Program and Curriculum

Course Work

As prerequisites to the program, all students must take Economics 152 and a course in statistics (Mathematics 107 or Economics 156), preferably before the spring term of the sophomore year.

The Common Environmental Studies and Sciences Core

Students in both tracks are required to take six course units in a common core of study. Five courses are designed to create a foundation that fosters understanding of this interdisciplinary field. The final writing-intensive course, which should be taken in the senior year, is intended specifically to teach and demonstrate research methods through integrative group research projects and presentations.

  • ENVR 112: Environmental Science
  • ENVR 111: Geology
  • ECON 240: Environmental Economics
  • POSC 240 (Environmental Policy) or ENVR 244 (Climate Negotiations on the International Stage)
  • PHIL 250: Environmental Philosophy
  • ENVR 370: Environmental Studies Seminar

Students in the B.S. track in environmental science also must take the following six courses:

  • BIOL 212: General Zoology or BIOL 219: Introductory Botany
  • BIOL 360: Ecology
  • CHEM 113-114: General Chemistry I and II
  • CHEM 205: Environmental Chemistry
  • ENVR 210: Introductory Geographic Information Systems

In addition, students in the environmental science program must complete at least two of the following:

  • BIOL 220: Biostatistics
  • BIOL 225: Invertebrate Zoology
  • BIOL 230: Field Botany
  • BIOL 232 TR: Field Marine Ecology
  • BIOL 235: Microbiology
  • BIOL 250: Animal Behavior
  • BIOL 330: Marine Ecology
  • BIOL 332 TR: Advanced Field Marine Ecology
  • BIOL 335: Evolution
  • CHEM 211: Organic Chemistry I
  • CHEM 212: Organic Chemistry II
  • CHEM 222: Quantitative Analysis
  • PHYS 109: Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences I or PHYS 111: Introductory Physics I
  • ENVR 268 TR: Costa Rica as a Model of Tropical Ecology and Sustainability
  • ENVR 330: Environmental Health
  • ENVR 381-384: Independent Study
  • ENVR 386-389: Field Study
  • ENVR 400-401: Honors

Students who intend to pursue the B.A. track in environmental policy and economics also must take the following three courses:

  • ECON 241: Natural Resource Economics and Policy
  • POSC 240: Environmental Policy
  • POSC 340: Energy Policy

Also, they must take three of the following electives:

  • ECON 228: Economic Development
  • ECON 330: Public Economics
  • ECON 236: International Economics
  • EASC 210: Introductory Geographic Information Systems
  • HIST 260: Environmental History
  • POSC 110: The American Political System
  • POSC 115: International Politics: How the World Works
  • SOC 312: Environmental Law
  • ENVR 381-384: Independent Study
  • ENVR 386-899: Field Study
  • ENVR 400-401:Honors

Appropriate advanced courses offered as special topics or by other LVAIC institutions may be substituted as electives with the prior approval of the program director.