College Schools, Departments & Programs

Environmental and Sustainability Studies

Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies
Purpose

The B.A. Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies is an interdisciplinary, liberal‐arts degree designed to provide an introduction to the complex system‐scale challenges of sustainability as well as the tools needed to address problems that transcend solely social or environmental domains. Students pursuing this degree can expect to integrate experience in the humanities with the natural and social sciences.  The major offers the opportunity to develop skills in communication and creative expression, data collection and analysis, environmental science, and economics. Although this is designed as a stand‐alone major, students are encouraged to pursue this degree program as a second major opportunity. Pursuing two majors enables students a combination of depth in a core discipline and breadth across the range of topics that are inherent in environmental and sustainability studies. Potential career areas include environmental planning and coordination, environmental education and communications, sustainability coordination or consulting in the private or public sector, green design, environmental law or public affairs, or further academic pursuits with graduate study.

Requirements

Students must complete at least 30 credit hours, 18 of which must be at the 300-400 level, to include:

  1. One Introductory Sustainability course (3 cr.)
    • ANTH-E 101 Sustainability and Society
    • BIOL-L 222 The City as Ecosystem
    • GEOG-G 208 Environment and Society
    • GEOL-G 105 Earth: Our Habitable Planet
    • SPEA-E 162 Environment and People
  2. One Human–Environment Systems course (3 cr.)
    • ANTH-E 328 Ecological Anthropology
    • ANTH-E 418 Globalization and Consumer Culture
    • ANTH-E 444 People and Protected Areas: Theories of Conservation
    • GEOG-G 315 Environmental Conservation
    • GEOG-G 341 Ecological Restoration: Science, Politics, and Ethics
    • GEOG-G 343 Perspectives on Environmental Decisions
    • GEOG-G 411 Sustainable Development Systems
    • GEOG-G 444 Climate Change Impacts
    • GEOG-G 448 Capitalism and Nature
    • GEOG-G 449 Political Ecology
    • GEOG-G 453 Water and Society
    • GEOG-G 478 Global Change, Food, and Farming Systems
    • POLS-Y 313 Environmental Policy
    • SPEA-E 332 Introduction to Applied Ecology
    • SPEA-E 400 Topics in Environmental Studies (Approved topic: Sustainable Solutions)
    • SPEA-E 457 Introduction to Conservation Biology
    • SPEA-V 450 Contemporary Issues in Public Affairs (Approved topic: Environmental Law, Justice and Politics)
    • SPH-O 305 Integrated Resource Management
    • SPH-O 343 Sustainable Agriculture
    • SPH-O 360 Human Health and Natural Environments
    • One of the following:
      • GEOG-G 359 Fundamentals of Sustainable Agriculture
      • SPH-O 343 Sustainable Agriculture
      • CLLC-L 300 Collins Symposium (Approved topic: Fundamentals of Sustainable Agriculture)
  3. One Communication and Creative Expression course (3 cr.)
    • ARTH-A 290 Architecture for Planet Earth
    • BIOL-L 322 Writing Workshop in Biology
    • CSCI-A 348 Mastering the World Wide Web
    • ENG-R 212 Communicating Sustainability
    • ENG-R 348 Environmental Communication
    • ENG-W 311 Writing Creative Nonfiction
    • ENG-W 321 Advanced Technical Writing
    • ENG-W 350 Advanced Expository Writing
    • HPSC-X 240 Engaging Science: Communication and Public Understanding of Scientific Research
    • MSCH-C 226 Visual Communication
    • MSCH-J 360 Journalism Specialties (Approved topic: Web Design)
    • MSCH-P 351 Video Field and Post Production
    • MSCH-P 435 Documentary Filmmaking: Theory and Practice
    • SPEA-E 311 Introduction to Risk Assessment and Risk Communication
    • SPEA-E 412 Risk Communication
  4. One Data Collection and Analysis course (3 cr.)
    a. Qualitative Methods
    • ANTH-E 302 Ethnographic Methods
    • ANTH-E 431 Ethnography as Cultural Critique
    • ANTH-E 485 Art and Craft of Ethnography
    • GEOG-G 388 Qualitative Methods in Geography
    b. Geospatial data analysis
    • GEOG-G 237 Mapping Our World
    • GEOG-G 336 Environmental Remote Sensing
    • GEOG-G 338 Geographic Information Science
    • SPEA-E 418 Vector-Based Geographic Information Systems
    • SPEA-E 419 Applied Remote Sensing of the Environment
    c. Statistical and computational techniques
    • GEOG-G 250 Computing in the Geospatial Sciences
    • GEOG-G 488 Applied Spatial Statistics
    • POLS-Y 395 Quantitative Political Analysis
    • SPEA-K 300 Statistical Techniques (or equivalent)
    • SPEA-V 475 Database Management Systems
    d. Field methods
    • BIOL-L 307 Biodiversity
    • BIOL-L 465 Advanced Field Biology
    • COLL-C 105 Critical Approaches to the Natural and Mathematical Sciences (Approved topic: Re
    • GEOG-G 350 Field Methods in Physical Geography
    • GEOL-X 479 Geology, Hydrology and Geochemistry in the Rocky Mountains
    • SPEA-E 442 Habitat Analysis--Terrestrial
    • SPEA-E 400 Topics in Environmental Studies: Plants and Plant Communities
    • SPEA-E 443 Habitat Analysis--Aquatic
    • SPH-O 244 Natural History and Field Ecology
  5. One Environmental Science course (3-4 cr.)
    • BIOL-L 111 Foundations of Biology: Diversity, Evolution, and Ecology
    • BIOL-L 350 Environmental Biology
    • COLL-C 105 Critical Approaches to Natural and Mathematical Sciences (Approved topics: Records of Global Climate Change; Billion Dollar Weather Disasters)
    • GEOG-G 107 Physical Systems of the Environment
    • GEOG-G 109 Weather and Climate
    • GEOG-G 185 Environmental Change: The End of the World as We Know It?
    • GEOG-G 304 Physical Climatology
    • GEOG-G 305 Environmental Change: Nature and Impact
    • GEOG-G 307 Biogeography: The Distribution of Life
    • GEOL-G 111 Physical Geology
    • GEOL-G 118 Sustainability in Water Resources
    • GEOL-G 122 Introduction to Atmospheric Science: Weather and Climate
    • GEOL-G 131 Oceans and Our Global Environment
    • GEOL-G 225 Earth Materials
    • SPEA-E 272 Introduction to Environmental Sciences
  6. One Economics course (3 cr.)
    • BUS-G 316 Sustainable Enterprise
    • BUS-G 456 Non-Market Risk Consulting
    • BUS-L 302 Sustainability Law and Policy
    • BUS-P 316 Sustainable Operations
    • ECON-E 201 Introduction to Microeconomics
    • ECON-E 321 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
    • ECON-E 370 Statistical Analysis for Business and Economics
    • GEOG-G 448 Capitalism and Nature
    • SPEA-E 340 Environmental Economics and Finance
    • SPEA-V 361 Financial Management
    • SPEA-V 372 Government Finance and Budgets
    • SPEA-V 401 Financial and Cost-Benefit Analysis
  7. Area of Concentration. Complete one of the following options below (a or b).
    1. One of the following concentrations (see the Concentrations section below): 
      • Sustainable Food Systems
      • Sustainable Energy, Resources and Climate
      • Environmental Ethics and Justice
      • Biodiversity and Sustainability
    2. 12 credit hours selected in consultation with the ESS Academic Advisor and approved by the Director of the program. This option is a way for students to study new and innovative sustainability dimensions that do not fit the existing concentration areas.

Students must also satisfy all requirements for a B.A. degree in the College of Arts and Sciences. 

Concentrations

Concentrations consist of four (4) courses (12 cr.) as specified below.

Sustainable Food Systems

The Sustainable Food Systems concentration area provides students with a focus on sustainability issues in relation to food and agriculture systems. Students pursuing this concentration can expect to gain knowledge related to the social dynamics of sustainable food systems both domestically and globally. Students can also gain experience and skills related to small-scale sustainable food production. Potential career areas include local and regional food system development, municipal or community food security agencies, commercial and non-governmental organizations with a focus on sustainable food systems, or further academic pursuits with graduate study.

Complete the following:

  1. Two (2) courses selected from the following:
    • ANTH-E 421 Food and Culture
    • GEOG-G 369 The Geography of Food
    • GEOG-G 469 Food and Global Poverty
    • GEOG-G 478 Global Change, Food, and Farming Systems
  2. Two (2) additional courses from the following:
    • ANTH-A 205 Sustainable Agriculture and Trade
    • ANTH-E 400 Undergraduate Seminar (Approved topic: Chocolate: Local Farmers, Global Economies)
    • ANTH-E 421 Food and Culture
    • CLLC-L 230 Life—Concepts and Issues (Approved topic: Learning from Nature: Permaculture)
    • GEOG-G 218 Edible Education
    • GEOG-G 352 Food and Poverty in America
    • GEOG-G 357 Urban Alternative Agriculture
    • GEOG-G 369 The Geography of Food
    • GEOG-G 469 Food and Global Poverty
    • GEOG-G 478 Global Change, Food, and Farming Systems
    • INTL-X 370 Topics in Service Learning in International Studies (Approved topic: Food Security)
    • LTAM-L 426 Special Topics in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (Listed as OVST-J 497) (Approved topic: Roots, Fruits, and Jamaican Ecologies)
    • SPEA-E 400 Topics in Environmental Studies (Approved topic: Farming the City: Global Perspectives on Urban Agriculture and Food Security)
    • One of the following:
      • GEOG-G 359 Fundamentals of Sustainable Agriculture
      • SPH-O 343 Sustainable Agriculture
      • CLLC-L 300 Collins Symposium (Approved topic: Fundamentals of Sustainable Agriculture)
    • Independent study, readings, research, or practicum in sustainable food systems from any department (3 cr.) with pre-approval of the academic advisor. (Note: This option can be used only once.)
Sustainable Energy, Resources and Climate

The Sustainable Energy, Resources and Climate concentration provides students with a focus on sustainability in energy, water, and natural resource systems. Students pursuing this concentration can expect to gain an understanding of global and regional climate and environmental systems and the challenges associated with development and exploitation of energy and natural resources. Potential career areas include applied work in the environmental, energy, or mining industries, careers in the government and non-profit sector, environmental advocacy organizations, or further academic pursuits with graduate study.

Complete the following:

  1. Two (2) courses selected from the following:
    • GEOG-G 259 Water Security and Sustainability
    • GEOG-G 340 Physical Meteorology, Climate, and Paleoclimate
    • GEOG-G 411 Sustainable Development Systems
    • GEOG-G 444 Climate Change Impacts
    • GEOG-G 451 Physical Hydrology
    • GEOG-G 461 Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change
    • GEOL-G 476 Climate Change Science
    • PHYS-P 310 Environmental Physics
    • POLS-Y 313 Environmental Policy
    • SPEA-E 401 Human Behavior and Energy Consumption
    • SPEA-E 476 Environmental Law and Regulation
  2. Two (2) additional courses selected from the following:
    • ANTH-E 328 Ecological Anthropology
    • BUS-L 302 Sustainability Law and Policy
    • BUS-G 316 Sustainable Enterprise
    • GEOG-G 259 Water Security and Sustainability
    • GEOG-G 305 Current Issues in Climate, Land and Environmental Change
    • GEOG-G 307 Biogeography: The Distribution of Life
    • GEOG-G 340 Physical Meteorology, Climate, and Paleoclimate
    • GEOG-G 341 Ecological Restoration: Science, Politics, and Ethics
    • GEOG-G 405 Ecological Climatology
    • GEOG-G 411 Sustainable Development Systems
    • GEOG-G 444 Climate Change Impacts
    • GEOG-G 448 Capitalism and Nature
    • GEOG-G 451 Physical Hydrology
    • GEOG-G 453 Water and Society
    • GEOG-G 461 Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change
    • GEOL-G 416 Economic Geology
    • GEOL-G 451 Principles of Hydrogeology
    • GEOL-G 476 Climate Change Science
    • PHYS-P 310 Environmental Physics
    • POLS-Y 313 Environmental Policy
    • SPEA-E 332 Introduction to Applied Ecology
    • SPEA-E 340 Environmental Economics and Finance
    • SPEA-E 363 Environmental Management
    • SPEA-E 400 Topics in Environmental Studies (Approved topics: The Foundations of LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] and Environmental Sustainability)
    • SPEA-E 401 Human Behavior and Energy Consumption
    • SPEA-E 422 Urban Forest Management
    • SPEA-E 431 Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
    • SPEA-E 451 Air Pollution and Control
    • SPEA-E 452 Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
    • SPEA-E 456 Lake and Watershed Management
    • SPEA-E 460 Fisheries and Wildlife Management
    • SPEA-E 476 Environmental Law and Regulation
    • SPEA-V 450 Contemporary Issues in Public Affairs (Approved topics: Public Transit Management and Climate Change and Electricity)
    • SPH-O 305 Integrated  Resource Management
    • SPH-O 360 Human Health and Natural Environments
    • SPH-T 301 Sustainable Tourism
    • SPH-V 310 Human Health and Natural Resources
    • Independent study, readings, research, or practicum in sustainable energy and resources from any department (3 cr.) with pre-approval of academic advisor (Note: This option can be used only once.)
Environmental Ethics and Justice

The Environmental Ethics and Justice concentration emphasizes the role of the environmental humanities and social sciences in understanding and analyzing the relationships between humans and the environments of which we are a part. Environmental ethics focuses on ethical arguments governing human interaction with the nonhuman environment and the moral status of nonhuman entities such as animals, plants, species, and ecosystems. Environmental justice studies examines the political, legal, and symbolic actions involved in equal access to a healthy environment and environmental protection, as well as the ways environmental justice advocates challenge injustices. Students in this concentration will gain familiarity with, and critically evaluate, the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary approaches to environmental ethics and environmental justice. These may include, but are not limited to: animal rights and liberation, holistic environmental approaches, religion and ecology, feminist environmental ethics, environmental justice struggles of communities, and public advocacy of climate justice.  Students also will learn to apply traditional ethical theories to environmental issues, as well as environmental justice concepts about culture, identity, discourse, agency, and legal rights.

Complete the following:

  1. Two (2) courses selected from the following:
    • INTL-I 428 Social Justice and the Environment (Approved topic: Environmental Justice)
    • REL-D 350 Religion, Ethics, and the Environment
    • SPH-O 360 Human Health and Natural Environments
  2. Two (2) additional courses selected from the following:
    • ANTH-E 318 Nature/Culture: Global Perspectives in Environmental Anthropology
    • ANTH-E 328 Ecological Anthropology
    • ANTH-E 444 People and Protected Areas: Theories of Conservation
    • BIOL-L 222 The City as Ecosystem
    • ENG-L 208 Topics in English and American Literature and Culture (Approved topic: The Literary and Legal Animal)
    • ENG-L 389 Feminist Literary and Cultural Criticism (Approved topic: Feminist Science and Eco-Philosophy)
    • ENG-R 212 Communicating Sustainability
    • ENG-R 348 Environmental Communication
    • GEOG-G 315 Environmental Conservation
    • GEOG-G 448 Capitalism and Nature
    • GEOG-G 449 Political Ecology
    • GEOG-G 461 Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change
    • GEOG-G 463 Environmental Politics of South Asia
    • HPSC-X 340 Scientific Methods: How Science Really Works
    • HPSC-X 342 Arborescence: Keeping Trees in Mind
    • INTL-I 202 Global Health and Environment
    • INTL-I 428 Social Justice and the Environment (Approved topic: Environmental Justice)
    • REL-D 250 Religion, Ecology, and the Self
    • REL-D 350 Religion, Ethics, and the Environment
    • REL-D 430 Problems in Social Ethics (Approved topic: God Species)
    • REL-R 202 Topics in Religious Studies (Approved topic: Religion and Animals)
    • REL-R 300 Studies in Religion (Approved topic: Religion, Ethics, and the Global Environmental Crisis)
    • SPEA-V 450 Contemporary Issues in Public Affairs (Approved topic: Environmental Law, Justice and Politics)
    • SPH-O 313 Wilderness and Protected Lands
    • SPH-O 360 Human Health and Natural Environments
    • Independent study, readings, research, or practicum in environmental ethics and justice from any department (3 cr.) with pre-approval of an academic advisor (Note: This option can be used only once.)
Biodiversity and Sustainability

The Biodiversity and Sustainability concentration integrates the humanities, arts, and sciences to explore the variety of life and the role of biodiversity in sustaining the symbiosis between humans and nature. Students pursuing this concentration can expect to gain knowledge and skills in ecology, conservation, and social-ecological systems and learn to analyze the scientific and humanistic dimensions of biodiversity. Students will develop an integrated "sense of place" by studying natural and cultural history. Communication, nature writing, and other expressive arts can be incorporated as ways to deepen connections to biodiversity and foster appreciation for conservation. Potential career areas include natural resource management, science and nature writing, environmental journalism, environmental education, museum studies, outdoor education and interpretation, sustainable economic development, urban and land-use planning, environmental advocacy, international development, or further academic pursuits with graduate study.

Complete the following:

  1. Two (2) courses selected from the following:
    • BIOL-L 307 Biodiversity
    • BIOL-L 326 Biodiverse-City: The Art and Science of Green Infrastructure
    • GEOG-G 307 Biogeography
    • GEOG-G 315 Environmental Conservation
    • HPSC-X 342 Arborescence: Keeping Trees in Mind
    • SPEA-E 457 Introduction to Conservation Biology
    • SPH-O 310 Ecosystem Management
  2. Two (2) additional courses selected from the following:
    • ANTH-E 328 Ecological Anthropology
    • ANTH-E 444 People and Protected Areas: Theories of Conservation
    • BIOL-B 300 Vascular Plants
    • BIOL-B 351 Fungi
    • BIOL-B 364 Summer Flowering Plants
    • BIOL-L 307 Biodiversity
    • BIOL-L 326 Biodiverse-City: The Art and Science of Green Infrastructure
    • BIOL-L 369 Heredity, Evolution, and Society
    • BIOL-L 376 Biology of Birds
    • BIOL-L 433 Tropical Biology
    • BIOL-Z 373 Entomology
    • BIOL-Z 374 Invertebrate Zoology
    • BIOL-Z 406 Vertebrate Zoology
    • BIOL-Z 460 Animal Behavior
    • BIOL-Z 476 Biology of Fishes
    • GEOG-G 307 Biogeography: The Distribution of Life
    • GEOG-G 315 Environmental Conservation
    • GEOG-G 341 Ecological Restoration: Science, Politics, and Ethics
    • GEOG-G 451 Water Resources
    • GEOG-G 461 Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change
    • GEOL-G 308 Paleontology and Geology of Indiana
    • GEOL-G 341 Natural History of Coral Reefs
    • HPSC-X 342 Arborescence: Keeping Trees in Mind
    • REL-D 250 Religion, Ecology, and the Self
    • REL-D 350 Religion, Ethics, and the Environment
    • REL-D 430 Problems in Social Ethics (Approved topic: The God Species: Ethics in the Anthropocene)
    • SPEA-E 332 Introduction to Applied Ecology
    • SPEA-E 363 Environmental Management
    • SPEA-E 422 Urban Forest Management
    • SPEA-E 456 Lake and Watershed Management
    • SPEA-E 457 Introduction to Conservation Biology
    • SPEA-E 460 Fisheries and Wildlife Management
    • SPEA-E 476 Environmental Law and Regulation
    • SPH-O 310 Ecosystem Management
    • SPH-O 313 Wilderness and Protected Lands
    • SPH-O 360 Human Health and Natural Environments        
    • SPH-T 301 Sustainable Tourism
    • Independent study, readings, research, or practicum in sustainable food systems from any department (3 cr.) with pre-approval of the academic advisor (Note: This option can be used only once.) 

Note: Because this major draws upon courses taught by departments across the College and University, students should be especially aware of the Policy on Counting a Course toward Multiple Degree Objectives.