a r t s and s c i e n c e sENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Arts & Sciences IndexJENNIFER S. COOMBS, PHD
Program DirectorPROFESSORS
Geoffrey Davies, DSc, Chemistry
Gwilym Jones, PhD, Biology
Anthony Penna, DA, HistoryASSOCIATE PROFESSORS
Christopher Bosso, PhD, Political Science
Thomas R. Gilbert, PhD, Chemistry
Malcolm D. Hill, PhD, Geology
Judith Perrolle, PhD, Sociology/Anthropology
Peter S. Rosen, PhD, GeologyASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Daniel Faber, PhD, Sociology/AnthropologyThe environmental studies major is an interdisciplinary program designed for students who wish to apply an understanding of both social and scientific issues to the solution of environmental problems. The goal of the major is to enable students to conceptualize and to attack “unstructured problems” (that is, problems with many more variables than equations, or problems for which there may be no obvious single best solution). This type of problem dominates natural environmental systems; the solutions to environmental problems may require balancing scientific and societal concerns. By the time students graduate, they should be able to identify an environmental problem, develop a plan to address the problem, identify and organize the resources that they would need to solve the problem, and know how to implement a plan to solve the problem.
The major is structured to provide progressive development in skills and knowledge. It is flexible in that it allows latitude in upper-level course choices, selected with the approval of a faculty adviser, to suit individual student interests. Students first complete ten environmental studies prerequisite courses and two interdisciplinary environmental core courses: one to help link across two of the science prerequisite courses, and the other to focus on environmental policy making. With approval from faculty advisers, students select a set of eight upper-level electives, participate in a one semester-hour environmental seminar, and complete a four semester-hour field experience (which will also satisfy the college’s experiential education requirement), perhaps the Woods Hole Sea Semester or another field study program. The senior thesis provides an opportunity to focus on a single issue in environmental problem solving.
The environmental studies minor is structured to provide progressive development in skills and knowledge. It is flexible in that it allows latitude in upper-level course choices, selected with the approval of a faculty adviser, to suit individual student interests.
BA in Environmental Studies
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES BA CORE REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIFIED PROGRAMS
See Core Requirements for more information. ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES MAJOR Science Courses Complete the following three courses: BIO U145 Environment and Humankind 4 SH CHM U101 General Chemistry for Health Sciences 5 SH ENV U115 Environmental Science 4 SH
History Course
Complete the following course:HST U342 Environmental History of North America 4 SH Economics Course Complete the following course: ECN U116 Principles of Microeconomics 4 SH Sociology Course Complete the following course: SOC U246 Environment and Sociology 4 SH Political Science Courses Complete the following two courses: POL U150 American Government 4 SH POL U395 Environmental Politics 4 SH Geology Courses Complete the following two courses: GEO U112 Environmental Geology 4 SH GEO U510 Environmental Planning 4 SH Statistics Course Choose one course from the following list: ECN U350 Statistics 4 SH MTH U280 Statistics and Software 4 SH POL U400 Quantitative Techniques 4 SH PSY U320 Statistics in Psychological Research 5 SH SOC U320 Statistical Analysis in Sociology 4 SH Upper-Division Electives Choose six courses in one area. See department for area options. Senior Thesis Complete the following course: ENV U700 Senior Thesis 4 SH EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT Complete one course in experiential education. Please see department for approved courses. ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES Complete 65 semester hours for the major. GENERAL ELECTIVES Additional courses taken beyond college and major course requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements. COOPERATIVE EDUCATION If elected UNIVERSITY-WIDE REQUIREMENTS 128 total semester hours required Minimum 2.000 GPA required Minor in Environmental Studies SCIENCE COURSES Choose two courses from the following list: BIO U145 Environment and Humankind 4 SH CHM U211 General Chemistry 1 5 SH GEO U112 Environmental Geology 4 SH GEO U200 Dynamic Earth 4 SH
SOCIAL SCIENCE COURSES Choose two courses from the following list: ECN U116 Principles of Microeconomics 4 SH HST U342 Environmental History of North America 4 SH POL U150 American Government 4 SH SOC U246 Environment and Sociology 4 SH INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSES Choose two courses from the following list: GEO U510 Environmental Planning 4 SH GEO U550 Geology and Land-Use Planning 4 SH POL U395 Environmental Politics 4 SH GPA REQUIREMENTS 2.000 GPA required in the minor
For more information on the environmental studies minor, contact the program director, Professor Jennifer Coombs (14 Holmes), at 617.373.3039 or at j.coombs@neu.edu.
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