Environmental Studies Major

Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary program that combines natural science and social science. It examines local, regional, national, and international environmental problems in a holistic manner. There are two tracks to the major, the Natural Science Track and the Social Science Track. The College is also a member of a consortium of small liberal arts colleges that participates in a semester of study in environmental science, known as the Semester in Environmental Science, at The Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA.

Except for transfer students and students accepted in the Semester in Environmental Science program, no more than two courses taken off campus can be applied toward the major. Courses taken off campus need pre-approval by the director.

Advanced Placement: Students who score a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Environmental Science test can place out of ES 110, but not ES 111. Advanced Placement credit in Environmental Science does not count towards fulfilling Area 1 of the General Education requirements. See Academic Regulations for general information about Advanced Placement credit.

The major consists of a minimum of twelve courses distributed between offerings in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities.  All environmental studies majors will take a minimum of one introductory environmental studies course (Environmental Studies 110 or 111), two introductory science courses, one field-based science course, one course focused on policy or economic issues, and a senior-level seminar.  Each student will complete the requirements for one of the following tracks:

 

Natural Science Track

This track consists of thirteen courses distributed as follows:

1. Introductory course:

ES 100INTRO TO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

4

or

ES 110ENV STDS AS A NATURAL SCIENCE

4

or

ES 111ENV STDS AS A SOCIAL SCIENCE

4

2. Four natural science courses:

ES 120/GEO 120CC:LIVING ON A CHANGING PLANET

4

or

ES 201/GEO 201PLATE TECTONICS

4

or

ES 202/GEO 202EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES

4

 

BOT 105ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY

4

or

BOT 114CC: PLANTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE

4

or

BOT 115CC: HOW PLANTS FEED THE WORLD

4

or

BIO 120INTRO TO BIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

4

  

BIO 210ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION

4

 

CHM 103GENERAL CHEMISTRY

5

or

CHM 107ADV GENERAL CHEMISTRY

4

3. Two courses from the following field-ecological group:

BIO 305MARINE ECOLOGY

4

BIO 307/BOT 307FRESHWATER ECOLOGY

4

BIO 320TROPICAL BIOLOGY

4

BIO 413/BOT 413WETLAND ECOLOGY

4

BOT 205PLANTS, PROTISTS & FUNGI

4

BOT 225SYSTEMATIC BOT/LOCAL FLORA

4

BOT 230ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE

4

BOT 315PLANT ECOLOGY

4

ES 201/GEO 201PLATE TECTONICS

4

ES 202/GEO 202EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES

4

ES 310/BIO 310CONSERVATION BIOLOGY

4

ES 315/GEO 315RIVER ENVIRONMENTS

4

ES 316/GEO 316COASTAL DYNAMICS S NEW ENG

4

4. One course from the following organismal/analytical group:

BIO 204ORNITHOLOGY

4

BIO 215INVERTEBRATE BIOLOGY

4

BIO 330MICROBIOLOGY

4

BOT 205PLANTS, PROTISTS & FUNGI

4

BOT 225SYSTEMATIC BOT/LOCAL FLORA

4

BOT 305PLANT STRUCT AND FUNCTION

4

BOT 320ENVIRONMNTL PLANT PHYSIOLOGY

4

BOT 330APPLIED MYCOLOGY

4

BOT 410MARINE & FRESHWATER BOTANY

4

CHM 216/ES 216ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY

4

ES 210/GEO 210HYDROLOGY

4

ES 211/GEO 211WEATHER/CLIMATE:PAST,PRES,FUTR

4

ES 214/GEO 214VECTOR-BASED GEOG INFO SYST

4

ES 313/GEO 313RASTER-BASED GEOG INFO SYST

4

ES 359/GEO 359MINING AND THE ENVIRONMENT

4

5. Two courses from the following:

Any additional courses listed in items 3 or 4 above

ES 113/PHY 113CC: ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

4

ES 214/GEO 214VECTOR-BASED GEOG INFO SYST

4

ES 497HONORS STUDY

4

ES 498HONORS STUDY

4

CHM 104GENERAL CHEMISTRY

5

CHM 202PRINCIPLES OF INORGANIC CHEM

4

CHM 204INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

5

CHM 223ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

5

CHM 224ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

5

CHM 216/ES 216ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY

4

STA 107INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS

4

or

STA 206STATISTICAL METHODS

4

PHY 107GENERAL PHYSICS

4

PHY 108GENERAL PHYSICS

4

PHY 109ADVANCED GENERAL PHYSICS I

4

PHY 110ADVANCED GENERAL PHYSICS II

4

ES 391, ES 392, ES 491, ES 492, ES 493, ES 494 if natural science-based and with permission of the director

6. One of the following policy or economics-based courses:

ES 212/ECO 212ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS

4

ES 232/GOV 232GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS

4

ES 251/GOV 251ENVIRON ACTIVISM/POL IMPACT

4

ES 258/GOV 258U.S. ENVIRON POLICY/POLITICS

4

ES 260/GOV 260PROB ENVIRON POLICY & LAW

4

ES 339/GOV 339OCEANS LAW AND POLICY

4

ES 361/GOV 361PROB ENVIRON POLICY & LAW

4

ES 493ALAW, SCIENCE & THE ENVIRON

4

ES 493FMARINE POLLUTION

4

ES 493U/GOV 493UENVIRON JUST IN GLOBL PERSP

4

7. One social science-humanities elective from the following:

Any additional courses from Area 6

BOT 117/ANT 117/ES 117CC:COEVOLUTION PLANTS & PEOPLE

4

ES 155/ENG 155CC: AMERICAN EARTH

4

ES 204/SPA 204ENVIRON JUSTICE IN HISPA WORLD

4

ES 207/ANT 207/BOT 207SEM: INDIG USE TROP RAINFOREST

4

ES 218SOCIETY IN AGE OF CLIMATE CHNG

4

ES 220/CRE 220/EAS 220ALT MODERNITY/INDIGEN POETICS

4

ES 221/SOC 220SOCIOLOGY OF THE ENVIRONMENT

4

ES 224/SOC 224URBAN SOCIOLOGY

4

ES 228/PHI 228PHILOSOPHY/ENVIRONMENTAL STUDI

4

ES 236/EAS 236/HIS 236ENVIRONMENTAL HIST OF JAPAN

4

ES 239/GOV 239/PHI 239GLOBAL JUSTICE

4

ES 249/PHI 249SCIENCE & ETHICS OF EXTINCTION

4

ES 250/SOC 250CC: CLIMATE AND SOCIETY

4

ES 252/CRE 252/GWS 252/HIS 252SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ENVIRONMENT

4

ES 261/GER 261ENVIRON CONSCIOUS IN GERMANY

4

ES 295FIELD WK ENVIRONMENTAL EDUC

4

ES 298/ANT 296CC: RELIGION AND ENVIRONMENT

4

ES 305/GWS 305/SPA 305ECO-FEMINSM & RESTNCE IN AMER

4

ES 307/ANT 307ENVIRONMENTAL ANTHROPOLOGY

4

ES 308/ANT 308/BOT 308METH/THEORIES OF ETHNOBOTANY

4

ES 311/ANT 311/BOT 311ETHNOBOT SOUTHERN NEW ENGL

4

ES 318/ECO 318ECO OF GLOBAL FOODS & AG SYSTM

4

ES 320/AHI 320NATURE IN WESTRN ART,1700-1900

4

ES 323/AMS 323/ENG 325THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

4

ES 336/ENG 336HUMANS/OTH ANIMALS 19C AM LIT

4

ES 345/AMS 356/ENG 356RADCL DIETS:FOOD/DRINK AM LIT

4

ES 367/ENG 367NOVEL COMMODITIES

4

ES 368/ENG 368LIT IN THE ANTHROPOCENE

4

ES 419/EAS 419/HIS 419SALTWATER JAPAN

4

ES 420/AMS 420/ENG 493S/GWS 423WHITMAN, DICKINSON, & AFTER

4

ES 450/ANT 450CULTIVATING CHANGE

4

ES 482/AMS 482/ANT 482ARCHAEOLOGY OF CONTEMPORARY

4

PHI 221THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

4

ES 291, 292, 391, ES 392, ES 491, ES 492, ES 493, ES 494 if social science-based and with permission of the director;

8. One senior-level seminar chosen from the following:

ES 493ADVANCED STUDY SEMINAR

4

ECO 404SEM: ENVIR/NAT RESOURCE ECON

4

Advisers for Natural Science Track: Bernhard, Chomiak, Hine, Jones, Lizarralde, McMahon, Rosa, Siver, Thompson, Vukicevich, Zimmer

Social Science Track

This track consists of twelve courses distributed as follows:

1. One of the following:

ES 100INTRO TO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

4

or

ES 110ENV STDS AS A NATURAL SCIENCE

4

or

ES 111ENV STDS AS A SOCIAL SCIENCE

4

2. Two of the following natural science courses:

BOT 105ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY

4

or

BOT 114CC: PLANTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE

4

or

BOT 115CC: HOW PLANTS FEED THE WORLD

4

 

CHM 100CC: CHEMISTRY IN CONTEXT

4

or

CHM 103GENERAL CHEMISTRY

5

or

CHM 107ADV GENERAL CHEMISTRY

4

 

ES 120/GEO 120CC:LIVING ON A CHANGING PLANET

4

or

ES 201/GEO 201PLATE TECTONICS

4

or

ES 202/GEO 202EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES

4

3. One of the following field courses:

BIO 210ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION

4

BIO 305MARINE ECOLOGY

4

BIO 307/BOT 307FRESHWATER ECOLOGY

4

BIO 413/BOT 413WETLAND ECOLOGY

4

BOT 205PLANTS, PROTISTS & FUNGI

4

BOT 225SYSTEMATIC BOT/LOCAL FLORA

4

BOT 230ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE

4

BOT 307/BIO 307FRESHWATER ECOLOGY

4

BOT 315PLANT ECOLOGY

4

ES 201/GEO 201PLATE TECTONICS

4

ES 202/GEO 202EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES

4

ES 315/GEO 315RIVER ENVIRONMENTS

4

ES 316/GEO 316COASTAL DYNAMICS S NEW ENG

4

4. One of the following:

An additional course from item 3 above

BIO 330MICROBIOLOGY

4

BOT 305PLANT STRUCT AND FUNCTION

4

BOT 320ENVIRONMNTL PLANT PHYSIOLOGY

4

BOT 330APPLIED MYCOLOGY

4

BOT 410MARINE & FRESHWATER BOTANY

4

ES 113/PHY 113CC: ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

4

ES 210/GEO 210HYDROLOGY

4

ES 211/GEO 211WEATHER/CLIMATE:PAST,PRES,FUTR

4

ES 214/GEO 214VECTOR-BASED GEOG INFO SYST

4

ES 216/CHM 216ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY

4

ES 310/BIO 310CONSERVATION BIOLOGY

4

ES 313/GEO 313RASTER-BASED GEOG INFO SYST

4

ES 359/GEO 359MINING AND THE ENVIRONMENT

4

5. Environmental Studies 212

ES 212/ECO 212ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS

4

6. One of the following policy-based courses:

ES 232/GOV 232GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS

4

ES 251/GOV 251ENVIRON ACTIVISM/POL IMPACT

4

ES 258/GOV 258U.S. ENVIRON POLICY/POLITICS

4

ES 260/GOV 260PROB ENVIRON POLICY & LAW

4

ES 339/GOV 339OCEANS LAW AND POLICY

4

ES 361/GOV 361PROB ENVIRON POLICY & LAW

4

ES 493ALAW, SCIENCE & THE ENVIRON

4

ES 493FMARINE POLLUTION

4

ES 493U/GOV 493UENVIRON JUST IN GLOBL PERSP

4

7. Four of the following social science-humanities electives:

Any additional courses from Area 6

ANT 202ARCHAEOLOGY OF NORTH AMERICA

4

ANT 234/BOT 234/ES 234S AMER CULTURES & ENVIRONMENT

4

ANT 307/ES 307ENVIRONMENTAL ANTHROPOLOGY

4

ANT 350WORLDS OF FOOD

4

ECO 404SEM: ENVIR/NAT RESOURCE ECON

4

ES 117/BOT 117/ANT 117CC:COEVOLUTION PLANTS & PEOPLE

4

ES 155/ENG 155CC: AMERICAN EARTH

4

ES 204/SPA 204ENVIRON JUSTICE IN HISPA WORLD

4

ES 207/ANT 207/BOT 207SEM: INDIG USE TROP RAINFOREST

4

ES 214/GEO 214VECTOR-BASED GEOG INFO SYST

4

ES 218SOCIETY IN AGE OF CLIMATE CHNG

4

ES 220/CRE 220/EAS 220ALT MODERNITY/INDIGEN POETICS

4

ES 221/SOC 220SOCIOLOGY OF THE ENVIRONMENT

4

ES 224/SOC 224URBAN SOCIOLOGY

4

ES 228/PHI 228PHILOSOPHY/ENVIRONMENTAL STUDI

4

ES 236/EAS 236/HIS 236ENVIRONMENTAL HIST OF JAPAN

4

ES 239/GOV 239/PHI 239GLOBAL JUSTICE

4

ES 249/PHI 249SCIENCE & ETHICS OF EXTINCTION

4

ES 250/SOC 250CC: CLIMATE AND SOCIETY

4

ES 252/CRE 252/GWS 252/HIS 252SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ENVIRONMENT

4

ES 261/GER 261ENVIRON CONSCIOUS IN GERMANY

4

ES 295FIELD WK ENVIRONMENTAL EDUC

4

ES 296FIELD WK ENVIRONMENTAL EDUC

4

ES 298/ANT 296CC: RELIGION AND ENVIRONMENT

4

ES 305/GWS 305/SPA 305ECO-FEMINSM & RESTNCE IN AMER

4

ES 307/ANT 307ENVIRONMENTAL ANTHROPOLOGY

4

ES 308/ANT 308/BOT 308METH/THEORIES OF ETHNOBOTANY

4

ES 311/ANT 311/BOT 311ETHNOBOT SOUTHERN NEW ENGL

4

ES 318/ECO 318ECO OF GLOBAL FOODS & AG SYSTM

4

ES 320/AHI 320NATURE IN WESTRN ART,1700-1900

4

ES 323/AMS 323/ENG 325THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

4

ES 336/ENG 336HUMANS/OTH ANIMALS 19C AM LIT

4

ES 339/GOV 339OCEANS LAW AND POLICY

4

ES 344/EAS 345/HIS 345DILEMMAS OF DEV IN EAST ASIA

4

ES 367/ENG 367NOVEL COMMODITIES

4

ES 368/ENG 368LIT IN THE ANTHROPOCENE

4

ES 419/EAS 419/HIS 419SALTWATER JAPAN

4

ES 420/AMS 420/ENG 493S/GWS 423WHITMAN, DICKINSON, & AFTER

4

ES 450/ANT 450CULTIVATING CHANGE

4

ES 482/AMS 482/ANT 482ARCHAEOLOGY OF CONTEMPORARY

4

ES 493ALAW, SCIENCE & THE ENVIRON

4

ES 493EINDIG PEOP, SUST DEV&BIODIVR

4

ES 493G/AMS 493ACULTURE,POLIT & THE ENVIRON

4

ES 493P/SOC 410DISASTERS

4

ES 493U/GOV 493UENVIRON JUST IN GLOBL PERSP

4

ES 497HONORS STUDY

4

ES 498HONORS STUDY

4

GOV 493T/ES 493TTHE GREENS IN EUR AND BEYOND

4

PHI 221THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

4

PSY 320ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

4

ES 291, ES 292, ES 391, ES 392, ES 491, ES 492, ES 493, ES 494 if social science-based and with permission of the director

 

8. One senior-level seminar chosen from the following:

ES 493ADVANCED STUDY SEMINAR

4

ECO 404SEM: ENVIR/NAT RESOURCE ECON

4

Advisers for Social Science Track: Bernhard, Dawson, Donovan, Flagg, Frasure, Graesch, Lizarralde, McMahon, Neely, Rosa, Turner, Vukicevich