Environmental Studies, B.S.
Visit the Earth Science Department page for more information on the program and access to advising.
Program Description
The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies (BS-EVST) is an interdisciplinary program that focuses on the complex relationships between humans and the natural world. The program equips students with the skills and perspectives from physical science, social science, and the humanities needed to address pressing environmental challenges and discover viable solutions. It also helps students gain an understanding of ethical considerations and sustainability principles, enabling them to approach environmental issues from a socially responsible perspective. The program offers flexibility and prepares students for a wide array of career paths in environmental policy, advocacy, education, research, sustainability consulting, and non-profit organizations.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
| General Education Requirements | 31 Credits | |
| ENGL 1010 | Introduction to Academic Writing | 3 |
| or ENGH 1005 | Literacies and Composition Across Contexts | |
| ENGL 2010 | Intermediate Academic Writing | 3 |
| MATH 1050 | College Algebra | 4 |
| or MATH 1055 | College Algebra with Preliminaries | |
| Complete one of the following: | 3 | |
| US History to 1877 and US History since 1877 (6) | ||
| American History (3) | ||
| US Economic History (3) | ||
| American Heritage (3) | ||
| American National Government (3) | ||
| Distribution Courses: | ||
| Humanities | 3 | |
| Physical Science (ENVT 1110 or GEOG 1000 is recommended) | 3 | |
| Life Science (BIOL 1010 or BIOL 1610 is recommended) | 3 | |
| Fine Arts | 3 | |
| Social/Behavioral Science | 3 | |
| Personal, Professional, and Civic Growth | 3 | |
| Discipline Core Requirements | 25 Credits | |
| GEOG 1400G | Introduction to Human Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 2000 | Sustainability and Environment | 3 |
| GEOG 3000 | Climate Change in Science and Society | 3 |
| ENST 2000 | Introduction to Environmental Studies | 3 |
| ENST 3110 | Environmental Justice | 3 |
| or PHIL 3110 | Environmental Justice | |
| ENVT 3290 | Environmental Reporting | 3 |
| ENVT 3850 | Environmental Policy | 3 |
| COMM 3115 | Communicating in Environments | 3 |
| GEO 4800R | Earth Science Seminar must be taken twice | 1 |
| Program electives | 33 Credits | |
| Complete six credits from the following | 6 | |
| Environmental Health (3) | ||
| Environmental Law (3) | ||
| Energy Use on Earth (3) | ||
| Natural Resources Management (3) | ||
| Environmental Sociology (3) | ||
| Topics in Environmental Studies (undefined) | ||
| Environmental Ethics (3) | ||
| Environmental Aesthetics (3) | ||
| Select one of the following methods courses | 3 | |
| Ethnographic Methods (3) | ||
| Wilderness and Environmental Writing (3) | ||
| Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (4) | ||
| Principles of Statistics (4) | ||
| Complete 12 credits from the following physical and life science courses 1 | 12 | |
| Land Use Planning (3) | ||
| Wetland Studies (3) | ||
| Environmental Remote Sensing (3) | ||
| Geospatial Data Science (3) | ||
| Biogeography (4) | ||
| Geomorphology and Geomorphology Lab (4) | ||
| Advanced Geographic Information Systems (4) | ||
| Wetland Studies Laboratory (1) | ||
| Environmental Biology (3) | ||
| General Ecology (3) | ||
| Introduction to Soils (4) | ||
| Applied Hydrology (4) | ||
| Hydrogeology (4) | ||
| Introduction to Oceanography (3) | ||
| Introduction to Geology (3) | ||
or GEO 1030 | Natural Disasters and the Environment | |
or GEO 1040 | The Dinosaurian World | |
or GEO 1050 | Geology of National Parks | |
| Introduction to Oceanography Laboratory (1) | ||
| Earth Materials (3) | ||
| Geologic Hazards and Geologic Hazards Laboratory (4) | ||
| Science Excursion (1) | ||
| Geospatial Field Methods (3) | ||
| Climate and the Earth System (3) | ||
| Complete 12 credits from the following social science and humanities classes 1 | 12 | |
| Food and Culture (3) | ||
| Social Cultural Anthropology (3) | ||
| Geography of Latin America and the Caribbean (3) | ||
| Urban Geography (3) | ||
| Geography of Utah (3) | ||
| Geography of Africa (undefined) | ||
| Environmental History of the United States (3) | ||
| History of the American West to 1850 (3) | ||
| History of the American West since 1850 (3) | ||
| History of Scientific Thought (3) | ||
| State and Local Government (3) | ||
| Introduction to Public Policy (3) | ||
| Nonprofits and The Public Sector (3) | ||
| Environmental Politics and Policy (3) | ||
| Globalization and Sustainable Development (3) | ||
| United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (3) | ||
| Philosophy of Science (3) | ||
| Intro to Sociology (undefined) | ||
| Environmental Sociology (3) | ||
or ENST 3520 | Environmental Sociology | |
| Contemporary Social Theory (3) | ||
| Social Change (3) | ||
| Global Poverty Facts Causes and Solutions (3) | ||
| Community Development (3) | ||
| Electives 1 | 31 Credits | |
| Choose any classes. It is recommended that you select classes listed in the categories above that have not been taken or select from the courses below. It is also recommended to select classes from the following prefixes: GEOG, GEO, ENVT, ENST, AIST, ANTH, SOC, BIOL, CHEM, PHYS, NSS, HIST, GIS, MATH, STAT, CS, REC, PHIL, ENTR, ARC, ART, HUM, ENGL,METO, PJST, POLS, MGMT. | 31 | |
| GIS Internship (1-3) | ||
| Student Research in Geography (1-4) | ||
| Indians of Utah (3) | ||
| Principles of Chemistry I (4) | ||
| Principles of Chemistry I Laboratory (1) | ||
| Principles of Chemistry II (4) | ||
| Principles of Chemistry II Laboratory (1) | ||
| Introduction to Statistical Computing (1) | ||
| Probability and Statistics for Engineering and the Sciences (3) | ||
| Literature of Cultures and Places (3) | ||
| Creativity and Entrepreneurial Thinking (3) | ||
| Introduction to Ethnic Studies (3) | ||
| American Indian Policy and Tribal Government (3) | ||
| Precolumbian America (3) | ||
| Culture Ecology and Health (3) | ||
| Shamanism and Indigenous Religion (3) | ||
| Social Inequality (3) | ||
| Political Sociology (3) | ||
| Foundations of Ethnic Studies (3) | ||
| Historical Geology (3) | ||
| Environmental Microbiology (4) | ||
| Isotope Geochemistry (3) | ||
| Environmental Geochemistry (3) | ||
| Structure and Tectonics (4) | ||
| Sedimentary Geology (4) | ||
| Trigonometry (3) | ||
| Calculus I (4) | ||
| College Physics I (4) | ||
or PHYS 2210 | Physics for Scientists and Engineers I | |
| College Physics II (4) | ||
or PHYS 2220 | Physics for Scientists and Engineers II | |
| Backpacking (1) | ||
| Leave No Trace Trainer (1) | ||
| Race and Minority Relations (undefined) | ||
| Social Research Methods (undefined) | ||
| Sociology of Gender (3) | ||
| Internet Technology and Society (3) | ||
| Land Food and Society (3) | ||
- 1
You need at least 40 hours of upper division credit to graduate. Work with your advisor to make sure you are meeting the 40 credits of upper division requirement.
Graduation Requirements
- Completion of a minimum of 120 semester credits, including 40 hours of upper-division credit.
- Overall grade point average of 2.0 (C) or above.
- Grade of C- or better in core curriculum course.
- Successful completion of at least one Global/Intercultural course.
- Successful completion of at least two Writing Enriched (WE) courses.
- Completion of an exit interview with the department chair and a Qualtrics Exit Survey prior to graduation.
Graduation Plan
This graduation plan is a sample plan and is intended to be a guide. Your specific plan may differ based on your Math and English placement and/or transfer credits applied. You are encouraged to meet with an advisor and set up an individualized graduation plan in Wolverine Track.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Credit Hours | |
| MATH 1050 | College Algebra | 4 |
| ENGL 1010 | Introduction to Academic Writing | 3 |
| GEOG 1400G | Introduction to Human Geography | 3 |
| ENVT 1110 | Introduction to Environmental Science and Management | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| ENGL 2010 | Intermediate Academic Writing | 3 |
| GEOG 1000 | Introduction to Physical Geography | 3 |
| Humanities distribution | 3 | |
| American Institutions distribution | 3 | |
| Personal, Professional, and Civic Growth | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Semester 3 | ||
| GEOG 2000 | Sustainability and Environment | 3 |
| ENST 2000 | Introduction to Environmental Studies | 3 |
| Social science / humanities program electives | 3 | |
| BIOL 1010 or BIOL 1610 | General Biology or College Biology I | 3 |
| Physical / life science program electives | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| Fine Arts Distribution | 3 | |
| GEOG 3600 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems or Ethnographic Methods or Wilderness and Environmental Writing or Introduction to Statistical Methods | 3 |
| COMM 3115 | Communicating in Environments | 3 |
| Social science / humanities program electives | 3 | |
| Physical / life science program electives | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Semester 5 | ||
| GEO 4800R | Earth Science Seminar | 0.5 |
| ENVT 3850 | Environmental Policy | 3 |
| Physical / life science program electives | 3 | |
| Social science / humanities program electives | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 12.5 | |
| Semester 6 | ||
| GEOG 3000 | Climate Change in Science and Society | 3 |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Physical / life science program electives | 3 | |
| Social science / humanities program electives | 3 | |
| Program electives | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Semester 7 | ||
| GEO 4800R | Earth Science Seminar | 0.5 |
| ENVT 3290 | Environmental Reporting | 3 |
| ENST 3110 or PHIL 3110 | Environmental Justice or Environmental Justice | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15.5 | |
| Semester 8 | ||
| Program electives | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Program Learning Outcomes
- Analyze the scientific underpinnings, social context, political ramifications, and the unevenly distributed impacts of key environmental challenges to design sustainable solutions.
- Evaluate the links between social and natural systems to identify appropriate areas of intervention.
- Critically assess environmental and sustainability programs, organizations, and reporting mechanisms to create new and/or revised programs, organizations, and reports.
- Influence policy outcomes using existing laws, regulations, stakeholders, and interest groups relating to environmental issues.
- Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, about environmental and sustainability issues to diverse audiences.
Compliance officers
- Total Positions403,900
- Field Growth5.4%
- Median Salary$75,670
- Average Openings34.4
Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Total Positions84,600
- Field Growth7.3%
- Median Salary$78,980
- Average Openings8.5
Environmental science teachers, postsecondary
- Total Positions9,100
- Field Growth3.9%
- Median Salary$88,410
- Average Openings0.7