Curriculum

B.A. in Environmental Studies

Our Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies degree is designed to provide a flexible platform for students whose primary interest is in the area of environmental policy, rather than environmental science. In their first two years, all Environmental Studies majors complete introductory courses in the sciences (biology, chemistry, geology), as well as introductory- to intermediate-level coursework in economics, political science, philosophy, and sociology. Students then work with a faculty advisor to select a set of intermediate- to upper-level courses in an area appropriate to the student’s career objectives. A senior thesis is required in the Environmental Studies major.
Below is a list of the B.A. Environmental Studies Program Requirements:

Science Courses (complete all three):

  • Environment & Humankind
  • General Chemistry w/ Lab
  • Environmental Science

History Course

  • Environmental History of North America

Economics Course

  • Principles of Microeconomics

Sociology Course

  • Environment and Sociology

Political Science Courses (complete both):

  • American Government
  • Environmental Politics

Earth & Environmental Studies Courses (complete both):

  • Environmental Geology
  • Environmental Planning

Statistics Course (choose one from Economics, Math, Political Science, Psychology or Sociology)

  • Statistics
  • Statistics and Software
  • Quantitative Techniques
  • Statistics in Psychological Research
  • Statistical Analysis in Sociology

Upper Division Electives
Complete six courses in a chosen concentration. The available concentrations for Environmental studies are:

  • International
  • Marine
  • Policy
  • Sustainability
  • Urban
  • Water
  • Interdisciplinary

For a detailed list of the Program Requirements and concentrations please view the Environmental Studies Program Requirements.

In addition to the Environmental Studies Program Requirements, students must also fulfill the NU Cores Requirements. Please also note the “Additional Requirements for BA Students” section for information on how to fulfill a B.A. at Northeastern.

Combined Majors Programs

A number of combined major programs are offered; these can help focus a student’s course choices along avenues that faculty feel are particularly appropriate. With a combined major, the university permits students to complete fewer courses in a single major area of study than are required in a “full” major, as long as the program pairs a substantial set of courses in two disciplines that logically support one another. A combined major option must be reviewed and approved like any other major in the university. The options currently available are
BA Environmental Studies and:

  • Chemistry (in progress)
  • Economics
  • History
  • International Affairs
  • Philosophy
  • Political Science
  • Physics (in progress)

Please refer to the Environmental Studies Program Requirements starting on page 231 for more information on combined majors.