Prospective Majors

Welcome to environmental studies at Lewis & Clark College! We offer regional and international research opportunities, the latest scholarly ideas, and cutting-edge technical and communication skills to prepare you for graduate school and professional excellence. Below is some special information for prospective new and transfer undergraduates who plan to major in ENVS.

New undergraduates

New undergrads typically have lots of questions:

  • What courses should I take during my first year?
  • What about ENVS courses during my first and subsequent years?
  • Do I get credit for AP courses I took?
  • When should I plan to participate in an overseas program?
  • What would an ENVS degree prepare me for after graduation?

These are all great questions, and don’t worry: our academic advising faculty and staff will make sure that you have the answers you need to thrive at Lewis & Clark when you get here, and the ENVS Program can answer your more detailed questions about environmental studies.

Make sure to study our ENVS major/minor page carefully as you plan your first year at Lewis & Clark College. Do plan to take ENVS 160 (Introduction to Environmental Studies) either fall or spring of your first year. The College Advising Center will have other recommendations too for your first year. Here are additional recommendations for first-year students interested in ENVS.

If you are worrying more about post-graduation, i.e., what you can potentially do with an ENVS major, do have a look at our Life After ENVS page.

Dual degrees
Lewis & Clark also offers accelerated dual degree opportunities for students who are interested in careers in law and education. Currently students can complete a BA/JD (3-3) program in six years, a BA/MSL (3-1) program in four years, or a BA + Master’s of Art in Teaching (including licensure) in five years.
Transfer undergraduates

Transfer students are among our most mature and hardworking scholars, but sometimes face special challenges applying courses they’ve already taken to our requirements at Lewis & Clark. Here are some broad guidelines:

  • In general, transfer credit is discussed as part of academic advising, and all acceptable courses will count toward your graduation credit requirement, but only certain ones will count toward the ENVS major or minor.
  • Transfer courses will primarily count toward ENVS breadth requirements, not ENVS core course requirements. If you have taken a course with content similar to a breadth course, it is possible that you can receive credit for this course toward your ENVS major or minor. Core courses, however, are done in a special way at Lewis & Clark College, so you should plan to take core courses here. (There are rare exceptions we can grant for ENVS 160 upon extensive consultation/documentation.) Note that core courses are scheduled such that all can be completed within two years.
  • Transfer students interested in an ENVS minor should be able to readily complete it whether they arrive for their second or third year of college. Transfer students planning on majoring in ENVS can also complete it within four years if they transfer effective their second or third year, but must pay attention to all ENVS major and general education and graduation requirements.