator

    • One course in environmental research methods, chosen from:

      • ANTH211 Field Methods in Ethnography

      • CHEM301 Quantitative Chemical Analysis

      • CHEM302 Instrumentation and Spectroscopy

      • ECON370 Advanced Econometrics

      • GEOG260 Foundations of Geospatial Analysis

      • MATH304 Math Models in Biology and Medicine

      • SOC211 Sociological Research Methods and Data Analysis

    • Three units of electives approved for environmental studies, no more than 1U of which can be satisfied by independent study (ENVR390 or equivalent). 

    • An experiential component of the degree is required, satisfied by supervised research (ENVR320 or ENVR406) or an approved internship (ENVR388). Equivalent courses in other disciplines may satisfy this requirement with approval from the ES coordinator.

    • One of MATH212 Calculus II or DSST289 Introduction to Data Science

    • Two units in biology, chemistry, or physics at or above the 300 level

    Students are expected to fulfill all prerequisites necessary for courses within the major. Prerequisites do not count toward the major unless otherwise noted.

  • Bachelor of Arts

    The Bachelor of Arts Degree

    Note: The grade point average of all the coursework comprising the major must be no less than 2.00 with no course grade below C- (1.70) in all courses other than Calculus II.

    12 units, including:

    • ENVR201 Introduction to Environmental Studies

    • ENVR230 Environmental Economics

    • ENVR269 Topics in Environmental Ethics

    • ENVR362 Environmental Law and Policy

    • ENVR391 Environmental Senior Seminar

    • One course in environmental life science chosen from:

      • ENVR109 Introduction to Ecology

      • ENVR111 Marine Biology of the Chesapeake Bay

      • ENVR199 Introduction to Biological Thinking

    • One course in physical environmental science chosen from:

    • Introductory statistics requirement:  DSST189 (preferred), BIOL320, BUAD202, CHEM300, PSYC200, or equivalent course approved by the ES coordinator

    • One course in environmental research methods, chosen from:

      • ANTH211 Field Methods in Ethnography

      • CHEM301 Quantitative Chemical Analysis

      • CHEM302 Instrumentation and Spectroscopy

      • ECON370 Advanced Econometrics

      • GEOG260 Foundations of Geospatial Analysis

      • MATH304 Math Models in Biology and Medicine

      • SOC211 Sociological Research Methods and Data Analysis

    • Three units of electives approved for environmental studies, no more than 1U of which can be satisfied by independent study (ENVR390 or equivalent). 

    • An experiential component of the degree is required, satisfied by supervised research (ENVR320 or ENVR406) or an approved internship (ENVR388). Equivalent courses in other disciplines may satisfy this requirement with approval from the ES coordinator.

  • Minor

    The Environmental Studies Minor

    Note: The grade point average of all the coursework comprising the minor in environmental studies must be no less than 2.00 with no course grade below C- (1.70).

    Six units, including:

    • ENVR201 Introduction to Environmental Studies

    • ENVR230 Environmental Economics or ENVR362 Environmental Law and Policy

    • ENVR269 Topics in Environmental Ethics

    • One course in environmental life science chosen from:

      • ENVR109 Introduction to Ecology

      • ENVR111 Marine Biology of the Chesapeake Bay

      • ENVR199 Introduction to Biological Thinking

    • One course in physical environmental science chosen from:

    • One approved elective in environmental studies

    Students are expected to fulfill all prerequisites necessary for courses within the minor. Prerequisites do not count toward the minor unless otherwise noted.

  • Electives

    Environmental Studies Electives

    BIOL306 Systematic Botany

    BIOL325 Evolution

    BIOL330 Urban Ecology and Evolution

    BIOL331 Molecular Ecology

    BIOL333 Microbial Ecology

    BIOL334 Behavioral Ecology

    BIOL381 Advanced Topics in Ecology

    BIOL382 Conservation Biology

    BIOL383 Tropical Biology & Conservation

    CHEM301 Quantitative Chemical Analysis

    CHEM302 Instrumentation and Spectroscopy

    CHEM316 Environmental Chemistry

    ENVR110 Pollutants in the Environment

    ENVR250  Planet Earth: Wind, Water, Fire

    ENVR300 Special Topics

    ENVR322 The Global Impact of Climate Change

    ECON330  Environmental and Resource Economic Theory

    GEOG390 Independent Study

    GEOG215 Geography of the James

    GEOG220 Ecotourism

    GEOG240 Weather, Climate, and Society

    GEOG260 Foundations of Geospatial Analysis

    GEOG315/BIOL315 Landscape Ecology

    GEOG316/BIOL316 Biogeography and Global Change

    GEOG320 Power, Space and Territory: Geographies of Political Change

    GEOG333 Geographies of Amazonia

    GEOG345 Global Sustainability: Society, Economy, Nature

    GEOG360 Environmental Remote Sensing

    GEOG365 Advanced Spatial Analysis

    GEOG370 Global Climate Investment

    HIST390 Food & Power in Africa and Asia

    MGMT348 Environmental Management

    MGMT353 Sustainability and Accountability in Business

    MATH304 Math Models in Biology and Medicine

    PLSC360 International Development Policy

    RELG374 Religion and the American Environment

    SUST101 Introduction to Sustainability