The Environmental Studies Program (ENVS) is an interdisciplinary program that combines and integrates different types of knowledge to address the complex environmental, resource, and sustainability challenges in coupled human environment systems. This is accomplished by addressing the grand challenges related to sustaining the planet and its people. How do we meet the needs of a growing human population while sustaining our life support systems—climate, air and water systems, natural resources, species assemblages, and ecosystems on land and in the oceans? How do we increase the well-being of those at risk of global environmental change in an unequal world while not compromising future generations? Our research expertise includes food systems; dimensions of global change; conservation biology, restoration ecology; ecosystem biogeochemistry; environmental governance, science and policy interactions; environmental inequality and climate justice; environmental ethics; sustainable livelihoods; and behavioral dimensions of climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Undergraduate students acquire an awareness of the complexity of factors relating to human interaction with the environment. They become acutely aware that environmental problems have both human and biophysical components, and gain knowledge of the general principles of human-environmental interactions, global habitability, environmental change and sustainable societies. The ENVS major includes introductory coursework in natural sciences, economics and mathematics; intermediate coursework in policy, ethics, economics and writing; and advanced coursework offered by several departments and programs across CU Boulder.
Requirements
Students must complete:
- The general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences.
- Foundational courses in sciences, policy, ethics, economics, writing and math.
- 12 credit hours of upper-division coursework to specialize in an area of interest.
- An internship or field course.
- A cornerstone course.
- A capstone course.
Required Courses and Credits
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Sequence in Environmental Studies | ||
| ENVS 1000 | Introduction to Environmental Studies | 4 |
| ENVS 1001 | Introduction to Human Dimensions of Environmental Studies | 4 |
| Introductory Sequence in Biology or Earth Science | ||
| Complete one of the following options. All classes from this combination must be in the same department. | 7-8 | |
Biology Option | ||
Complete any two of these lecture/laboratory combinations | ||
| General Biology 1 and General Biology Laboratory 1 | ||
| General Biology 2 and General Biology Laboratory 2 | ||
| Introduction to Biology Research | ||
| Biology and Society and Biology and Society Laboratory 1 | ||
Geology Option | ||
| Introduction to Geology Laboratory 1 | ||
and any two of the following introductory Geology courses | ||
| Exploring Earth | ||
or GEOL 1012 | Exploring Earth for Scientists | |
| Dodos, Dinos, and Deinococcus: The History of a Habitable Planet | ||
| Geology of Colorado | ||
| Global Change: An Earth Science Perspective | ||
| Water, Energy and Environment: An Introduction to Earth Resources | ||
| Our Deadly Planet | ||
| Planet Earth | ||
Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Option | ||
Complete all courses | ||
| Weather and the Atmosphere and Weather and the Atmosphere Laboratory and Our Changing Environment: El Nino, Ozone, and Climate | ||
Physical Geography Option | ||
Complete both courses | ||
| Our Changing Planet: Climate and Vegetation | ||
| Our Changing Planet: Landscapes and Water | ||
| Introductory Course in Chemisty or Physics | ||
| Choose one course (and the lab, if required) from the following: | 3-5 | |
| Environmental Chemistry 1 | ||
| General Chemistry 1 and Laboratory in General Chemistry 1 | ||
| General Physics 1 (calculus based) | ||
| General Physics 1 (algebra based) | ||
| Intermediate Natural Science Requirement | ||
| Choose one course (and the lab, if required) from the following: | 3-4 | |
| Applied Ecology for Environmental Studies | ||
| Introduction to Applied Ecology | ||
| Principles of Climate | ||
| Principles of Ecology | ||
| The Water Cycle | ||
| Planet Earth | ||
| Introduction to Earth Materials | ||
| Intermediate Policy Requirement | ||
| Choose one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Public Policy Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Policy and Policy Analysis | ||
| The Environment and Public Policy | ||
| Intermediate Social Science Requirement | ||
| Choose one course from the following: | 3-4 | |
| Climate and Energy Justice | ||
| Topics in Environmental Social Sciences | ||
| Environmental Psychology | ||
| Environment, Media and Society | ||
| Governing the Environment | ||
| Economics Requirements | ||
| ECON 2010 | Principles of Microeconomics | 4 |
| ECON 3535 | Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| or ECON 3545 | Environmental Economics | |
| Ethics Requirement | ||
| Choose one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Environmental Political Theory | ||
| Statistics/Calculus Requirement | ||
| Choose one course from the following (not all courses fulfill the Gen. Ed. QRMS requirement): | 3-5 | |
| Introduction to Statistics and Quantitative Thinking for Biologists | ||
| Biological Statistics | ||
| Statistics and Geographic Data | ||
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| Quantitative Research Methods | ||
| Psychological Science I: Statistics | ||
| Introduction to Social Statistics | ||
| Calculus 1 | ||
| Calculus for Life Sciences | ||
| Calculus 1 for Engineers | ||
| Writing Requirement | ||
| ENVS 3020 | Advanced Writing in Environmental Studies | 3 |
| Application Requirement (An Internship or Field Course) | ||
| Choose one course from the following: | 2-6 | |
| Topics in Applied Environmental Studies | ||
| Sustainable Solutions Consulting | ||
| Topics in Applied Environmental Studies | ||
| Applied Environmental Studies: Mining in Four Corners | ||
| Creative Climate Communication | ||
| Data Analysis for Global Environmental Affairs | ||
| Internship | ||
| Field Methods in Ecosystem Science | ||
| Conservation Biology and Practice in Brazil's Atlantic Forest | ||
| Field Methods in Zoology and Botany | ||
| Art and Environments Field School | ||
| Introduction to Applied Ecology | ||
| Coral Reef Ecology | ||
| Advanced Ecology | ||
| Teaching and Learning Earth Systems | ||
| Environmental Sampling and Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Field Geology | ||
| Cornerstone Requirement | ||
| Choose one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Energy and Climate Change: An Interdisciplinary Approach | ||
| Intermediate Environmental Problem Analysis: Topical Cornerstones | ||
| Energy Policy and Society | ||
| Capstone Requirement | ||
| Choose one course from the following: | 3 | |
| The Art of Research: The Essential Elements of Research in Environmental Studies | ||
| Capstone: Critical Thinking in Environmental Studies | ||
| Senior Thesis | ||
| Energy Policy Project | ||
| Specialization Requirement | ||
| Complete a minimum of 12 credits. Upper-division courses that fulfill the Intermediate Natural Science, Intermediate Social Science, Policy, Application, Cornerstone and Capstone requirements may apply toward the specialization requirement if those areas are already fulfilled with another course. No course may apply to two areas in the ENVS major. | 12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 63-74 | |
| 1 | Students cannot receive credit for both GEOL 1010 and GEOL 1012. GEOL 2001 requires a prerequisite of any 1000-level GEOL lecture or ENVS 1000. |
Approved courses that fulfill the major requirements are listed on the program's Curriculum webpage. To explore suggested focus areas and learn how to select courses that align with specific interests, visit the ENVS Guidance Documents webpage.
Four-Year Plan of Study
Through the required coursework for the major, students will complete all 12 credits of both the Social Sciences and the Natural Sciences, including the lab, areas of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement as well 3 credits of the Arts and Humanities part of this requirement and the QRMS component of the Gen Ed Skills Requirement.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credit Hours | |
| ENVS 1000 | Introduction to Environmental Studies (partially fulfills Gen. Ed. Distribution: Natural Sciences) | 4 |
| ENVS 1150 | First-Year Writing in Energy, Environment and Sustainability (fulfills Gen. Ed. Skills course: Lower-division Written Communication) | 3 |
| One mathematics course in preparation for statistics or calculus. (may fulfill Gen. Ed. Skills: QRMS) | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16-17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ENVS 1001 | Introduction to Human Dimensions of Environmental Studies | 4 |
| Statistics/Calculus requirement (may fulfill Gen. Ed. Skills: QRMS) | 3-5 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 13-15 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Introductory biology or earth science, with Lab - first course - partially fulfills Gen. Ed. Distribution: Natural Sciences and Gen. Ed. Distribution: Natural Sciences with Lab | 3-4 | |
| Intermediate Policy requirement - may partially fulfill Gen. Ed. Distribution: Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Arts & Humanities/Global Perspective) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15-16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Introductory biology or earth science - second course | 3-4 | |
| ECON 2010 | Principles of Microeconomics (Economics requirement - first course - partially fulfills Gen. Ed. Distribution: Social Sciences) | 4 |
| Introductory course in chemisty or physics, and lab if required - may partially fulfill Gen. Ed. Distribution: Natural Sciences | 3-5 | |
| Elective(s) or Upper-division Elective(s) (if needed) | 6-3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Intermediate natural science requirement | 3-4 | |
| ENVS 3020 | Advanced Writing in Environmental Studies (ENVS Writing requirement - fulfills Gen. Ed. Skills: Upper-division written communication) | 3 |
| ECON 3535 or ECON 3545 | Natural Resource Economics (ENVS Economics requirement - second course - - partially fulfills Gen. Ed. Distribution: Social Sciences) or Environmental Economics | 3 |
| ENVS Ethics requirement - may partially fulfill Gen. Ed. Distribution: Arts & Humanities | 3 | |
| Elective or Upper-division Elective (if needed) | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15-16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ENVS Cornerstone requirement | 3 | |
| ENVS Application requirement | 2-6 | |
| ENVS Intermediate Social Science requirement - may partially fulfill Gen. Ed. Distribution: Social Sciences | 3-4 | |
| ENVS Specialization course | 3 | |
| Elective or Upper-division Elective (if needed) | 3-0 | |
| Credit Hours | 14-16 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ENVS Capstone | 3 | |
| ENVS Specialization course | 3 | |
| ENVS Specialization course | 4-3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Arts & Humanities) | 3 | |
| Elective or Upper-division Elective (if needed) | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16-15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ENVS Specialization course | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Arts & Humanities/US Perspective) | 3 | |
| Elective or Upper-division Elective (if needed) | 3 | |
| Elective or Upper-division Elective (if needed) | 3 | |
| Elective or Upper-division Elective (if needed) | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120-126 | |
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Integrate scientific principles of earth systems and human-environment interactions, understanding of perspectives and values, and practical responses in the study of environmental problems and proposed solutions.
- Evaluate different sources, claims and data for environmental topics and construct their own arguments.
- Produce an independent research-based analysis of an environmental issue.
- Evaluate contrasting perspectives on and values for environmental issues.
- Generate effective communication about environmental topics in written and oral format.
- Evaluate how environmental movements, policies, decision-making processes, benefits, information and burdens are shaped by and influence systems of exploitation and inequality.
Curriculum Principles
For the classes that environmental studies faculty teach, we strive to build student skills and knowledge from freshman to senior year through designing a curriculum that deliberately scaffolds skills and knowledge. This will be accomplished through communication amongst the faculty as facilitated by the curriculum committee to make sure that each individual class is serving students’ learning in light of the larger program goals. Curriculum mapping and analysis of assessments will help to ensure that we are delivering the curriculum we intend and serving the students’ educational goals. For classes that are taught by other departments we will review and align major requirements so that those classes serve the overall learning outcomes of the major and the students’ educational progress.
Curriculum Goal Statement
The environmental studies undergraduate major is focused on training students rigorously in the multiple dimensions of environmental change through courses that integrate scientific understanding of human-environment interactions, practical responses to environmental problems, and the values that shape our decisions and behavior.