Environmental Studies Major Requirements

The major leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) or the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR). The student’s choice of colleges should be made in consultation with faculty and advisors based upon the student’s interests and career goals.


Introductory Courses

  • EVST 1000E - Introduction to Environmental Studies (Fall Only)
  • NRE 1000E - Environmental Science; or GEOG 2300 - Introduction to Physical Geography; or ERTH 1050 - Earth’s Dynamic Environment; or ERTH 1051 - Earth’s Dynamic Environment (Lecture)
  • BIOL 1102 - Foundations of Biology; or, for those seeking a more advanced background, BIOL 1108 - Principles of Biology II
  • STAT 1000Q; or STAT 1100Q; or equivalent

Core Courses (18 credits) - Students cannot apply more than one course per department to count within a particular core. Additional Core courses taken in the same department can be applied to the additional major requirements beyond the Core. *Prerequisites are in parenthesis


Humanities Core

All majors must take 2 of the following courses:

  • PHIL 3216/W - Environmental Ethics (JR+ & at least one of the following courses: PHIL 1101, 1102, 1103, 1104, 1105, 1106, or 1107)
  • GERM 2400 - The Environment in German Culture
  • HIST 2210 - History or the Ocean or HIST 3540 - American Environmental History (JR+) or HIST 3542 - New England Environmental History
  • ENGL 3240 - American Nature Writing (JR+ & one of the following courses: ENGL 1010, 1011, 2011, or 3800) or ENGL 3635 - Literature and the Environment (JR+ & one of the following courses: ENGL 1010, 1011, 2011, or 3800) or ENGL 3715 - Nature Writing Workshop (JR+ & one of the following courses: ENGL 1010, 1011, 2011, or 3800) or JOUR 3046 - Environmental Journalism (JOUR 2000W or Instructor Consent)

Social Sciences Core

All majors must take 2 of the following courses:

  • ARE 3434 - Environmental and Resource Policy (JR+) or ARE 4462 - Environmental & Resource Economics  (JR+ & ARE 1150 or ECON 1200 or ECON 1201; MATH 1071Q or 1110Q or 1120Q or 1126Q or 1131Q) or ECON 3466 - Environmental Economics (ECON 2201 & ECON 2202)
  • GEOG 2400 - Introduction to Sustainable Cities
  • NRE 3000 - Human Dimensions of Natural Resources (JR+) or NRE 3245 - Environmental Law (JR+)
  • POLS/EVST 3412 - Global Environmental Politics (JR+)
  • SOCI 2701 - Sustainable Societies (Sophomores+; Recommended SOCI 1001, 2709W) or SOCI 2709W (Sophomores+ & one of the following courses: ENGL 1010, 1011, 2011, or 3800; Recommended SOCI 1001)

Natural Science Core

All majors must take 2 of the following courses:

  • EEB 2208 - Introduction to Conservation Biology
  • GEOG 3400 - Climate and Weather (Recommended GEOG 1300 or GEOG 2300)
  • AH 3175 - Environmental Health (JR+ & BIOL 1102 and CHEM 1122)
  • ERTH 3010 - Earth History and Global Change (ERTH 1050 or 1051 & 1052)
  • NRE 4170 - Climate-Human-Ecosystem Interactions (JR+)

Required Capstone

EVST 4000W Capstone Research Project (fulfills W and Information Literacy requirements)


Additional requirements for the major (Major Electives)

Majors must take a specified number of courses at the 2000, 3000, and/or 4000 level. These courses must be designed to form a coherent set of additional courses that will provide the student with a focus or additional depth in an area of interest related to the major. They must be chosen in consultation with the student’s faculty advisor and be approved by the advisor. Courses listed above that are not used to meet the core requirements may be used to meet this requirement.

College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources

Students within CAHNR must take 15 additional credits, approved by the student’s advisor, to complete the requirement for 36 credits in or related to the major.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Students within CLAS must take an additional 9 credits of electives within the major, plus an additional 12 credits of related courses, approved by the student’s advisor.


*Other areas of recommended preparation (not required):

  • Physical Science: CHEM 1122. Chemical Principles and Applications with lab; CHEM 1127Q. General Chemistry; PHYS 1030Q/1035Q. Physics of the Environment without/with lab
  • Earth Science: GSCI/GEOG 1070. Natural Disasters and Environmental Change; MARN 1002/1003. Introduction to Oceanography without/with lab
  • Economics: ARE 1110. Population, Food, and the Environment; ARE 1150. Principles of Agricultural and Resource Economics; ECON 1179. Economic Growth and the Environment; ECON 1200. Principles of Economics, Intensive; ECON 1201. Principles of Microeconomics

    Major Electives