Courses

Core Courses

• ENVS 160: Introduction to Environmental Studies [Catalog]

Scholarly perspectives on environmental problems and solutions, integrating concepts and analytical skills drawn from natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.  Foundation for all subsequent courses in the environmental studies major.  Example portfolios of student work can be found here, here, and here.

• ENVS 220: Environmental Analysis [Catalog]

Development of research and analytical skills in environmental studies as preparation for upper-division work by majors and minors.  Emphasis on formulation practice, and communication of research.  Example portfolios of student work can be found here, here, here, here, and here.

• ENVS 330: Situating Environmental Problems & Solutions [Catalog]

Advanced analysis of environmental problems and solutions, situating them in time, space, and biophysical/human context to provide greater appreciation for their complexity as well as to help devise successful responses. Example portfolios of student work can be found here, here, and here.

• ENVS 400: Senior Seminar [Catalog]

An advanced, integrative keystone seminar involving primary research for all senior environmental studies majors.  Research theses are based on each student’s concentration within the major and include both oral and written components.  A gallery of senior theses can be found here.

• ENVS 499: Independent Study & ENVS 499T: Thesis Preparation [Catalog]

Opportunities for well-prepared students to design and pursue a substantive course of independent learning on an advanced level.  Details determined by the student and the supervising instructor.

Breadth Courses

• BIO 141: Investigations in Ecology & Environmental Science [Catalog]
• CHEM 110: General Chemistry I [Catalog]
• ECON 260: Environmental & Natural Resource Economics [Catalog]
• GEOL 150: Environmental Geology [Catalog]
• IA 257: Global Resource Dilemmas [Catalog]
• PHIL 215: Philosophy & the Environment [Catalog]
• SOAN 249: The Political Economy of Food [Catalog]
• SOAN 305: Environmental Sociology [Catalog]

 

Additional ENVS-Related Courses

• ED 450: Philosophy & Practice of Environmental/Ecological Ed. [Catalog]
• ENVS 244: Internship/Practicum [Catalog]
• ENVS 460: Topics in Environmental Law & Policy [Catalog]
• ENVS 490: Topics in Environmental Studies [Catalog]
• GEOL 240: Spatial Problems in Geology [Catalog]
• GEOL 280: The Fundamentals of Hydrology [Catalog]
• HIST 239: Constructing the American Landscape [Catalog]

 

More Information About Courses and Course Sequence:

• Most of these courses follow a strict sequence: generally, completion of all lower numbered courses is required to take a higher-numbered course.  Note that either BIO 141, or GEOL 150, or CHEM 110, or ECON 100, or IA 100, or SOAN 100 or 110 is required prior to taking ENVS 160, so it’s a good idea to take at least one of these courses fall semester of your freshman year.
• In addition to taking ENVS 160 during your freshman year, we recommend that you take 220 during your sophomore year, and 330 during your junior year (you can take it during your sophomore year if you’re planning an overseas program during spring of your junior year).  You’ll take 400 during your final spring semester.
• It’s a good idea to take BIO 141, ECON 100 (a prerequisite for 260), and GEOL 150 as soon as you can, optimally during your freshman and sophomore years at LC.  The remaining courses done sooner rather than later, as they will help you in all your upper-division ENVS core courses and give you ideas for possible senior research projects.
• Note that, by the end of your sophomore year (i.e., when you declare a major at LC), you will fill out a form for ENVS telling us whether you will be taking SOAN 305 or IA 257, and which four-credit humanities elective you choose and why; this information is provided as part of a larger form that primarily addresses your concentration.
• We also recommend that you complete MATH 131 (Calculus I) to fulfill the Category B graduation requirement for scientific and quantitative reasoning.
• For more information on courses, visit the ENVS Major and Minor Info page.