Environmental Studies (ES)
The Environmental Studies (ES) option within the Interdisciplinary Studies major is designed for students who want to act critically and creatively in response to the environmental challenges facing the world today. The option's two pathways (Sustainability and Society [S&S] and Conservation Science and Management [CSM]) share a commitment to educating future practitioners who can address those challenges in their professional careers and personal lives.
ES teaches students to integrate environmental knowledge across the natural and social sciences, as well as the arts and humanities. Hands-on learning, field experiences, and problem-based instruction focus on finding answers to complex problems that include scientific, social, political, cultural, and ethical dimensions.
Graduating Environmental Studies students develop careers in management, planning, advocacy, communications, and policy-making across a wide array of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. They also pursue disciplinary and interdisciplinary graduate education in environmental fields that range across the arts, humanities, and social and natural sciences.
Lower Division Prerequisites
- One introductory Chemistry course (BCUSP 142 or equivalent)
- One introductory Biology course (BES 180 or equivalent)
- One introductory Earth System Science course (BIS 242 or Geology or Oceanography or Physical Geography or equivalent)
- One introductory Statistics course (BIS 232 or equivalent.). Students can be admitted to the major without having met this requirement if they enroll in BIS 315 during their junior year.
Environmental Studies Requirements
All BIS and/or BES 3xx and 4xx courses are under development.
Requirements for both S&S and CSM
35 Credits
- BIS 300 Interdisciplinary Inquiry
- BES 301 Science Methods & Practice OR BIS 312 Approaches to Social Research
- BIS 243 Introduction to Environmental Studies
- BES 312 Ecology OR BIS 390 Ecology and the Environment
- BCUSP 200, BIS 320, BIS 324, BIS 394 or equiv. Economics (Political Economy or Environmental Economics)
- BIS 356 Ethics and the Environment OR BIS 3xx Foundations of Environmental Thought
- BIS 490 Senior Seminar or BES 462, 463 & 464 Senior Capstone Experience
Pathway Requirements
My experience in the environmental studies option was incredible! The professors were amazing, the campus wetlands were a natural classroom, and the classes were relevant for real-world situations.They challenged and stretched my thinking, and I was able to grow not only as a student, but as a person.Amy Johnson Class of 2007
Sustainability and Society (S&S)
10 Credits of Core Requirements
- BIS 240 Introduction to Sustainable Practices (5 credits)
- BIS 392 Water & Sustainability (5 credits)
- BIS 459 Conservation & Sustainability Development (5 credits)
- BIS 3xx Topics in Sustainability (5 credits)
25 Credits of Distribution Requirements
- Environmental Science (5 credits)
- Methods & Practice (5 credits)
- Society & Environment (10 credits)
- Policy & Management (5 credits)
List of all Environmental Studies S&S distribution courses
Conservation Science & Management Pathway (CSM)
10 credits of Core Requirements
- BIS 3xx Introduction to GIS (5 credits)
- BES 485 Conservation Biology (5 credits)
25 credits of Distribution Requirements
- Environmental Science (5 credits)
- Methods & Practice (5 credits)
- Society & Environment (5 credits)
- Policy & Management (10 credits)
List of all Environmental Studies CSM distribution courses
General Electives
20 credits
Note: Within the credits taken in the IAS curriculum, students must complete 10 credits each in Visual, Literary and Performing Arts (VLPA); Individuals & Societies (I&S); and Natural World (NW).
Environmental Studies Core & Affiliate Faculty and Staff
ES Core & Affiliate Faculty
Nives Dolsak, Ben Gardner, Mike Gillespie, Warren Gold, Martha Groom, Dan Jaffe, Dave Stokes, Rob Turner