School of Arts and Sciences
Environmental Studies Program

BA/BS in Environmental Studies (co-major)

The Environmental Studies Co-major allows students to master basic scientific principles of environmental processes to examine interactions between technology and the environment, and to explore the societal context for implementing environmental policy. 

Program Requirements and Policies

This co-major requires the completion of five core courses and five courses in a thematic track. Students must also complete a pre-approved environmental internship (min. 100hrs; ENV 99). Students pursuing this major must double-major in a second discipline. We recommend students to start with the gateway interdisciplinary course ENV 1 Introduction to Environmental Studies.

Students majoring in Environmental Studies may:

  • double-count up to three courses with a stand-alone major in a different department or program
  • double-count up to up to two courses with a minor in another department or program
  • count up to two (approved) classes taken abroad
  • use one (approved) Experimental College class toward this major
  • petition classes not listed in the major's website in order to fulfill degree requirements (see ENVS Academic Policies)

Course Requirements

Core Courses (n=5)

Five core courses:

A. ENV 1 Introduction to Environmental Studies

B. Two of the following Natural Sciences/Technology courses:

  • BIO 7 Global Change Biology * (or Env. Sci. AP score 5)
  • ECS 3 Intro to Climate Science
  • ENV 6 One Health: Animals, Environment, Humans
  • ES 25 Environment and Technology
  • CHEM 8 Environmental Chemistry
  • EOS 2 Environmental Geology (No longer offered but accepted)

C. One of the following Environmental Policy courses:

  • ENV 135 Environmental Policy: US Challenges and Solutions
  • ENV 135 Environmental Policy: Linking US and Global Politics

D. One of the following Environmental Economics courses:

  • EC 8 Principles of Economics with Environmental Applications **
  • EC 30 Environmental Economics (pre-req EC 5) **

Specialization in a thematic track (n=5)

Students will complete five courses in a specialized track: an introductory course, a methods or research course, and three elective courses.

Internship (n=1)

  • ENV 99 Environmental Internship (Must be pre-approved. See Internships page.)

* Biology majors may take BIO 142 or BIO 144. Students with Environmental Systems and Societies IB credit may substitute if they have a score of 6 or 7.

** EC 9 Review of Ec Principles w/Env App can be used to fulfill the Environmental Economics requirement. Economics majors and minors may use EC 130 Topics in Environmental Economics to fulfill this requirement.