Students at Ursinus College may pursue either a major or a minor in Environmental Studies. Following are the requirements for both. 

Requirements for Majors

All students majoring in Environmental Studies must take a minimum of 11 courses from among three categories: ENV core courses, ENV electives in the natural sciences, and ENV electives in the social sciences and humanities. All ENV majors must also complete a minor in another field of study. The ENV curricular requirements are as follows: 

ENV core courses (must complete all of the following): 

1.       ENV-100, Issues in Environmental Studies 

2.       ENV/BIO-250, Environmental Biology 

3.       Three synthesis courses that require completion of ENV-100, from among the following:         

               ENV-272, Marine Mammal Conservation and Management

               ENV-340W, Food, Society, and the Environment

               ENV-360, Conserving Biological Diversity

               ENV-362, Managing Parks and Protected Areas

               ENV-364, Ecosystem Management 

4.       ENV-381A or 381B, Internship 

5.       ENV-470W, Environmental Studies Senior Seminar 

ENV courses in the natural sciences (must take two of the following courses):

Biology:       ENV/BIO-220, Biology of Maya Mexico

                    ENV/BIO-310, Biological Oceanography

                    ENV/BIO-320, Biology of the Neotropics

                    ENV/BIO-330, Marine Biology

                    ENV/BIO-415W, Ecology

Chemistry:   ENV/CHEM-352 and 352a, Environmental Chemistry

Geology:     ENV/GEOL-105Q, Environmental Geology

ENV courses in the social sciences and humanities (must take courses in two of the following disciplines):

Anthropology:       ENV/ANTH-252, Peoples and their Environments

Economics:  ENV/BE-231, Economics of Environment and Natural Resources

English:        ENV/ENGL-262, The Environment in Literature

Env’l Studies:         ENV-430W. Advanced Environmental Policy Analysis

Philosophy:  ENV/PHIL-348, Environmental Ethics

Politics:        ENV/POL-326, Environmental Law

Psychology: ENV/PSYC-282, Environmental Psychology

Sociology:   ENV/SOC-220. Environmental Justice

                   ENV/SOC-285, Environmental Sociology 

In consultation with the ENV Chair, students may petition to have ENV-350 (Topics in Environmental Studies), ENV-481W or 482W (independent research), or ENV-491W and ENV-492W (honors research) satisfy requirements in the synthesis, natural science, or social science/humanities categories. For independent or honors research to fulfill the major requirements students must have completed 12 semester hours of environmental studies courses, including ENV-100, and receive permission of the ENV Chair. 

Requirements for Minors

All students minoring in Environmental Studies must complete a minimum of six courses in environmental studies, including ENV-100, two ENV synthesis courses from those specified above, and at least one course each from the ENV/Natural Science and ENV/Social Science and Humanities categories. Students minoring in Environmental Studies are encouraged to take ENV-470W, the senior seminar, as one of their electives. ENV-350 (Topics in Environmental Studies) courses, independent research, or internships may satisfy the requirements of the minor. Students must receive permission of the ENV Chair for independent research or an internship to fulfill requirements of the minor.