Environmental Studies, BA, BS

Degree Requirements

Students can earn a Bachelor of Arts degree or a Bachelor of Science degree with this major

Major Requirements: 13 courses and corresponding laboratories where applicable, 49 credits

CUES Shared Core Requirements (6 courses and corresponding laboratories where applicable, 21 credits)

UES-101	Environmental Studies	4
UES-111	Environmental Science	3
UES-L111	Environmental Science Lab	1
UES-225	Geographical Information Science	3
UES-L225	Geographic Information Science Lab	1
UES-401	Environmental Senior Project	4
UES-511	Professional Development Module	1

Choose one of the following courses:

BIO-273	Biostatistics	4
STATS-250	Applied Statistics	4

Environmental Studies Core Requirements (4 courses and corresponding laboratories where applicable, 16 credits)

UES-211	Environmental Science II	3
UES-L211	Environmental Science II Lab	1

Choose one of the following:

PHIL-362	Environmental Ethics	4
UES-390	Sustainability & Development	4

Choose one of the following:

SOC-221	Environment and Society	4
UES-301	Issues in Environmental Justice	4

Choose one of the following:

SOC-214	Research Methods in Sociology	4
UES-330	Research Methods	4

Concentration Requirement (3 courses, 12 credits)

Choose one of the following areas of concentration:

1. Environmental Policy
2. Urban Environmentalism

Internship Option

Internships may be approved for credit by the CUES director. An approved internship for 3- or 4-credits may be used as a concentration course option at the discretion of the CUES director.

UES-503	Local Internship	1
UES-505	Global Internship	1

Concentrations

Environmental Policy Concentration

POLS-438

Environmental Policy & Politics

4

Choose two of the following. At least one must be at or above the 200-level:

CJU-335	Crime Mapping	4
EC-131	Environmental Economics	4
EC-151	Economic & Human Geography	4
POLS-223	American Politics & Institutions	4
POLS-224	Introduction to Public Policy	4

Urban Environmentalism Concentration

Choose three of the following:

EC-151	Economic & Human Geography	4
EC-410	Urban Economics: Asian Megacities in Comparative Perspective	4
ENT-352	Green and Sustainable Business	3
UES-310	SL-The Civilian Conservation Corps and the American Landscape	4
UES-321	Introduction to Permaculture	4
UES-325	Environmental History of the U.S.	4
UES-350	Community Food Systems	4

Residency Requirement Policy

In the College of Arts and Sciences, a two-course (8 credit) residency requirement must be satisfied for completion of a minor and a four-course (16 credit) residency requirement must be satisfied for the completion of a major.

Honors

To complete requirements for honors in the major, a candidate must:

1. Graduate with a major GPA of 3.5 or higher
2. Graduate with an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher
3. Complete UES-H555 (minimum registration for 4 credits)
4. Develop and complete an independent study project under the supervision of a member of the CUES Honors Advisory Committee. Depending on the nature of the project, the study may be conducted on or off campus, or involve a combination of both
5. Defend a thesis to the CUES Honors Advisory Committee
6. Present findings in a colloquium
7. CAS Honors Program students only: Also present work from the senior honors experience at the Honors Symposium or Pecha Kucha event

To become a candidate for honors in the major, a student must:

1. Have a major GPA of 3.5 or higher
2. Have an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher
3. Receive an invitation from the CUES Honors Advisory Committee

Environmental Studies Learning Goals and Requirements

Learning goals and objectives reflect the educational outcomes achieved by students through the completion of this program. These transferable skills prepare Suffolk students for success in the workplace, in graduate school, and in their local and global communities.

Learning Goals	Learning Objectives
Students will know/understand...	Students will be able to...
Science as a process for understanding environmental phenomena and issues	- Assess the ethics of a proposed study - Conduct an experiment following standard protocols - Recognize the importance of safety protocols - Collect data via quantitative and qualitative observations and measurements - Interpret the results of an experiment - Apply basic statistics and interpret data for significance
How science is communicated	- Evaluate primary literature - Interpret visual representations of data - Summarize the discoveries of scientific research
How to communicate scientific findings	- Orally present findings to others in formal and informal settings - Construct a written document in a scientific style including proper citation of sources - Prepare visual representations of data - Access and utilize scientific databases
How to work collaboratively	- Conduct an experiment or gather data as part of a group - Participate in group discussions - Record protocols and observations - Provide constructive feedback to group members Accept feedback from group members
How decisions about the environment are made	- Describe the historical context of environmental decisions - Describe the societal and cultural context of environmental decisions - Describe the political context of environmental decisions - Describe the ethical context of decisions about the environment - Demonstrate an understanding of the process of establishing environmental regulations in the US and globally - Analyze how poverty, social injustice, and inequity impact environmental decision making
The physical and chemical characteristics of the natural environment	- Identify the chemical structures and physical characteristics of the molecules of biotic and abiotic components of the environment - Write and use material balances - Apply a systems approach to the analysis of urban, suburban, and rural areas - Identify the major environmental impacts of human activity - Understand and describe technical solutions to environmental problems
That energy can be changed from one form to another, and the need for, and impacts of, human energy use	- Write and use energy balances - Identify solar and non-solar energy sources and their environmental impacts - Identify social justice issues in provision of energy to global population
How to apply systems thinking to environmental problems	- Use GIS mapping software to analyze an environmental issue or problem. Evaluate an environmental problem from multiple disciplines - Identify the global environmental systems, including the sources and sinks for environmentally important elements and compounds - Distinguish between natural and human-generated environmental phenomenon and understand their interactions - Provide the societal, cultural, and regulatory context for an environmental issue or problem - Identify multiple stakeholders in an environmental issue and how they impact policy and reform
How to pursue a career in the environmentally related fields	- Effectively search for and locate pertinent internships and jobs - Assess personal qualifications in relation to an internship and/or job description - Prepare job application materials including a resume and cover letter