Environmental Studies Major

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This information is part of the Colgate University catalog, 2020–21.

The environmental studies major combines breadth in analytical perspectives, interdisciplinary courses in which students learn to combine analytical perspectives, and depth in a focus area of each student's choosing. The courses below are required for the major.

Major Requirements

Environmental Studies Courses (four)

All of the Following
One of the Following

One Additional Interdisciplinary Course Focused on the Environment

One full-credit course or two half-credit courses from the following list:

Methods Course

One full-credit course or two half-credit courses from the following list, or with permission of the program director another methods course appropriate for the student's chosen field of study:

Courses Providing Breadth of Analytical Perspectives (three)

Earth Systems and Processes

One of the following courses:

Social Science Investigations of Environmental Issues

One of the following courses:

Arts and Humanities Courses Related to the Environment

One of the following courses:

Focus in a Particular Field of Study

Four courses (or a combination of full- and partial-credit courses, not including labs, that add up to four full-course credits) that provide depth in a field of study. No more than one of these courses can be at an introductory level, and at least one must be at an advanced level. These courses are in addition to those used to satisfy the requirements listed above. With permission of the program director any four courses that combine to provide depth in a field of study may be used, but normally all of the four courses used to satisfy this requirement will be from the same department or from the same one of the lists of requirements in:


 
 

With permission of the program director, this requirement may be waived if a student has a second major or a minor.

Honors and High Honors

Students interested in pursuing honors can find the additional requirements on the  program page.

Environmental Studies Program

For more information about the department, including Faculty, transfer credit, awards, etc., please visit the  catalogue page.