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2. Environmental Studies (ES)

The Environmental Studies (ES) option within the Interdisciplinary Studies major is designed for students who want to act critically and creatively in response to the environmental challenges facing the world today.  The option's two pathways (Sustainability and Society [S&S] and Conservation Science and Management [CSM]) share a commitment to educating future practitioners who can address those challenges in their professional careers and personal lives.          

ES teaches students to integrate environmental knowledge across the natural and social sciences, as well as the arts and humanities.  Hands-on learning, field experiences, and problem-based instruction focus on finding answers to complex problems that include scientific, social, political, cultural, and ethical dimensions. 

Graduating Environmental Studies students develop careers in management, planning, advocacy, communications, and policy-making across a wide array of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.  They also pursue disciplinary and interdisciplinary graduate education in environmental fields that range across the arts, humanities, and social and natural sciences.

Transition from Option to Major

Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences is transitioning its Environmental Studies (ES) option within the Interdisciplinary Studies major to a major in Environmental Studies. Students who are admitted for Autumn Quarter, 2010, and subsequent quarters must declare the major. Students who declare the Environmental Studies option prior to Autumn Quarter, 2010, may choose to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with an option in Environmental Studies or may declare the major and graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies. The prerequisites and requirements for the option are the same, however they have changed for the major. Please note the change in major prerequisites and course delistings below.

Prerequisites

Environmental Studies Requirements for both
S&S and CSM

35 Credits

• BIS 300 Interdisciplinary Inquiry
• BES 301 Science Methods & Practice OR BIS 312 Approaches to Social Research
• BIS 243 Introduction to Environmental Studies
• BES 312 Ecology OR BIS 390 Ecology and the Environment
• BCUSP 200, BIS 320,  BIS 324,  BIS 394 or equiv. Economics (Political Economy or Environmental Economics)
• BIS 356 Ethics and the Environment   OR  BIS 3xx Foundations of Environmental Thought
• BIS 490 Senior Seminar or BES 462, 463 & 464 Senior Capstone Experience

The 35 credits listed above are the same for the option and the major.

• All BIS and/or BES 3xx and 4xx courses are under development.
• Classes in this option and major are offered primarily during day-time hours.
• The 70 major credits must be completed in MATRICULATED STATUS for the option.
• The 65 major credits must be completed in MATRICULATED STATUS for the major.

 Pathway Requirements

 Sustainability and Society (S&S)

10 Credits of Core Requirements

• BIS 240 Introduction to Sustainable Practices (5 credits)
• BIS 392 Water & Sustainability (5 credits)
• BIS 396 Topics in Sustainability (5 credits)
• BIS 459 Conservation & Sustainability Development (5 credits)
• BIS 468 Human Rights and Sustainable Development (5 credits)

The core credits listed above are the same for the option and the major.

Distribution Requirements

Conservation Science & Management Pathway (CSM)

10 credits of Core Requirements

• BIS 342  Geographic Information Systems (5 credits)
• BES 485 Conservation Biology (5 credits)

The core credits listed above are the same for the option and the major.

Distribution Requirements

List of all Environmental Studies S&S and CSM distribution courses.

Delisted Courses

As of Autumn Quarter, 2010, some courses will NOT count for either the Environmental Studies major or the ES option.   If taken prior to Autumn Quarter, 2010, the courses will count for the ES option, but will NOT count if the student decides to declare the major. Click here to view the delisted courses.

General Electives

20 Option credits OR 25 Major credits

Note: Within the credits taken in the IAS curriculum, students must complete 10 credits each in Visual, Literary and Performing Arts (VLPA); Individuals & Societies (I&S); and Natural World (NW). They must be taken in IAS courses at the 200, 300, or 400 levels. Multiply-designated courses may not be double-counted as fulfilling two Areas of Knowledge.

200-level Coursework

Up to 35 credits of 200-level coursework taken at UWB may be applied toward designated requirements within the 90 program credits. Please contact an IAS adviser for details.

Environmental Studies Core and Affiliate Faculty and Staff

David Stokes (faculty coordinator), Nives Dolsak, Ben Gardner, Mike Gillespie, Warren Gold, Martha Groom,  Rob Turner, Rob Estes.