Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies

Program Description

To demonstrate depth of learning, an elective study area is required of all students in the major. Additionally, a research course, an internship, or field study is an essential part of the curriculum to provide real-world experience in an appropriate subject area. Seniors are expected to share these experiences with the rest of the academic community by participating in an annual environmental studies colloquium.

A. Foundation Courses

  1. Natural Sciences (20 credits)
    1. BIO 201 - Principles of Biology - From Organisms to Ecosystems
    2. CHE 131 - General Chemistry, CHE 133 - General Chemistry Lab1
    3. MAT 125 or MAT 131 or MAT 141 - Calculus
    4. PHY/ENS 119 - Physics for Environmental Studies2
    5. GEO 101 - Environmental Geology, GEO 111 - Environmental Geology Lab

  2. Social Sciences (11 credits)
    1. ANP 120 - Introduction to Physical Anthropology
    2. ECO 107 - Introduction to Economic Reasoning
    3. POL 102 - Introduction to American Government

  3. Humanities (3 credits)
    1. PHI 104 - Moral Reasoning or PHI 105 - Politics and Society

  4. Communications - Proficiency in writing, oral communication, and computer literacy will be encouraged in all students. These skills will be developed within the context of formal course work and no additional credits are required3.
  5. Upper-Division Writing Requirement - All students in the major must submit two papers from any upper division course in the major to the Director of Undergraduate Programs for evaluation by the end of the junior year.

B. Core Requirements (20 credits)

  1. BIO 113 - Applied Ecology
  2. Probability and Statistics - Any one of the following courses: AMS 102, AMS 110, AMS 310, ECO 320, POL 201, PSY 201, or SOC 202.
  3. MAR 340 - Environmental Problems and Solutions or
    ENS 301 Seminar in Environmental Studies
  4. MAR 391 - Environmental Policy
  5. BIO/ENS 386 - The Global Environment
  6. ENS 312 - Population, Technology, and the Environment
  7. Research/Internship/Field Experience (2 credits). This requirement is fulfilled by completing one of the following:
    1. ENS 443 - Environmental Problem Solving, or
    2. XXX 487 - Research4, or
    3. ENS 488 - Internship5. Each senior student is required to make an oral presentation on their research at an annual senior colloquium.

C. Concentrations (12 credits)

All students in the major must take a set of four courses in an elective study area to develop depth of knowledge in a specific field of interest. Approved elective study areas are available in the following areas:

  1. Archaeology
    1. ANT 104 - Introduction to Archaeology
    2. ANT 357 - The Agricultural Revolution
    3. ANT 362 - Long Island Archaeology
    4. Choice of any other upper-division archaeology course as fourth course in area

  2. Atmospheric Studies
    1. ATM 205 - Introduction to Atmospheric Science (3 cr)
    2. ATM 237 - Global Atmospheric Change (3 cr)
    3. ATM 397 - Air Pollution and its Control (3 cr)
    4. MAR 334 - Remote Sensing in the Environment (3 cr)
    5. Other upper-division ATM courses (ATM 345, ATM 346, or ATM 348) can be substituted

  3. Conservation/Physical Anthropology
    1. ANP 210 - The Living Primates
    2. ANP 350 - Primate Behavior and Ecology
    3. ANP 360 - Primate Conservation
    4. MAR 315 - Conservation Biology and Marine Biodiversity

  4. Ecology
    1. BIO 351 - Ecology
    2. BIO 352 - Ecology Lab
    3. BIO 353 - Marine Ecology
    4. BIO 354 - Evolution or BIO 385 - Plant Ecology
    5. Other upper-division ecology courses (e.g., MAR 320 - Limnology, MAR 371 - Tropical Marine Ecology) can be substituted for BIO 353 and BIO 354/ BIO 385

  5. Environmental Economics
    1. ECO 109 - Introduction to Analytical Economics
    2. ECO 303 - Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
    3. ECO 373 - Economics of the Environment and Natural Resources
    4. Choice of any other upper-division economics course as 4th course in area

  6. Environmental Law
    1. POL 320 - Constitutional Law and Politics
    2. POL 329 - Administrative Law
    3. POL/MAR 313 - Environmental Law
    4. POL 366 - Government Regulation of Business
    5. Other upper-division courses (i.e., POL 359, POL 364, POL 351, PHI 375) can be substituted for POL 366

  7. Marine Environmental Studies
    1. MAR 333 - Coastal Oceanography
    2. MAR 336 - Marine Pollution
    3. MAR 315 - Conservation Biology and Marine Biodiversity
    4. MAR 385 - Principles of Fisheries Biology and Management
    5. Other upper-division courses (BIO 343, BIO 353, MAR 302, MAR 304, M.AR307, MAR 308, MAR 334, MAR350, MAR 351, MAR 366, MAR 371, MAR 390) can be substituted for MAR 315 and/or MAR 385

  8. Public Policy
    1. POL 359 - Public Policy Analysis
    2. POL 364 - Organizational Decision Making
    3. POL 366 - Government Regulation of Business
    4. PHI 364 - Philosophy of Technology or PHI 366 - Philosophy and the Environment

  9. Waste Reduction and Management
    1. MAR 392 - Waste Management Issues (3 cr)
    2. MAR 393 - Treatment Technologies (3 cr). Focus on technologies for handling various waste types, including municipal solid waste (landfilling, incineration, composting, reuse and recycling), sewerage, medical waste, hazardous waste, and oil spills. Concept of waste prevention will also be introduced.
    3. MAR/POL 313 - Environmental Law (3 cr). Case law approach to federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations. Examines cases and statutes relating to protection of natural resources, air, water, and disposal of solid waste. (Note: This course would require an adjunct faculty member.)
    4. BCP/MAR 394 - Toxicology and Public Health (3 cr). Provides an introduction to principles of toxicology and an overview of public health issues related to waste management.

D. Environmental Colloquium Presentation

Each year a senior colloquium will be held at which all graduating seniors will make an oral presentation on the results of their research or internship. This can be based on research taken for credit as detailed in Note 5 below.

E. Notes

  1. This requirement can also be satisfied by CHE 141, 143.
  2. This requirement can also be satisfied by PHY 117, 118 or 121, 122 or 125, 126, 127 or 131, 132 or 141, 142.
  3. The communications statement assumes that the University's general education program will require completion of two writing courses and will add a computer literacy requirement.
  4. Two credits of any course numbered 487 or equivalent with one of the following designators: ANP, ANT, ATM, BCP, BIO, CHE, ECO, ENS, EST, GEO, MAR, PHY, POL. In addition to other prerequisites, credit for major requires approval of the research topic by the Director of Undergraduate Programs of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. A presentation at the annual senior colloquium is also required.
  5. Two credits of any course numbered 488 or equivalent with one of the following designators: ANP, ANT, ATM, BCP, BIO, CHE, ECO, ENS, EST, GEO, MAR, PHY, POL. In addition to other prerequisites, credit for major requires approval of the internship by the Director of Undergraduate Programs of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences.

F. Graduation Checklist for Environmental Studies Major

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Page last modified on Friday, June 29, 2007 by George E. Carroll