The Environmental Studies major provides students with a broad foundation in the environmental sciences, social sciences, environmental economics and policy, environmental history and communication. It also provides students with local, regional and global perspectives on current environmental issues and problems.
Graduates are able to think broadly on local, regional and global levels, understand and synthesize information from multiple disciplines and perspectives, communicate effectively and ethically, and to use their knowledge and skills to promote sustainable, equitable and healthy human and non-human communities.
To learn more about the major, visit the Science & Environmental Policy website.
required courses
In order to graduate, you will also need to complete your general education and university requirements.
Complete ALL of the following Environmental Science & Quantitative Analysis courses:
And complete ONE of the following courses:
Complete ONE of the following Environmental Economics and Policy courses:
And complete ONE of the following courses:
An complete ONE of the following courses:
Complete ONE of the following Culture & the Environment courses:
Complete ONE of the following Global Environmental Perspectives courses:
- GS 320: Global Issues & 3rd World
- GS 375: Ecological Political Economy
- GS 385: Global Ecology
- GS 339: Sweat/Service/Solidarity
- SBS 252: Wrl/Reg/Geo/Cul/Soc/Sp:On-line
- SBS 352: On-line:Wrl/Reg/Geo/Cul/Soc/Sp
- ENSTU 309: Science and Policy of Global Change
Complete ONE of the following Critical Thinking & Communication courses:
Complete ONE of the following Service Learning courses:
Select one of the following Concentrations consisting of 7 courses for 28 credits
science for sustainable communities
Complete at least TWO (and up to FIVE) of the following Environmental Science courses not taken previously:
Complete at least TWO (and up to FIVE) of the following Social Science, Humanities, and the Environment courses not taken previously:
- BUS 433: Management of Nonprofit Organization
- CART 237/L: Intro to Video
- CART 301: Practical Application
- CART 339: Advanced Video Prod Lect
- CART 424: Environmental Media Arts
- CHHS 330: Collaborative Leadership & Community Building
- CHHS 340: Collaborative Negotiation
- CHHS 350: Ethics for Health & Human Services
- CHHS 445: Principles of Grantsmanship
- ENSTU 384: Social & Ecological Justice
- ENSTU 384S: Social and Ecol Justice
- GS 320: Global Issues & 3rd World
- GS 342: Economic Thought: History and Contemporary Interpretations
- GS 370: Global Political Economy
- GS 375: Ecological Political Economy
- GS 376: Political Economy of the US
- GS 385: Global Ecology
- GS 390: Global Politics
- PH 447: Food Policy, Culture & Hlth
- HCOM 403: Ethical Issues
- HCOM 432: Social Action Writing
- HCOM 432S: Social Action Writing
- KIN 382: Wilderness Leadership
- KIN 385/L: Outdoor Edu/Rec Program Admin
- SBS 252: Wrl/Reg/Geo/Cul/Soc/Sp:On-line
- SBS 352: On-line:Wrl/Reg/Geo/Cul/Soc/Sp
- SBS 333: Forensic Anthropology
- SBS 355: Archaeologic/Thought/Americas
- SBS 356: People, Places, & Environment: An Introduction to Geography
- SBS 362/L: Rsrch Mthd for SBS: Qual Emph
- SBS 366/L: Research Methods for SBS: Quantitative Emphasis
- SBS 371: Applications/GIS/Soc/Scie/Busi
- HOSP 471: Ecotourism Management
- HOSP 472: Coastal & Ocean Hospitality Operations
- HOSP 473: Ecotourism & Stewardship
environmental education
Complete one of the following Environmental Education in a Community Setting courses:
Complete TWO of the following Visual & Media Tools courses:
Complete ONE of the following Natural History courses:
Complete THREE of the following Environmental Education courses:
- BIO 379S: Biology Service Learning
- CART 339: Advanced Video Prod Lect
- CART 399S: Community-Based Media
- CART 424: Environmental Media Arts
- CST 351: Web Design
- ENSTU 349S: Environmental Interpretation and Outreach
- ENSTU 369S: Com-Based Watershed Restor SL
- HOSP 471: Ecotourism Management
- HOSP 472: Coastal & Ocean Hospitality Operations
- HOSP 473: Ecotourism & Stewardship
- KIN 382/L: Wilderness Leadership
- KIN 383/L: Fdn of Adventure Education
- KIN 384/L: Wilderness Experience
- KIN 385/L: Outdoor Edu/Rec Program Admin
- LS 380: Teaching for Social Change
- LS 383: Innov Approaches to Schooling
- LS 384: Issues in Comparative and International Education
- LS 391: Diversity in Educational Settings
- MSCI 359S: Marine Science in the Community
- Any upper-division Environmental Science course listed listed under the Science for Sustainable Communities concentration
learning outcomes
MLO 1: Environmental Science and Quantitative Analysis
Students will understand and apply core concepts and methods from biological, ecological and physical sciences.
MLO 2: Environmental Economics and Policy
Students will understand and apply core concepts and methods from environmental economics and environmental policy.
MLO 3: Culture and the Environment
Students will understand and apply the ethical, cross-cultural and historical contexts of environmental issues and problems.
MLO 4: Global Environmental Perspectives
Students will understand the transnational character of environmental problems, global patterns of resource distribution and how individual behaviors, national policies and international policies can create and resolve inequitable distributions of environmental benefits and burdens.
MLO 5: Critical Thinking & Communication
Students will demonstrate proficient critical thinking and ethical written and oral communication skills needed to conduct high-level work as interdisciplinary scholars and/or practitioners.
MLO 6: Service learning
Students will deepen their understanding of personal and professional social responsibility, and be able to apply the knowledge and skills of environmental studies to enhance the social, cultural and civic life of our communities; students will analyze and apply theories and practices from environmental studies to understand how individuals and social systems promote both equitable and inequitable practices in society; and students will learn from and work responsively and inclusively with diverse individuals, groups and organizations to build just and equitable communities. Courses used to fulfill the Service Learning MLO may double-count with MLO 3 but not with MLO 7.
MLO 7: Area of Concentration
Students will gain depth of understanding in Environmental Education or Science for Sustainable Communities and they will apply that knowledge to promote sustainable human and non-human communities.
course pathways
This pathway is one example of how you might complete your degree requirements, paying attention to course pre-requisites. There are many different possible pathways; the following are two generic examples of course pathways. Your own unique situation and a number of other factors may mean your actual pathway is different. Perhaps you'll need an extra math or language class, or one of the courses we've listed isn't offered in a particular semester. Don't worry - there is flexibility built into the curriculum. You'll want to work closely with an advisor and use the academic advisement report to take all that into account and develop a pathway that's customized for you. In the meantime, use this example as a starting point for choosing classes or discussing your plans with an advisor. Your advisor is your best resource when it comes to figuring out how to fit all the courses you need, in the right sequence, into your personal academic plan.
freshman pathway
fall freshman
Course:
FYS 181: Multicultural Health
Units:
4
Course:
STAT 100: Introduction to Statistics
Units:
4
Course:
ENVS 201: Intro to Environmental Science
Units:
4
Course:
SPAN 102: Beginning Spanish II
Units:
4
* This FYS class is just an example. The FYS class you choose might meet a different GE area, so you would have to adjust your actual pathway accordingly.
spring freshman
Course:
CHEM 109: Introductory Chemistry
Units:
4
Course:
ENVS 272: The Atmosphere
Units:
2
Requirement:
Major
Course:
ENSTU 211: Intro to Sci & Env Policy
Units:
4
Course:
SPAN 201: Intermediate Spanish I
Units:
4
Requirement:
Language Proficiency
fall sophomore
Course:
BIO 204: Introduction to Life Science
Units:
3
Course:
MATH 130: Precalculus
Units:
5
Course:
ENSTU 212S: Ethics, Equity & Environmental SL
Units:
6
spring sophomore
Course:
BIO 230: Environmental Biology
Units:
4
Course:
Any approved course
Units:
4
Course:
SBS 212: US Social Histories and Politics or GS 200: Politics of Everyday Life
Units:
4
Course:
GS 342: Economic Thought: History and Contemporary Interpretations
Units:
4
fall junior
Course:
ENSTU 300: Critical Thinking & Communication in Environmental Studies
Units:
4
Course:
GEOL 260: Geology/Hydrology
Units:
4
Requirement:
Major
Course:
ENSTU 387: Water Resource Assess/Law/Poli
Units:
4
Course:
Any approved course
Units:
4
Requirement:
Major
spring junior
Course:
SBS 385: Environmental History of California
Units:
4
Requirement:
Major
Course:
ENVS 284: Envi Econ & Management
Units:
2
Requirement:
Major
Course:
ENSTU 384: Social & Ecological Justice
Units:
3
Course:
ENSTU 384S: Social and Ecol Justice
Units:
2
Course:
Concentration Course #1
Units:
4
Requirement:
Concentration
fall senior
Course:
Concentration Course #2coi
Units:
5
Requirement:
Concentration
Course:
Concentration Course #3
Units:
4
Requirement:
Concentration
Course:
Concentration Course #4
Units:
4
Requirement:
Concentration
Course:
ENSTU 400: Capstone Seminar I
Units:
1
Requirement:
Major
spring senior
Course:
ENSTU 403: Capstone Seminar 2
Units:
3
Requirement:
Major
Course:
Concentration Course #5
Units:
4
Requirement:
Concentration
Course:
Concentration Course #6
Units:
4
Requirement:
Concentration
Course:
Concentration Course #7
Units:
4
Requirement:
Concentration
transfer pathway
fall junior
Course:
SBS 385: Environmental History of California
Units:
4
Course:
ENSTU 387: Water Resource Assess/Law/Poli
Units:
4
Course:
ENSTU 300: Critical Thinking & Communication in Environmental Studies
Units:
4
Course:
Language 102
Units:
4
spring junior
Course:
ENSTU 309: Science and Policy of Global Change
Units:
4
Requirement:
Major
Course:
Language 201
Units:
4
Requirement:
Language Proficiency
Course:
Concentration Course #1
Units:
4
Requirement:
Concentration
Course:
ENSTU 369S: Com-Based Watershed Restor SL
Units:
5
fall senior
Course:
Concentration Course #2
Units:
4
Requirement:
Concentration
Course:
Concentration Course #3
Units:
4
Requirement:
Concentration
Course:
Concentration Course #4
Units:
4
Requirement:
Concentration
Course:
ENSTU 400: Capstone Seminar I
Units:
1
Requirement:
Major
Course:
ENVS 284: Envi Econ & Management
Units:
2
Requirement:
Major
spring senior
Course:
ENSTU 403: Capstone Seminar 2
Units:
3
Requirement:
Major
Course:
Concentration Course #5
Units:
4
Requirement:
Concentration
Course:
Concentration Course #6
Units:
4
Requirement:
Concentration
Course:
Concentration Course #7
Units:
4
Requirement:
Concentration