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Environmental Studies (BA)

BACHELOR OF ARTS MAJOR IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Major Credits Required: 57 Credits

The Environmental Studies major prepares students for advanced studies in environmental policy, law, or management, and for careers as environmental policy analysts, managers, and related positions in the rapidly growing number of private and public organizations and companies that have significant environmental concerns. Students selecting this major take lower-division courses in introductory chemistry, biology, earth system science, and environmental science courses. This provides breadth of perspective for examining environmental issues. Upper-division coursework in environmental law and policy and environmental economics provides additional understanding, skills, and perspective for approaching environmental issues.

To complete the bachelor's degree, students must complete a minimum total of 120 credits with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0.

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students who major in Environmental Studies will:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of factual base, processes, and relationships that constitute a working foundation in the environmental sciences.

  2. Demonstrate an understanding of the social, economic, political, and legal framework in which environmental issues are enmeshed.

  3. Critically analyze and formulate possible solutions to complex environmental issues that include consideration of social, economic, and political as well as scientific issues.

  4. Access, comprehend, and communicate information to and from the many audiences required by a practitioner in field of environmental science.

  5. Develop a working knowledge of techniques used to gather and analyze information in environmental studies, including project design, sampling, measurement, geographic image interpretation, hazardous materials concerns, statistical and graphical analysis, and other computational skills.

  6. Demonstrate an understanding of divergent ethical views of environmental issues, distinguish them from scientific or legal viewpoints, formulate their own environmental ethic, and articulate it to others.