Environmental Studies
The Environmental Studies major gives students an interdisciplinary background and enables them to think critically about, analyze, and understand today’s environmental issues. In this major, students receive a broad overview of environmental issues that includes environmental science, the social sciences, and humanities. Students take a core set of fundamental courses and then tailor a set of broad upper-level electives that reflects the students’ specific interests.
Major Requirements (46 Credits)
Foundation Courses (17 credits)
| BIO 101 | Introduction to Biology: Genetics, Evolution, and Ecology | 3 |
| BIO 101L | Laboratory to Introduction to Biology: Genetics, Evolution, and Ecology | 1 |
| ENV 200 | Understanding Environmental Issues | 3 |
| MAT 201 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
One of the following:
| BIO 102 | Introduction to Biology: Cell and Animal Biology | 3 |
| BIO 102L | Laboratory to Introduction to Biology: Cell and Animal Biology | 1 |
| Or | |
| BIO 103 | Introduction to Biology: Plant Science | 3 |
One additional 100-level science course (BIO, CHEM, ENV, GEO).
Lower-level Humanities and Social Sciences (9 credits)
Three of the following:
| ECN 100 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECN 101 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| COM 180 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| HIS 104 | Global History I: Traditions, Encounters, and Adaptation from the Stone Age to the 16th Century | 3 |
| HIS 105 | Global History II: Globalization, the Emergence of the Modern State, and Coping with Change | 3 |
| LC 110 | Reading Cultures: Approaches to Cultural Studies | 3 |
| POL 100 | Introduction to Political Science | 3 |
| POL 101 | Introduction to International Relations | 3 |
| SJS 100 | Sustainability and Social Justice: Ethics, Equality, and Environments | 3 |
Upper-level Science Courses (6 credits)
Two of the following:
| BIO 210T | Alpine Ecosystems | 3 |
BIO 3XX
| Any 300-level Biology course | |
| ENV 210 | Natural Disasters, Catastrophes, and the Environment | 3 |
| ENV 230T | Freshwater Conservation | 3 |
| ENV 250 | Quantitative Methods for Environmental Science | 3 |
| ENV 280T | Managing the New Zealand Environment | 3 |
| ENV 282T | Tourism and the Environment: Iceland | 3 |
| ENV 350 | Environmental Management in Switzerland | 3 |
| ENV 360 | Research Methods in Environmental Sciences | 3 |
| ENV 372 | Sustainability Science | 3 |
| ENV 399 | Research in Environmental Studies | 3 |
Upper-level Humanities and Social Sciences (12 credits)
Four of the following:
| AHT 361 | The Visual Culture of Disaster | 3 |
| CLCS 250 | Ecocritical Approaches to Film | 3 |
| CLCS 320 | Culture, Class, Cuisine: Questions of Taste | 3 |
| CLCS 330 | The Politics of Mobility: Exile and Immigration | 3 |
| CLCS 372 | Tales of Catastrophe | 3 |
| COM 301 | Globalization and Media | 3 |
| COM 310 | Issues in Journalism | 3 |
| COM 352 | Environmental Discourses | 3 |
| ECN 256 | Managerial Economics (Intermediate Microeconomics) | 3 |
| ECN 303 | Development Economics | 3 |
| ECN 330T | Neo-liberal India: Globalization and Development | 3 |
| ECN 331T | Sustainable Economic Development | 3 |
| ECN 341 | International Trade | 3 |
| ECN 355 | Political Economy: Theories and Issues | 3 |
| ENV 220 | Ecocritical Approaches to Literature | 3 |
| ENV 498 | Internship in Environmental Studies | 3 |
| ENV 499 | Senior Research Project in Environmental Studies | 3 |
| HIS 202T | History of Switzerland | 3 |
| HIS 325 | Human Rights in History | 3 |
| HIS 355 | The World and the West in the Long 19th Century | 3 |
| POL 281T | Sustainable Development in Africa: Politics, Prospects, and Practice | 3 |
| POL 310 | International Law | 3 |
| POL 321 | International Organization | 3 |
| POL 376 | International Environmental Politics | 3 |
| POL 377 | International Political Economy | 3 |
| POL 378 | International Politics of Energy and Sustainability | 3 |
Note: Prerequisites may be required for courses outside of the major.
Capstone Course (3 credits)
Students must complete two of the above requirements with 3-credit Academic Travel environmentally-themed courses, of which at least one must be ENV.