An Interdepartmental Program in Environmental Studies

Last updated: October 4, 2021 at 1:42 PM

The Environmental Studies program prepares students to tackle the critical environmental issues that face our world today—from global warming and pandemics to toxic exposure and conflicts over shrinking natural resources—through a broad interdisciplinary approach that integrates course work across the natural and social sciences and humanities. Several of the courses offer extensive hands-on learning through fieldwork and direct involvement with communities in local and regional environmental issues. Individually tailored internships place students in an extensive network of government, public interest, and industry groups in the Boston area and beyond, working alongside environmental professionals in the field. Environmental studies majors also learn research, report writing, oral communication, advocacy, mapping, website development, and problem-solving skills that equip them for their later work and studies—whether or not they pursue a career in an environmental field.

In order to help students integrate their studies, we strongly recommend that students undertake one of the excellent approved environmental field study abroad programs, and/or one of our distinctive experiential learning programs; Environmental Health and Justice Community Field Semester or Environmental Field Semester. These are coherent, semester-long programs consisting of four or five integrated courses and include guided field research and work with local communities.

Learning Goals

Humankind faces numerous significant problems, many of which are environmental in nature: global climate change, habitat and biodiversity loss, air and water pollution, dwindling fossil fuel and mineral resources, and overpopulation. While these problems may appear very different at first glance, they are similar in that each one is extraordinarily complex and each requires a combination of natural science and social science responses. Our students will need a wide range of skills and knowledge to address these problems.

The other key fact is that new and different environmental problems are always arising. Since the mid-twentieth century, every generation has faced a new set of environmental problems, many of which were created by our responses to other problems. There was no problem of DDT poisoning our ecosystems and killing raptors until we invented pesticides to kill insect pests; and there was no hole in the ozone layer until we created chlorofluorocarbons for our refrigerators and aerosol cans. We know that tomorrow will bring new issues with which to wrestle, as well as new responses to today’s problems. As a result, it is essential that environmental studies students learn to be flexible and have the confidence and skills to master new environmental issues as they arise.

We want our students to be able to approach environmental issues from multiple perspectives. They need to recognize that environmental problems will not be solved with narrowly defined technical or societal responses, but will require interlocking responses from multiple disciplines. In addition, we want our students to understand that environmental solutions require inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. Our graduates should appreciate the diverse values, needs, and goals of all actors in environmentally difficult situations, recognizing that each party brings strengths and needs to the table that must be considered in proposed resolutions.

In the Environmental Studies Program we want to help our students gain confidence in their ability to analyze and address environmental problems, and we want to help them develop the personal strength to tackle these difficult and sometimes overwhelming issues. Our students will live in a world with at least eight or nine billion people – three times the population of the planet their parents were born into – and they will need to be flexible, smart, tough, and compassionate in their responses to the issues that continually arise.

Core Skills

Because environmental studies is interdisciplinary and draws from so many different fields, it requires a wide gamut of intellectual skills. With two notable additions, the Core Skills listed under the University Learning Goals give a good sense of the foundation needed by our students. Our students should acquire and hone these skills:

Communication skills: Express facts, ideas, opinions and beliefs in a variety of written and oral formats.

Quantitative skills: Collect, interpret and utilize numerical data and quantitative information; Use mathematical and other abstract models to express and understand causal relationships.

Critical thinking skills: Analyze, interpret and synthesize information and ideas from diverse sources; Evaluate the relevance and validity of information, empirical evidence and theoretical arguments; Solve challenging problems and arrive at reasoned conclusions.

An essential skill that students must acquire is a grounding in Geographic Information Systems (computerized mapping and analysis). Environmental studies requires a strong understanding of the interactions between humans and the places they live, and GIS is the best tool for bringing together disparate types of information for analysis and communication of patterns. Finally, students must develop the capacity to frame insightful questions; when we ask the right questions about environmental problems, it is much easier to reach effective resolutions.

Knowledge

Given the vast amounts of change that will occur in the environmental field in the future, our graduates will need to be conversant in a number of disciplines in the social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities. Ideally, they would have solid foundations in ecology, environmental chemistry, environmental economics, environmental ethics, environmental health, environmental history, environmental law and policy, geography, natural resource management, physics, political theory, and statistics – for starters. In practice, they will need to have a good grounding in several social science and natural science fields, and the ability to gain competence with key concepts from new fields as the need arises. Individual students may find themselves drawn toward either natural science or social science approaches to addressing environmental problems; while we want all of our graduates to gain skill in both social and natural sciences, the program is structured so that students can focus more heavily in one area or the other.

Environmental issues cover the complete range of geographical scales from the local to the regional to the global. Our graduates must learn how to address different problems at different scales, recognizing that the frameworks needed to solve problems will vary from place to place and that regional and global problems require additional skills.

Our students need to gain familiarity with numerous social science and natural science disciplines, along with the humility to know that they will need to collaborate with colleagues from many different fields in any attempt to address environmental problems.

Social Justice

Our students see themselves as being responsible for the well-being of human beings and natural environments around the globe, and this is a responsibility that they take to heart. They want to make a difference and to take an active part in Tikkun Olam, the “repairing of the world.” Our students recognize that their actions have implications both locally and across the globe, and most attempt to create sustainable lifestyles that lessen their impacts. Many of our students get involved in work with local and international environmental groups during their time at Brandeis and afterwards.

Action

Above all, we recognize that environmental learning is best done in practice, not merely in theory. Over the years we have found that students can become discouraged by the magnitude and complexity of environmental problems facing us, so our program emphasizes the ability of students to find challenges that they can reasonably begin addressing without despairing. One of the ways we give students confidence to tackle real-world problems is through our strong internship program. Nearly all of our students undertake an intensive internship in environmentally-focused organizations including governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations, environmental education programs, and environmentally responsible and forward-thinking businesses. Our students throw themselves into these internship experiences (many do multiple internships), which give them real-world skills to complement and enliven their classroom learning.

Finally, we want our students to find joy in the natural world, and not just see the Earth as a place full of environmental problems. Many of our courses emphasize the wonders of our planet and celebrate the people who are good stewards of the Earth’s lands and waters.

Upon Graduation

Environmental Studies graduates from Brandeis go on to a wide range of environmental careers and academic programs.

Governments such as the US Government, foreign governments, state and local governments; sample positions include environmental aide for a US senator; climate Change Coordinator, British Virgin Islands; Foreign Service Officer for the US Government; and Peace Corps Volunteers in Senegal and Madagascar to name just a few.
Non-Governmental Environmental Organizations for many US and international organizations; in fields such as climate change, deforestation, energy efficiency, and environmental law.
Ecology and Conservation Biology Field Work in the US and abroad, studying forest ecology, as well as the behavior and conservation of bird, whales, and sea turtles.
Educators including Environmental Educators in high school science courses and museums, environmental education positions at field stations and farms, and English as a Second Language programs.
Graduate Studies in Ph.D. programs in environmental policy, biology, geography, chemistry, communications, and environmental history; master’s programs in environmental science, water policy, sustainability, forestry, environmental education, public policy, and landscape architecture. In addition, many of our graduates have gone on to study environmental law, while others have studied medicine or veterinary science.

It is very typical for our graduates to work for a few years after they finish at Brandeis before going on to further studies. During this time they explore different environmental fields, which helps them decide on the work they hope to do and the skills they need to learn. After this period, a high proportion go on to graduate school; in fact, many environmental graduate schools strongly recommend that applicants have work experience before they undertake their graduate studies.

How to Become a Major or a Minor

Students can begin study in the environmental studies major or minor with virtually any course in the program (except ENVS 99d). We encourage students to take the interdisciplinary foundation course, ENVS 2a (Fundamentals of Environmental Challenges), early in their first or second year. Students are required to declare the major or minor no later than the beginning of their senior year. In order to do so, students should meet with the environmental studies Undergraduate Advising Head. Any member of the environmental studies faculty can provide guidance on course selection and programs, and recommend an adviser.

Committee

Colleen Hitchcock, Chair
Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies

Charles Chester
Lecturer in Environmental Studies

Brian Donahue
Associate Professor of American Environmental Studies on the Jack Meyerhoff Fund

Dan L. Perlman
Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies

Richard Schroeder
Professor of Anthropology

Sabine von Mering
Director of the Center for German, and European Studies and Professor of German, and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Sally Warner, Undergraduate Advising Head, Applied Learning Experience Director, and Study Abroad Liaison
Assistant Professor of Climate Science

Faculty

John W. Ballantine
Senior Lecturer in the Brandeis International Business School

Leigh Bloch
Lecturer in the American Studies Program

Caren Irr
Professor of English

Pete Kalb
Associate Professor of Contemporary Art on the Cynthia L. and Theodore S. Berenson Chair

Melissa Kosinski-Collins
Professor of Biology

Ravi Lakshmikanthan
Lecturer

James Xinde Li
Florence Levy Kay Fellow in Environmental Economics

Nidhiya Menon
Associate Professor of Economics

Laura Miller
Professor of Sociology

Kate Moran
Associate Professor of Philosophy

James Morris
Professor of Biology

Richard Schroeder
Professor of Geography in the Department of Anthropology

Sara Shostak
Associate Professor of Sociology

Melissa Stimell
Professor of the Practice in Legal Studies

Rachel Theodorou
Senior Lecturer in Education and Elementary Faculty Leader

Jerome Tharaud
Assistant Professor of English

Requirements for the Minor in Environmental Studies

Students pursuing the Environmental Studies minor must successfully complete six required courses and meet the applied learning experience requirement:

ENVS 2a (Fundamentals of Environmental Challenges).
Two elective courses from the environmental social sciences/humanities group electives.
Two elective courses from the environmental natural sciences group electives.
One additional elective courses from either the social sciences/humanities group or the natural sciences group.
One applied learning experience: an approved environmental internship, ENVS 97a (Senior Essay), or an approved study abroad program (see Special Notes Relating to Minors and Majors).

Requirements for the Minor in Climate Justice, Science, and Policy

Students pursuing the Climate Justice, Science, and Policy minor must successfully complete five required courses and meet the professional development activity requirement:

One foundational course: ENVS 39B Climate Change: Causes, Impacts, Responses and Solutions.
One climate science policy course: ENVS 36B or ENVS 107B.
One climate social science or humanities course with a climate justice focus: COML/ENG 70b, GECS 188B, or SOC 40A.
One climate science course: BIOL 39B or ENVS 42B.
One elective course from the approved list (core courses cannot be double counted): ANTH 151b, BIOL 17b, BIOL 39b, COML/ENG 70b, ENVS 19b, ENVS 20a, ENVS 21b, ENVS 36b, ENVS 42b, ENVS 49a, ENVS 107b, FIN 235a, GECS 188b, LGLS 161b, SOC 40a, SOC 147a, or SOC 175b.
One pre-approved professional development activity.

Requirements for the Major

Students pursuing the major in Environmental Studies must successfully complete twelve courses that allow for breadth, depth, and integration of their learning along with practical skills and meet the applied learning experience requirement:

Core course: ENVS 2a.
A semester of instruction in geographic information systems (GIS). This requirement may be satisfied with either: 1) HS 297f (Introduction to GIS) and HS 263f (Applied GIS) or 2) with ANTH 137a GIS: Mapping Culture from Land, Air and Space. Note that HS 297f and HS 263f are both modules, each meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
One applied learning experience AppLE: an approved environmental internship, ENVS 97a (Senior Essay), ENVS 99a (Senior Research), ENVS 99b (Senior Thesis), or an approved study abroad program.

Recognizing the disruptive impact of the pandemic on fulfilling the Applied Learning Experience (AppLE), ENVS majors who plan to graduate by December 2021 may satisfy the requirement with one of the two options below (see Special Notes Relating to Minors and Majors).
Four courses from the environmental social sciences/humanities group electives.
Four courses from the environmental natural science group electives.
Two additional courses from either group of electives.
Foundational Literacies: As part of completing the Environmental Studies major, students must:
- Fulfill the writing intensive requirement by successfully completing one of the following: AMST 30b, AMST 105a, AMST 106b, BIOL 26a, or GECS 188b.
- Fulfill the oral communication requirement by successfully completing one of the following: BIOL 39b, BIOL 134b, GECS 188b, or SOC 147a.
- Fulfill the digital literacy requirement by successfully completing HS 263f and HS 297f or one of the following: ANTH 137a or BIOL 39b.

Special Notes Relating to Minors and Majors

Students may double-count no more than four courses used to fulfill the environmental studies major with another major or minor.

Students who wish to minor in Climate Justice, Science, and Policy and major in Environmental Studies may count no more than two courses toward both programs. Students may count their ENVS major AppLE experience as the professional development requirement for the CJSP minor if approved by the minor advisor.

Students who wish to minor in Climate Justice, Science, and Policy and minor in Environmental Studies may count no more than one course toward both programs. Students may count their ENVS minor AppLE experience as the professional development requirement for the CJSP minor if approved by the minor advisor.

Students completing the CJSP minor may double count up to two courses with any other major and up to one course with any other minor on campus.

No course, whether required or elective, for which a student receives a grade below C- may be counted toward the major or minor.

No course taken to satisfy the major or minor may be taken on a pass/fail basis.

Internships: In order for an environmental internship to count as a applied learning experience it must take place after the student’s sophomore year and it must be pre-approved by the ENVS Applied Learning Experience Director. The internship may take place during the summer or either the Fall or Spring semesters. We expect that the student will devote at least 100 hours to the internship, and that the internship will be substantive in nature (i.e., not merely menial office tasks). The ENVS faculty have long experience in placing students in a variety of internships and will help students find appropriate placements. Please contact the ENVS Applied Learning Experience Director at least four months before you hope to begin your internship.

Study Abroad: In order for a study abroad experience to qualify as a applied learning experience, it should be field-based, well-integrated, and should include a major project that the student undertakes. Programs offered by School for Field Studies, the School for International Training, and DIS (in Denmark) will typically be pre-approved, as will similar programs. In general, programs that consist of several unrelated classroom-based courses will not be approved as an applied learning experience.

Temporary Change for Fulfilling the Applied Learning Experience Requirement for ENVS

Recognizing the disruptive impact of the pandemic on fulfilling the Applied Learning Experience (AppLE), ENVS majors who plan to graduate by December 2022 may satisfy the requirement with one of the two options below.

Option I

One of the following:

A preapproved study abroad program
An environmental internship approved in advance by the ENVS program. This includes virtual or remote working internships that meet the regular internship standards outlined on our website.
An advisor-supported senior essay (ENVS 97a), senior research (ENVS 99a) or thesis (ENVS 99b).

Option II

One of the following:

Conduct a Micro Internship and complete 4 Professional Development workshops. Micro Internships are short-term, project-based positions with partner organizations that would consist of 25-40 hours of work. Students would pair Micro Internships with professional development workshops offered by the Brandeis Library.

Securing a Micro-Internship: Students may identify projects with partners on their own or work with Prof. Hitchcock in identifying a Micro Internship. Micro Internships need to be approved in advance using a procedure similar to the regular internship approval process.

Completing Professional Development Workshops: Brandeis Library is organizing a series of Professional Development Workshops this summer via Zoom. These workshops require preparation in advance and synchronous participation. Students are required to complete a minimum of four workshops. Students can draw from the existing technical workshops or one or the new workshops to be developed. Once students register for the micro internship option they will receive a list of eligible workshops. Workshops generally require 1 hour advance preparation and 1 hour synchronous participation.

Write a reflection: Students to complete a reflection paper similar to the current internship requirement.
Students may opt to take a 4-credit research methods class, such as:
ANTH 81a Conducting Ethnographic Fieldwork
BIOL 51a Biostatistics
BUS 111a Business Analytics
ECON 83 Statistics for Economic Analysis
POL 52b Introduction to Stats for Social Sciences
PSYC 51a Statistics
SOC 118a Observing the Social World: Doing Qualitative Sociology
SOC 181a Methods of Social Inquiry
SOC 182a Applied Research Methods

Any of the aforementioned research methods classes will count toward the AppLE. It may not double count with other ENVS requirements. Students will need to petition to request substitution for a requirement upon successful completion of the course. Students will need to work on an environmentally-related final paper/project and these projects will be submitted to ENVS for review and should email these to UAH prior to submitting their petition. Students need to meet any prerequisites for enrolling in these courses and discuss courses with the ENVS UAH before requesting an override into a course.

Off-Campus Study Opportunities

Courses from approved semester programs such as the School for Field Studies, SIT, DIS, and the Wood's Hole Semester in Environmental Science can be applied to electives for the major or minor with approval from the undergraduate advising head.

CJSP minors may earn credit for one elective course taken while abroad.

Courses of Instruction

Expand All

(1-99) Primarily for Undergraduate Students

ENVS 2a Fundamentals of Environmental Challenges
[ sn ]
Provides a broad interdisciplinary introduction to environmental studies. Examines several key environmental challenges including climate change, biodiversity loss, water issues, and pollutants through an array of lenses from the natural and social sciences. Usually offered every year.
Dan Perlman

ENVS 18b Global Sustainability and Biodiversity Conservation
[ ss ]
Studies the development of international environmental law and policy through a historical lens. Examines how early diplomatic initiatives have--and importantly, have not--shaped the contemporary structure of international environmental relations. Usually offered every second year.
Charles Chester

ENVS 19b Evolution of the Earth
[ qr sn ]
Examines the natural history of the Earth starting from its formation 4.6 billion years ago through to the present day. Emphasis will be on how land, water, air, and living organisms have interacted and evolved together over time. Usually offered every year.
Sally Warner

ENVS 20a Introduction to Climate Change and Health
[ ss ]
Introduces students to various public health dimensions of climate change. Students will engage with tools for monitoring and evaluating climate and human health relationships while investigating more resilient measures for existing mitigation and adaptation strategies. Usually offered every year.
Israel Ukawuba

ENVS 21b Oceanography
[ qr sn ]
This course will provide an overview of the geology, physics, chemistry, and biology of the world’s oceans, with an emphasis on current ocean issues like sea level rise, hurricanes, ocean acidification, coral bleaching, dead zones, changing habitats, and plastic pollution. Usually offered every year.
Sally Warner

ENVS 39b Climate Change: Causes, Impacts, Responses and Solutions
[ ss ]
Provides an overview of climate change science, including causes, impacts, and responses. The course will also cover solutions to the "climate threat," looking at the problem from multiple disciplinary perspectives to better help students understand the complex issues. usually offered every year.
Staff

ENVS 42b Climate Science
[ qr sn ]
A course in math, chemistry or physics at the college or high school AP level is recommended.
Provides an overview of the physical, chemical, and biological processes governing climate change. There will be an emphasis on problem solving using data from a variety of sources including satellites, ocean buoys, weather stations, and climate models. Usually offered every year.
Sally Warner

ENVS 49a Conservation Politics
[ djw nw ss ]
Examines theories and practices of nature conservation from interdisciplinary social science and humanistic perspectives. Surveys a range of moral, political, cultural and economic dilemmas facing conservationists. Explores ways to balance competing ethical imperatives to protect biodiversity and respect human rights. Usually offered every year.
Richard Schroeder

ENVS 92a Internship in Environmental Studies
Students work in environmental internship placements tailored to the students' academic program, interests, and skills. Internships are in public and private organizations focused on environmental policy, research, regulation, enforcement, and education. Usually offered every year.
Staff

ENVS 97a Senior Essay
Usually offered every year.
Staff

ENVS 98a Independent Study
Usually offered every year.
Staff

ENVS 98b Independent Study
Usually offered every year.
Staff

ENVS 99a Senior Research
Usually offered every fall semester.
Staff

ENVS 99b Senior Thesis
Prerequisite: ENVS 99a.
Usually offered every spring semester.
Staff

(100-199) For Both Undergraduate and Graduate Students

ENVS 100b GIS Methods
[ dl ss ]
A skills and methods course that trains students in geographic information systems (GIS) as a tool for understanding the ecology, economics, history, and conservation of landscapes. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

ENVS 107b Atmospheric Civics and Diplomacy
[ ss ]
Examines three principal threats to the atmosphere—air pollution, ozone depletion, and climate change—through the lens of international relations. The course primarily aims to answer the overarching question: What can international actors do to protect the atmosphere? Usually offered every year.
Charles Chester

ENVS 108b Land Conservation in the United States: History and Practice
[ ss ]
Explores land conservation in the context of broader environmental movements, focusing on the U.S., but extending to international conservation work. It examines and critiques today's techniques and practice of conservation by non-profit land trusts and by government. Usually offered every year.
Frank Lowenstein

Required Core Course for the ENVS Major and Minor

HS 263f Applied Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
[ dl ]
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Prerequisite: HS 297f or permission of the instructor.
Designed for students wishing to receive advanced training in GIS. Instruction includes geospatial data management and archiving, raster and vector analysis techniques, and basic GPS instruction. Emphasis is on 'hands-on' training using ARCView GIS software; qualitative skills in data gathering, analysis, and presentation; and understanding the potential of GIS as a tool for planning and evaluating development projects. Includes a computer lab. Usually offered every year.
Ravi Lakshmikanthan

HS 297f Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
[ dl ]
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
A primer for non-specialists on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and its capabilities as a tool for planning and monitoring. Students learn how to determine an organization’s GIS requirements, focus on those requirements during planning, and apply the requirements to assess the size and scope of the system needed. Includes a computer lab. Usually offered every semester.
Staff

Environmental Studies Electives: Social Science/Humanities Group

AMST 30b American Environmental History
[ ss wi ]
Provides an overview of the relationship between nature and culture in North America. Covers Native Americans, the European invasion, the development of a market system of resource extraction and consumption, the impact of industrialization, and environmentalist responses. Current environmental issues are placed in historical context. Usually offered every year.
Brian Donahue

AMST 105a The Eastern Forest: Paleoecology to Policy
[ ss wi ]
Yields six semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation.
Can we make sustainable use of the Eastern Forest of North America while protecting biological diversity and ecological integrity? Explores the forest's ecological development, the impact of human cultures, attitudes toward the forest, and our mixed record of abuse and stewardship. Includes extensive fieldwork. Usually offered every second year.
Brian Donahue

AMST 106b Food and Farming in America
[ ss wi ]
Yields four semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation.
American food is abundant and cheap. Yet many eat poorly, and some argue that our agriculture may be unhealthy and unsustainable. Explores the history of American farming and diet and the prospects for a healthy food system. Includes extensive fieldwork. Usually offered every second year.
Brian Donahue

AMST/ENG 47a Frontier Visions: The West in American Literature and Culture
[ hum oc ]
May not be taken for credit by students who took ENG 47a in prior years.
Explores more than two centuries of literary and visual culture about the American West, including the frontier myth, Indian captivity narratives, frontier humor, dime novel and Hollywood westerns, the Native American Renaissance, and western regionalism. Authors include Black Hawk, Cather, Doig, Silko, Turner, and Twain. Usually offered every third year.
Jerome Tharaud

ANTH 55a Anthropology of Development
[ nw ss ]
Examines efforts to address global poverty that are typically labeled as "development." Privileging the perspectives of ordinary people, and looking carefully at the institutions involved in development, the course relies on ethnographic case studies that will draw students into the complexity of global inequality. Broad development themes such as public health, agriculture, the environment, democracy, poverty, and entrepreneurship will be explored. Usually offered every second year.
Richard Schroeder

ANTH 120b Ecology and Society in the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula
[ ss ]
Examines how humans interact with the world around them. The course covers the main theories of the relationship between ecology and society, and explores issues related to the environment and agriculture in the Middle East, with a focus on the Arabian Peninsula. Usually offered every third year.
Pascal Menoret

ANTH 121b Archaeology and Environment
[ nw ss ]
Provides an introduction to environmental archaeology, exploring how human history and prehistory have been defined by moments when political, cultural, economics, and ecological systems collide. Topics include climate change, food systems, plant and animal relations, and natural resources. Usually offered every second year.
Charlotte Goudge

ANTH 151b Nature, Culture, Power: Anthropology of the Environment
[ ss ]
Examines the relationships among human and natural worlds. Topics include: the politics of food insecurity and famine, forest, hurricanes and disaster capitalism, forest fires and theories of degradation, climate injustice, and environmental justice/racism. Ethnographies based on research in the United States, Africa and Asia will enable students to explore how anthropology offers insight into the pressing environmental issues of today. Usually offered every year.
Jonathan Anjaria or Richard Schroeder

COML/ENG 70b Environmental Film, Environmental Justice
[ djw hum ]
Examines films that address nature, environmental crisis, and green activism. Asks how world cinema can best advance the goals of social and environmental justice. Includes films by major directors and festival award winners. Usually offered every third year.
Caren Irr

COML/ENG 191a Environmental Aesthetics
[ djw hum oc ]
Explores major schools of thought about nature, ecology, and art. Usually offered every third year.
Caren Irr

ECON 36b Climate Change Economics and Policy
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: ECON 2a or ECON 10a.
Examines essential concepts economists and other social scientists use to consider the link between climate change and human society. We will explore specific topics of climate impacts and justice, as well as how to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Special one-time offering, spring 2021.
James Ji

ECON 57a Environmental Economics
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: ECON 2a or 10a.
Investigates the theoretical and policy problems posed by the use of renewable and nonrenewable resources. Theoretical topics include the optimal pricing of resources, the optimal use of standards and taxes to correct pollution problems under uncertainty, and the measurement of costs and benefits. Usually offered every year.
Linda Bui and James Ji

ECON 175a Introduction to the Economics of Development
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: ECON 2a or 10a or permission of the instructor. Does not count toward the upper-level elective requirement for the major in economics.
An introduction to various models of economic growth and development and evaluation of these perspectives from the experience of developing and industrial countries. Usually offered every second year.
Nidhiya Menon

ENG 28a Environmental Literature in an Age of Extinction
[ deis-us dl hum ]
Explores literature’s role in shaping modern understandings of environmental change and damage, as well as the possibility of ecological restoration. Works include environmental classics by Thoreau, Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson as well as contemporary genres including dystopia, the thriller, and climate fiction. Usually offered every third year.
Caren Irr or Jerome Tharaud

ENG 169a Eco-Writing Workshop
[ hum wi ]
Offered exclusively on a credit/no credit basis. Enrollment is by instructor permission after the submission of a manuscript sample. Please refer to the schedule of classes for submission information.
A creative writing workshop focused on writing essays and poems that engage with environmental and eco-justice concerns. Readings, writing assignments, and class discussions will be augmented by field trips. Usually offered every second year.
Elizabeth Bradfield

FA 169a Ecology and Art
[ ca dl ]
Provides a theoretical foundation and art historical background for discussion of contemporary art that draws attention to the ecologies, primarily natural but also cultural, of which it and we are a part. Usually offered every third year.
Peter Kalb

FIN 235a Investing in Energy: Fossil Fuels to Cleaner Energy
How do energy companies and investors make investment decisions in our current economic/political environment? How do investors assess the risks and the long term opportunities, and what are the potential returns? And how do companies manage energy projects and implement new technologies across many markets and countries? To evaluate energy investments students need to acquire the background knowledge, the technical skills, and an appreciation of the politics of energy policy. This course will establish a broad framework of analysis and it will also let students analyze the economic viability of a specific energy project. Usually offered every year.
John Ballantine

GECS 188b Human/Nature: European Perspectives on Climate Change
[ djw hum oc wi ]
Open to all students.
Introduces European attitudes towards climate change as reflected in policy, literature, film, and art, with a focus on workable future-oriented alternatives to fossil-fueled capitalism. Usually offered every second year.
Sabine von Mering

HSSP 152b Introduction to Demography: Social Determinants of Health and Wellbeing
[ ss ]
Explores the social and health consequences of population dynamics within the U.S. and globally that affect wellbeing of families and nations including poverty and inequality, maternal and child health, aging, fertility and epidemiological transitions, workforce, immigration among other policy concerns. Usually offered every year.
Laurence Simon

HSSP 182a Food, Justice and Health
[ deis-us ss ]
Recommended prerequisite: SOC 83a or SOC 84a
Introduces food as a public health issue, including "food is medicine" perspectives. Explores movements for food justice and food sovereignty, especially as a way of understanding how histories of inequity have shaped today's food system. Considers policies, programs, and practices to improve health equity. Usually offered every second year.
Sara Shostak

LGLS 132b Environmental Law and Policy
[ oc ss wi ]
Provides students with an understanding of complex environmental issues from a policy perspective. We begin by considering the broad origins of environmentalism in the U.S and then focus on federal and some state and international treaties and policies. We’ll survey major environmental laws, environmental justice, risk and recent cross-cutting issues. Finally, we’ll discuss current environmental issues ripped from the headlines, like fracking, lead in drinking water as in Flint, Michigan, and the Paris Climate Change Agreement. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

SOC 40a From Environmental Justice to Climate Justice: Power, Inequality, and the Natural World
[ ss ]
Students will explore the concepts of environmental justice and climate justice with a particular focus on the relationship between power, inequality, and the environment. Students will analyze the historical development and mobilization around both environmental justice and climate justice. Special one-time offering, spring 2021.
Ann Ward

SOC 147a Sustainable and Resilient Cities
[ oc ss ]
Studies innovations in the U.S and around the world that enhance urban sustainability, healthy communities, environmental justice, climate resilience and adaptation. Grassroots sustainability and climate movements, as well as environmental, health, and urban planning practice are examined. May be combined with internships and action research. May be combined with internships and action research. Usually offered every year.
Staff

SOC 175b Environmental Movements: Organizations, Networks, and Partnerships
[ ss ]
Studies environmental movement organizations and field strategies, national advocacy organizations, as well as community-based and civic approaches to environmental problem solving. Case studies draw from sustainable and climate resilient cities, watersheds, coastal adaptation, forests, ecosystem restoration, environmental justice, renewable energy, and the greening of business. May be combined with internships and action research. Usually offered every year.
Staff

Environmental Studies Electives: Natural Sciences Group

Please note that some courses in this group have multiple prerequisites.

BIOL 16a Evolution and Biodiversity
[ qr sn ]
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution," the geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky said famously. Evolution is the unifying theory of biology because it explains both the unity and diversity of life. This course examines processes and patterns of evolution, including the sources and fate of variation, natural selection and genetic drift, species and speciation, biogeography, and the history and diversity of life on Earth. We end with a discussion of human evolution and the impact we are having on the planet. Usually offered every fall.
James Morris

BIOL 17b Conservation Biology
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Considers the current worldwide loss of biological diversity, causes of this loss, and methods for protecting and conserving biodiversity. Explores biological and social aspects of the problems and their solutions. Usually offered every year.
Colleen Hitchcock

BIOL 23a Ecology
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Prerequisites: BIOL 16a, or a score of 5 on the AP Biology Exam, or permission of the instructor.
Illustrates the science of ecology, from individual, population, and community-level perspectives. Includes citizen science ecological research to contextualize theory. Usually offered every year.
Colleen Hitchcock

BIOL 26a Plant Biology
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Prerequisites: BIOL 14a and BIOL 15b.
Adopts a molecular and chemical approach as we explore various concepts in plant biology including plant metabolism, structure-function, development, genetics and taxonomy. Intended for students who are familiar with central dogma, structure-function relationship and genetic inheritance, but have not yet applied those concepts in plant systems. Usually offered every second year.
Melissa Kosinski-Collins

BIOL 32a Field Biology
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Introduces students to the biodiversity of southern New England, emphasizing woody plants. Course work primarily takes place on field trips to various terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Usually offered every year.
Staff

BIOL 39b Biology of Global Climate Change
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Prerequisites: ENVS 2a, BIOL 16a or BIOL 17b.
Examines the biology of global climate change from how biology informs understanding climate change to the evolutionary and ecological responses to climate change. This course includes an exploration of the primary literature. Usually offered every year.
Colleen Hitchcock

BIOL 50b Animal Behavior
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Prerequisites: BIOL 23a or BIOL 16a.
Examines a wide range of animal behavior, including mating and reproductive tactics, territoriality, and social behaviors. Why does an animal perform a given behavior? We will explore the approaches to answering this question and learn a logical framework to examine the various aspects of animal behavior. Class meetings will focus on understanding behavior from both an ecological and evolutionary perspective. We will start the term by understanding how to study behavior and end the term examining key topics in behavior. Usually offered every second year.
Colleen Hitchcock

BIOL 134b Topics in Ecology
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Prerequisites: BIOL 23a, or permission of the instructor. Topics may vary from year to year. Please consult the Course Schedule for topic and description. Course may be repeated once for credit with permission of the instructor.
Annually, a different aspect of the global biosphere is selected for analysis. In any year the focus may be on specific ecosystems (e.g., terrestrial, aquatic, tropical, arctic), populations, system modeling, restoration ecology, or other aspects of ecology. Usually offered every year.
Dan Perlman

BIOL 159a Project Laboratory in Microbiology
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Prerequisites: BIOL 18a and BIOL 18b.
A discovery-based laboratory to study the diversity of microorganisms in particular environments. We will isolate microbes with ability to metabolize complex compounds from special environments, characterize their properties and identify them by DNA sequence analysis. This course will teach the fundamentals of microbiology through hands-on activities. Usually offered every year.
Deanni Cooper

CHEM 33a Environmental Chemistry
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Prerequisite: A satisfactory grade (C- or higher) in CHEM 11b or 15b or the equivalent.
The course surveys the important chemical principles and reactions that determine the balance of the molecular species in the environment and how human activity affects this balance. The class evaluates current issues of environmental concern such as ozone depletion, global warming, sustainable energy, toxic chemicals, water pollution, and green chemistry. Usually offered every year.
Bryan Ingoglia

CHSC 3b Solving Environmental Challenges: The Role of Chemistry
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Does not meet the requirements for the major in chemistry.
Provides a basic understanding of the chemistry of natural environmental cycles, and how these cycles are adversely affected by society. Student teams develop case studies on "hot topics" such as mercury, brominated flame retardants, MBTE, perchlorate, dioxin, and others. Usually offered every second year.
Dwight Peavey

CHSC 4b Understanding the Chemistry of Sustainability
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Prerequisites: High school-level chemistry or environmental science/studies is required. Students missing this background may petition the instructor for permission to enroll. Does NOT meet requirements for the major in chemistry.
An exploration of the role of green chemistry, nanotechnology, bioengineering, innovative design, and greater reliance on renewable resources in achieving environmental sustainability. Topics include sustainable energy, recognized green sector industries, green chemicals, environmentally preferable products, and sustainable manufacturing. Usually offered every second year.
Dwight Peavey

EBIO 33b Citizen Science: Bridging Science, Education and Advocacy
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Citizen science (the public generation of science knowledge) from both a practical (through direct participation in research) and theoretical application will be explored as the basis for examining how research, scientific literacy, education, and advocacy projects are complementary. Usually offered every second year.
Colleen Hitchcock and Rachel Theodorou

University Bulletin (2021-2022)