Environmental Studies Program

Plan of Study

If you are interested in declaring an Environmental Studies (ENST) major, you should contact the program office to connect with a member of the major subcommittee during your first or sophomore year to plan your course of study. The ENST major plan of study has the following main parts:

Section 1 – ENST Courses

This section of the major emphasizes the multidisciplinary nature of the field. There are two required ENST courses in this section. ENST 124 Essentials of Environmental Science provides an introduction to the issues and methodologies of environmental science and is ordinarily taken in the first or sophomore year. ENST 125 Environmentalisms in Perspective covers core issues in environmental studies, including American and global environmental history, the long term and future impacts of humans in nature, and how we define and perceive the environment. It is typically taken sophomore year. Majors are also required to take one more 200-level ENST course that emphasizes the multidisciplinary nature of environmental issues (specific courses vary yearly). The final section includes a one-half unit Thesis Prep Course and the Senior Thesis/Project.

The major culminates in a thesis or project in which students use their acquired knowledge and methods to conduct research and construct an individual thesis paper or project. To see the diversity of previous ENST thesis and project topics, browse the thesis titles and areas of concentration of graduated ENST majors listed under “Theses and Projects.”

Section 2 – Primary Disciplinary Concentration

Students are required to take four courses in a department (or a series of four courses with a common focus). These courses should build from the introductory level to the advanced level and allow students to develop a strong understanding of methodological approach to the discipline. Faculty from within the discipline advise students as they develop their primary concentration.

Section 3 – Secondary Disciplinary Concentration

This three-course sequence should complement the four-course sequence listed under Section 2. Either Section 2 or 3 must be from the Natural Sciences Division.