Students who matriculated in fall 2021, 2022, or 2023 may follow the Environmental Studies major and minor requirements. Students who matriculated in fall 2024 must follow the requirements of the Sustainability and Environmental Studies major and minor.  Any Environmental Studies major or minor who matriculated prior to fall of 2024 must work closely with the program to ensure that they are meeting all requirements appropriately.

Environmental Studies Major

The Environmental Studies Major requires eight (8) courses plus a thematic concentration, typically five (5) courses, as part of a three-pronged program.

1.  Four required core courses: ENVS 100, ENVS 200, ENVS 301, and ENVS 401. 

2.  Four distribution courses: Students are to fulfill the requirements of the distribution categories listed below. No double-counting is permitted among these distribution categories or between the distribution courses and the concentration. 

a.  One environmental methods course from the Humanities or the Arts. Examples include: AHVC 263, AHVC 302, AGRS 312, ENGL 291, ENGL 391, PHIL 260.

b.  One environmental course from the Social Sciences. Examples include: ECON 202, ECON 427.

c.  A two-course sequence in the Natural Sciences. Examples include: BIOL 230, EESC 200, EESC 240.

3.  A thematic concentration.  The concentration is a set of courses (typically five) that provides depth in an area of interest.  Concentration courses may not double-count with the Core or Distribution categories above.  

ENVS Thematic Concentration Options

  • Creative Environments
  • Ecosystem Conservation
  • Environmental Decision Making
  • Environmental Geoscience
  • Global Environmental Justice
  • Journalism
  • Sustainable Agriculture
  • Sustainable Design
  • Sustainable Development

Note that students may propose their own self-designed thematic concentration, subject to the approval of the Program Committee. In all concentrations, other relevant courses may be added to these lists as they are developed and offered by faculty. Also note that appropriate Off-Campus Study courses may count toward most thematic concentrations.

Environmental Studies Minor

The Environmental Studies Minor requires six courses. Regular offerings are listed here for each category. Check with the ENVS program office or website for a list of special offerings that may be allowed to fulfill each requirement. Also note that some of these courses have prerequisites.

  1. ENVS 100 - Integrated Environmental Studies
  2. ENVS 200 - Environmental Analysis

Four distribution courses: Students are to fulfill the requirements of the distribution categories listed below. No double-counting is permitted among these distribution categories.

1. One environmental course from the Humanities or the Arts:

2.  One environmental course from the Social Sciences. 

3.  A two-course sequence in the Natural Sciences.

 

Additional Points of Interest

Choosing a Concentration for the ENVS major
Students who major in ENVS choose an area of concentration during the sophomore year.  Prospective ENVS majors are encouraged to discuss possible concentrations with any of the ENVS-affiliated faculty listed above prior to the sophomore year.    The concentration proposal deadline is typically early in the Spring semester.
ENVS courses and General Education (GE) requirements 
Courses taken under the ENVS heading typically fulfill the Interdivisional (I) General Education requirement.  In the case of cross-listed courses, students may choose to enroll under the ENVS heading to earn the Interdivisional (I) GE, or the heading of the home department to earn the GE designation appropriate for that department.  In either case, the course will count toward the ENVS major or minor.  Students are typically able to fulfill a maximum of five GE requirements through the ENVS major.
Off-Campus Study
Students are encouraged to participate in study abroad programs when appropriate to enhance the concentration area or otherwise supplement course offerings at Denison. Students who want to study abroad should plan to do so during their junior year. Courses taken abroad that serve as substitutes for courses listed above or that are otherwise used to satisfy elements of the Environmental Studies major must be approved in advance by the Environmental Studies Director, prior to the student's departure for the off campus program. A maximum of two off-campus courses may be used to satisfy requirements in the major for students who spend one semester off-campus, and a maximum of three off-campus courses may be used to satisfy requirements in the major for students who spend two semesters off-campus.