Department of Earth and Environmental Science

Environmental Studies:

Sustainability and Environmental Management:

Courses are designed to help students understand the nature of environmental constraints which face organizations and individuals in the modern world, and to understand how these constraints can be effectively considered as part of the decision-making process in for-profit and non-profit organizations. 

Planner for the Sustainability and Environmental Management concentration

CONCENTRATION REQUIREMENTS- italicized requirements can be fulfilled by a list of pre-approved courses, organized by theme

1)EAS 401: Energy and its impacts: technology, ecology, economics and sustainability OR EAS 402: Renewable energy and its impact (SEAS) (1 CU)
2) Environmental Policy; 1 cu
3) Environmental Economics; 1 cu
4-5)Two out of the three following courses (2 CU’s)

LGST 215/815 (Wharton): Environmental Management Law and Policy
OPIM/BPUB 261/SYS 567 (Wharton): Risk Analysis and Environmental Management
BPUB 204 (Wharton): Cost-Benefit Analysis

6-7) 2 upper division courses that are thematically related to the senior thesis and are chosen with the approval of a major advisor (2 CU’s).

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

(Minimum 15 credits for Major / 35 credits total )

Required Core Courses (8 cu’s). 

1) ENVS 200: Intro to Environmental Earth Science

2) ENVS 204: Global Climate Change or GEOL 100: Intro to Geology or 109: Intro to Geology  

3) Data Analysis and Statistics; 1 course from the following, or a suitable replacement

4) Economics and Policy; 1 course from the following, or a suitable replacement

5) ENVS 301: Environmental Case Studies or ENVS 400 Environmental Studies Seminar

6) Geographical or Environmental Modeling; 1 course unit. See course options below

7) ENVS 399 Environmental Research Seminar (1 cu).  This seminar is designed to help Juniors initiate their Thesis research. Topic selection, advisor identification, funding options, and basic research methods will be discussed.

8) ENVS 499/498a and b: Senior Thesis (0.5 cu each):  Students work with an advisor in their discipline and write and present a thesis on a topic which combines their concentration with Environmental Studies.  Students meet as a group once a week to discuss progress and prepare for the Senior Research Conference.

CURRICULUM-RELATED PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

Each student is encouraged to attend a summer field course or to seek a summer internship, summer employment, and/or academic-year practical experience/research related to his/her individual curriculum. Opportunities suited to a student's interests can usually be found. Students should discuss their options with their ENVS advisor.