Nov 21, 2024

2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog (DRAFT)

2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog (DRAFT) [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Environmental and Sustainability Studies, B.S.

Major Requirements

Credit Hours: 54+

In addition to completing the requirements for this major, students must also complete the degree requirements specified in the Academic Regulations section of this catalog.

Courses within this major may also satisfy general education requirements. Please consult the Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education Requirements for more information.

Environmental and Sustainability Studies Core (21+ Credit Hours)

Interdisciplinary Environmental and Sustainability Studies (6 credit hours)

Experiential Learning Requirement

Each student must engage in substantial experiential learning related to Environmental and Sustainability Studies. Qualifying courses include ENVT 350 , ENVT 355 , ENVT 360 , ENVT 397 , ENVT 460 , ENVT 499A . The requirement may also be met with another relevant independent study, internship, research experience, study abroad, travel course, field course, or experiential course, with approval of the ENSS director.

Environmental Science Foundation (6-8 credit hours)

Complete 6 credit hours from two different disciplines from the following:

Note:

Honors students may take HONS 155 /HONS 155L in lieu of GEOL 103 /GEOL 103L .

Environment and Society Foundation (6 credit hours)

Complete 6 credit hours from two different disciplines from the following:

Note:

* when topic is appropriate and with approval of ENSS director

Economics Foundation (3 credit hours)

Select one:

Note:

Honors students may take HONS 200 in lieu of ECON 200 .
Honors students may take HONS 211 in lieu of ECON 201 .

Additional Requirements (33+ Credit Hours)

Mathematics and Science Foundation (15+ credit hours)

Mathematics

Complete 7 credit hours from the following:

Note:

Honors students may take HONS 115 in lieu of MATH 120 .
Honors students may take HONS 217 in lieu of MATH 250 .

Natural Sciences

Complete at least 8 credit hours from Option 1 or at least 11 credit hours from Option 2.

Option 1

HONS 190 Accelerated General Chemistry (4)
HONS 190L Accelerated General Chemistry Lab (1)
And at least 3 credit hours from the list of Natural Science Foundation Electives (except CHEM 102, CHEM 102L, CHEM 112, CHEM 112L)

Option 2

CHEM 111 Principles of Chemistry I (3)
CHEM 111L Principles of Chemistry I Laboratory (1)
And at least 7 credit hours from the list of Natural Sciences Foundation Electives

Natural Science Foundation Electives

Note:

Honors students may take HONS 151 /HONS 151L in lieu of BIOL 111 /BIOL 111L .
Honors students may take HONS 152 /HONS 152L in lieu of BIOL 112 /BIOL 112L .
Honors students may take HONS 155 /HONS 155L in lieu of GEOL 103 /GEOL 103L .
Honors students may take HONS 156 /HONS 156L in lieu of GEOL 105 /GEOL 105L .
Honors students may take HONS 157 /HONS 157L in lieu of PHYS 111 /PHYS 111L .
Honors students may take HONS 158 /HONS 158L in lieu of PHYS 112 /PHYS 112L .
No more than one course from BIOL 101 and BIOL 111 may apply.
No more than one course from BIOL 101L and BIOL 111L may apply.
No more than one course from BIOL 102 and BIOL 112 may apply.
No more than one course from BIOL 102L and BIOL 112L may apply.
No more than one course from CHEM 102 and CHEM 112 may apply.
No more than one course from CHEM 102L and CHEM 112L may apply.
No more than one course from PHYS 101 and PHYS 111 may apply.
No more than one course from PHYS 101L and PHYS 111L may apply.
No more than one course from PHYS 102 and PHYS 112 may apply.
No more than one course from PHYS 102L and PHYS 112L may apply.

Electives (18+ credit hours)

Compete at least 18 additional credits from the categories below:

Earth Systems, Ecology, and Environment

At least 9 credits from the following:

Environmental Science Methods

At least 3 credits from the following:

Note:

* when content is appropriate and with approval of ENSS director
Honors students may take HONS 192 /HONS 192L in lieu of CHEM 231 /CHEM 231L .

Additional Electives

Additional credits, as needed, from the following:

Note:

* when content is appropriate and with approval of ENSS director

Notes:

Must include at least 9 credit hours of coursework at the 300-level from BIOL, CHEM, ENGR, GEOL, HEAL, MATH, PHYS.
Must include at least 3 lab courses at the 200-level or above from the following: BIOL 209 , BIOL 300 , BIOL 301 , BIOL 304 , BIOL 310 , BIOL 333 , BIOL 334 , BIOL 336 , BIOL 338 , BIOL 341 , BIOL 342 , BIOL 404 , BIOL 413L , BIOL 432 , BIOL 435 , BIOL 437 , BIOL 444 , CHEM 220L , CHEM 231L (or HONS 192L ), CHEM 421L , CHEM 422L , GEOL 250 , GEOL 257 , GEOL 253 , GEOL 275 , GEOL 291 , GEOL 312 , GEOL 402 , GEOL 438 , GEOL 441 , GEOL 442 , GEOL 449 , GEOL 469 , PHYS 350 .
No more than 24 credit hours from any one discipline, with the exception of ENVT, may be applied to the ENSS major.
Credit may not be applied for both BIOL 211 and BIOL 213 toward the ENSS major requirements.
No more than 3 credit hours of internship may be applied to the ENSS major requirements.
No more than 3 credit hours of independent study, research, or Bachelor’s Essay may be applied to the ENSS major requirements.
No more than 3 credit hours from ENVT 350 , ENVT 499A may be applied towards the program requirements.
No more than 3 credit hours from ENVT 355 may be applied towards the program requirements.
Special topics, variable topics, and individual enrollment courses may be approved on a course-by-course basis.

Coursework Meeting Major Requirements Excluded from the Major GPA Calculation

None. All courses that may apply toward completion of course requirements within the major apply toward the major GPA calculation.