Major
Learning Outcomes
The Environmental Studies Program offers an interdisciplinary curriculum to students interested in perspectives on sustainability from faculty and courses across the university. Both a major and a minor are available to qualified students. The goals of the major are to provide students with:
the knowledge and perspective to cultivate rewarding lives as responsible citizens of the planet;
a deep understanding of the scientific, political, and cultural aspects of the world's environmental challenges;
the tools and creativity necessary to envision and implement paths to sustainable solutions; and
a solid background for environmentally related graduate programs and/or careers in business, education, law, policy, planning, government, or research.
Applying for the Environmental Studies Major
Students are accepted into the Environmental Studies major by application only. Admission to the major is by competitive application at the end of freshman year. Approximately 15 students will be accepted into the major each year, after they have completed one year of study at Boston College. Admission is determined by the Steering Committee of the Environmental Studies Program, which includes faculty drawn from many departments and an associate dean from the College of Arts and Sciences. Criteria for admission include academic achievement and a personal statement.
The deadline for submitting applications is early May, at the end of your first year. The application form may be found here.
Environmental Studies Major Requirements
The ENVS major consists of a minimum of 43 credits, equivalent to at least 14 full-semester courses, as detailed below. ENVS students may choose more than one major, but at least 27 credits for the ENVS major must not be used to fulfill requirements for another major or minor (i.e., 16 credits can be shared).
Cohort 2021
A. Environmental Studies Introductory Seminar ENVS 1100 (1 credit)
This seminar is offered in the fall semester for the new cohort of ES majors (sophomores). It involves readings of classic texts in environmental studies, and is similar in structure to Cornerstone courses.
B. Eight credits of Environmental Systems courses: EESC 2201 Environmental Systems: The Human Footprint plus three of the following courses (and labs EESC 2211-2218):
- EESC 2202 Environmental Systems: Ecosystems,
- EESC 2203 Environmental Systems: Water Resources,
- EESC 2204 Environmental Systems: The Critical Zone,
- EESC 2205 Environmental Systems: Climate Change,
- EESC 2206 Environmental Systems: Oceans,
- EESC 2207 Environmental Systems: Earthquakes, or
- EESC 2208 Environmental Systems: Quantitative Methods
These are a series of two-credit half-semester courses that introduce students to the basic concepts of environmental science from a variety of perspectives and professors, with the specific goal of providing students with a foundation for further interdisciplinary study of environmental issues. Students can take one or more of these courses in any given semester. Approved substitutions include: EESC 1167 for EESC 2201, EESC 1170 for EESC 2203, EESC 1174 or EESC 1505 for EESC 2205, and EESC 1157 for EESC 2206.
C. Two Foundation courses in Environmental Studies (6 credits; one must be at the 2000 level or higher):
One in Research Methods:
ENVS 3360 Research Methods in Environmental Studies
And one in Social Sciences:
- ECON 2277 Environmental Economics and Policy
- ECON 2278 Environmental Economics
- ENVS/UNAS 2256 Environmental Law and Policy
- HIST 2406 U.S. Environmental History
- HIST 4703 Environmental Histories of Water
- INTL 2260 International Environmental Science and Policy
- MGMT 2145 Environmental Management
- SOCY 1031 Society and Environmental Transformations
- SOCY 2200 Statistics (or a different statistics course)
- SOCY 5563 Environmental Sociology I
- PHIL 5534 Environmental Ethics
- Core Courses Open Only to First Year Students
- PHIL 1501 Science and Ethics of Climate Change
- SOCY 1501 Global Implications of Climate Change
- SOCY 1509 Planet in Peril: History and Future of Human Impacts
D. A Concentration in a Theme or Discipline (6 courses, 18 or more credits)
Available themes include Food and Water Sustainability and Climate Change and Societal Adaptation. Available disciplines include Economics, History, Political Science and Sociology.
Themes
This theme focuses on the interrelated challenges of providing water and food for the growing human population on a finite planet with unequal access to resources. Students will gain a firm foundation in hydrology and ecology as well as related historical and cultural perspectives.
Two of:
- EESC 3310 Agroecology
- ENVS 3315 Sustainable Agriculture
One of:
- BIOL 2010 Ecology and Evolution
- EESC 1170 Rivers and the Environment
- EESC 2203 Environmental Systems: Water Resources (in addition to the B requirement above)
One of:
- EESC 2297 Environmental Hydrology
- EESC 4400 Geomorphology and Landscape Change
- EESC 4457 Watershed Science
- EESC 5535 Coastal Processes
Two of:
- ENVS 3345 Environment and Public Health
- ENVS 3355 Sustainable Cities
- ENVS 4407/SOCY 4407 Easy Being Green?
- HIST 2044 A Material and Cultural History of Food in China
- HIST 4254 Century of Faming
- HIST 4701 Ecological History of the Atlantic World
- HIST 4703 Environmental Histories of Water
- PHIL 5534 Environmental Ethics (in addition to the C requirement above)
- SOCY 5560 Consumption and Sustainability
- THEO 2231 The Bible and Ecology
- THEO 5429 Theology and Ecology
This theme gives students a strong foundation in the science, policy and related challenges of global climate change, as societies learn to adapt to changes in sea level, biodiversity and the availability of energy and water.
One of:
- EESC 1174 Climate Change and Society
- EESC 1501 Global Implications of Climate Change (for freshmen only)
- EESC 1505 Science and Ethics of Climate Change (for freshmen only)
- EESC 2205 Environmental Systems: Climate Change (in addition to the B requirement above)
One of: (counts toward requirement C)
- HIST 2503/SOCY 1025 People and Nature
- PHIL 1501 Science and Ethics of Climate Change (for freshmen only)
- SOCY 1031 Society and Environmental Transformations
- SOCY 1501 Global Implications of Climate Change (for freshmen only)
- SOCY 1509 Planet in Peril (for freshmen only)
Two of:
- EESC 4400 Geomorphology and Landscape Change
- EESC 4440 Global Biogeochemical Cycles
- EESC 4457 Watershed Science
- EESC 4462 Paleoclimate Dynamics
- EESC 4463 Paleoclimate Proxies
- EESC 5535 Coastal Processes
- EESC 5599 Climate Change Debates
Three of:
- ECON 3391 Economics of Energy and the Environment
- ENVS 3340 Alternative Energy
- ENVS 3355 Sustainable Cities
- INTL 2260 International Environmental Science and Policy (in addition to requirement C)
- PHIL 5515 How to Save the World: Ethics of Climate Change
- POLI 2531 Energy Politics in U.S., Comparative and Global Perspective
- SOCY 5562 Environmental Sociology I
Disciplines
Six of:
- ECON 1131 Principles of Economics I/Microeconomics
- ECON 1132 Principles of Economics II/Macroeconomics
- ECON 2201 Microeconomic Theory
- ECON 1151 Statistics, or a different statistics course (can also count toward requirement C)
- ECON 2228 Econometrics
- ECON 2277 Environmental Economics and Policy or ECON 2278 Environmental Economics (can also count toward requirement C)
Two of:
- ECON 3386 Public Policy Analysis
- ECON 3391 Economics of Energy and the Environment
- ECON 3392 Quantitative Methods in Environmental Economics
Two of:
- HIST 1505 Planet in Peril (for freshmen only): in addition to the C requirement above)
- HIST 1511 Science and Technology in American Society (for freshmen only)
- HIST 1704 The Worlds of Moby-Dick
- HIST 1708 Nature on Exhibit: From Sea Monsters to Sea World
- HIST 2044 Chinese Environmental History
- HIST 2045 A Material and Cultural History of Food in China
- HIST 2406 This Land is Your Land: U.S. Environmental History (in addition to the C requirement above)
- HIST 2411 Civil War and Reconstruction
- HIST 2431 Leeches to Lasers: Medicine and Health in the U.S.
- HIST 2505 Feast or Famine, a History of Food and the Environment
- several other environmental history courses TBA
Four of:
- HIST 4043 Environment, Economy, and Politics in Medieval China
- HIST 4090 Modern South Asia
- HIST 4222 Animals
- HIST 4254 Century of Famine: 19th Century Social Crisis
- HIST 4423 The Plains Indians
- HIST 4701 Ecological History of the Atlantic World
- HIST 4703 Environmental Histories of Water (in addition to the C requirement above)
- HIST 4875 New England: Winthrop to Walden
- HIST 4891 Science and Religion in American History
One of:
- POLI 1042 Introduction to Modern Politics
- POLI 1061 Introduction to American Politics
- POLI 1091 Introduction to Comparative Politics
Two of:
- POLI 2301 Policy and Politics in the U.S.,
- and one of POLI 2305, POLI 2309, POLI 2317, POLI 2322, POLI 2334, POLI 2338
One of:
- POLI 2415
- POLI 2422
- POLI 2460
Two of:
- POLI 2531 Energy Politics in U.S., Comparative and Global Perspective
- POLI 3521, POLI 2522 or POLI 2525
Four of:
- SOCY 5562 Environmental Sociology I (counts towards requirement C)
- SOCY 1001 Introductory Sociology
- SOCY 2200 Statistics (in addition to the C requirement above)
- SOCY 2210 Research Methods
Three of:
- SOCY 1509 Planet in Peril (in addition to requirement C)
- SOCY 1031 Society and Environmental Transformation
- SOCY 3349 Environmental Studies: Selected Topics
- SOCY 3375 American Economic Crisis and Social Change
- SOCY 5560 Consumption and Sustainability
- SOCY 5572 Sociology of Science and Technology
E. At least 6 credits (two or more courses) of Environmental Studies electives
At least 3 credits must be from courses numbered 3000 and above.
F. Senior Research Seminar (4 credits) or Senior Thesis (6 credits)
- ENVS 4941 Senior Research Seminar [Fall]
- ENVS 4942 Senior Research Seminar II [Spring]
- ENVS 4951 Senior Thesis I [Fall]
- ENVS 4952 Senior Thesis II [Spring]
- ENVS 4961 Senior Honors Thesis I [Fall]
- ENVS 4962 Senior Honors Thesis II [Spring]
Cohort 2022
A. Intro Seminar (1 credit, p/f)
B. Environmental Systems courses (8 credits, 2 credits each)
One of:
- EESC2201 The Human Footprint
Three of:
- EESC2202 Ecosystems
- EESC2203 Water Resources
- EESC2204 The Critical Zone
- EESC2205 Climate Change
- EESC2206 Oceans
- EESC2207 Earthquakes
- EESC2208 Quantitative Methods
C. Foundation courses (9 credits):
- ENVS 3360 Research Methods in Environmental Studies
- HIST 2406 US Environmental History or HIST 4701 Ecological History of the Atlantic World or HIST 1710 Nature & Power: Modern World
- SOCY/ENVS 3562 Environmental Sociology I
D. Concentration (18 credits)
One of:
- EESC 1174 Climate Change and Society
- EESC 1501 Global Implications of Climate Change (for freshmen only)
One of:
- SOCY 1031 Society and Environmental Transformations
- SOCY 1501 Global Implications of Climate Change (for freshmen only)
- SOCY 1509 Planet in Peril (for freshmen only)
- HIST 1505 Planet in Peril (for freshmen only)
- HIST 1507 Powering America: Energy, Tech, Environment (for freshmen only)
- HIST 1842 Atlantic World and Environmental Change
Two of:
- EESC 4400 Geomorphology and Landscape Change
- EESC 4440 Global Biogeochemical Cycles
- EESC 4457 Watershed Science
- EESC 4462 Paleoclimate Dynamics
- EESC 4463 Paleoclimate Proxies
- EESC 5535 Coastal Processes
- EESC 5599 Climate Change Debates
Two of:
- ARTS2207 Urban Design for Complexity and Sustainability
- ECON 3391 Economics of Energy and the Environment
- ENVS 3340 Alternative Energy
- ENVS 3355 Sustainable Cities
- INTL 2260 International Environmental Science and Policy
- PHIL 5515 How to Save the World: Ethics of Climate Change
- POLI 2531 Energy Politics in U.S., Comparative and Global Perspective
Two of:
- EESC 3310 Agroecology
- ENVS 3315 Sustainable Agriculture
One of:
- EESC 1170 Rivers and the Environment
One of:
- EESC 2297 Environmental Hydrology
- EESC 4400 Geomorphology and Landscape Change
- EESC 4457 Watershed Science
- EESC 3380 Environmental Oceanography
One of:
- HIST 2044 A Material and Cultural History of Food in China
- HIST 4254 Century of Famine
- HIST 4702 Feast or Famine
- HIST 4703 Environmental Histories of Water
One of:
- ARTS 2207 Urban Design for Complexity and Sustainability
- ENVS 3345 Environment and Public Health
- ENVS 3355 Sustainable Cities
- PHIL 5534 Environmental Ethics
- THEO 2231 The Bible and Ecology
- THEO 5429 Theology and Ecology
One of:
- ENVS 3345 Environment and Public Health
One of:
- PHIL 5534 Environmental Ethics
- THEO 3223 The Ethics of Global Public Health and the Common Good
One of:
- NURS 3210 Contemporary Issues in Public Health
- NURS 5345 Global Health Perspectives
- NURS 5350 Global Health Care: Meeting Challenges and Perspectives
One of:
- BIOL 2320 Case Studies in Epidemiology
- BIOL 2240 Race, Disease, and Disparities
- BIOL 5130 Environmental Disruptors of Development
One of:
- AADS 4485 History of Medicine and Public Health
- HIST 2431 Leeches to Lasers: Medicine & Health in the US
- HIST 4741 Opium Past and Present
One of:
- ENVS 2501 State of Affordable Housing in the States
- SOCY 1002 Introduction to Sociology for Healthcare Professions
- SOCY 1078 Sociology of Health and Illness
- SOCY 3314 Mental Illness and Society
- SOCY 3371 Gender, Environmental Health, and New Technologies
- SOCY 3397 Social Determinants of Health Across the Life Course
- SOCY 5545 Medical Sociology
One of:
- SOCY 1071 Global Inequalities
- SOCY 1501 Global Implications of Climate Change
- SOCY 1711 Social Inequality in America
One of:
- SOCY 3346 Environmental Justice
- SOCY 3370 Gender, Health, and Inequality
One of:
- ENVS/UNAS 2256 Environmental Law and Policy
Two of:
- POLI 2531 Politics of Energy and Climate in US and International Perspectives
- POLI 2446 Natural Resource Politics
- POLI 2441 Comparative Politics of Developmen
One of:
- INTL 2440 Poverty, Human Rights, & the Environment
- INTL 2260 International Environmental Science and Policy
- INTL 2533 Global Climate Politics
One of:
- HIST 2703 Is All Commerce Capitalism?
- HIST 2702 Colonial Pasts/Global Presents
- HIST 5403 US Energy History
- PHIL 5901 The Ethics of Capitalism
One of:
- SOCY 1040 Global Sociology
- SOCY 5557 Sociology of Development
- SOCY 5559 Economic Sociology
One of:
- ECON 11310 Principles of Macroeconomics I/Microeconomics CORE
Two of:
- ECON 2278 Environmental Economics OR ECON 2277 Environmental Economics & Policy
- ECON 3391 Economics of Energy & the Environment
One of:
- ISYS 3345 Managing for Social Impact & the Public Good
- MGMT 2137 Managing Diversity
- MGMT 2265 Globalization, Culture, & Ethics
- MGMT 2139 Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- MGMT 2145 Environmental Management
- MGMT 2265 Globalization, Culture, & Ethics
One of:
- ENVS 3365/SOCY3364 Human-Wildlife Conflicts & Coexistence
- SOCY 3360 Animals and Society
Two of:
- BIOL 1520 Biodiversity Connections: Biodiversity, Humans and Environment
- BIOL 1440 Sustaining the Biosphere
- BIOL 2010 Ecology and Evolution
- EESC 1222 Conservation Ecology in Ecuador
One of:
- BIOL 4030 Deep Sea Biology
- BIOL 5050 Evolution and Development
- BIOL 4450 Behavioral Ecology
Two of:
- ENGL 1721 Finding the Animal
- ENGL 2202 Beast Literature
- HIST 4222 How Animals Saved the World
- PSYC 1092 Humans and Other Animals: Mental Life
- THEO 2231 Bible and Ecology
- THEO 3000 Theological Bioethics: From the Basics to the Future
- UNAS 1703 Humans & Other Animals: Changing Perceptions
E. Elective (3 credits)
F. Senior Research Seminar (4 credits) or Senior Thesis (6 credits)
- ENVS 4941 Senior Research Seminar [Fall]
- ENVS 4942 Senior Research Seminar II [Spring]
- ENVS 4951 Senior Thesis I [Fall]
- ENVS 4952 Senior Thesis II [Spring]
- ENVS 4961 Senior Honors Thesis I [Fall]
- ENVS 4962 Senior Honors Thesis II [Spring]
Cohort 2023
A. Intro Seminar (1 credit, p/f)
B. Environmental Systems courses (8 credits, 2 credits each)
One of:
- EESC2201 The Human Footprint
Three of:
- EESC2202 Ecosystems
- EESC2203 Water Resources
- EESC2204 The Critical Zone
- EESC2205 Climate Change
- EESC2206 Oceans
- EESC2207 Earthquakes
- EESC2208 Quantitative Methods
C. Foundation courses (9 credits):
- ENVS 3360 Research Methods in Environmental Studies
- HIST 2406 US Environmental History or HIST 4701 Ecological History of the Atlantic World or HIST 1710 Nature & Power: Modern World
- SOCY/ENVS 3562 Environmental Sociology I
D. Concentration (18 credits)
One of:
- EESC 1174 Climate Change and Society
- EESC 1501 Global Implications of Climate Change (for freshmen only)
One of:
- SOCY 1031 Society and Environmental Transformations
- SOCY 1501 Global Implications of Climate Change (for freshmen only)
- SOCY 1509 Planet in Peril (for freshmen only)
- HIST 1505 Planet in Peril (for freshmen only)
- HIST 1507 Powering America: Energy, Tech, Environment (for freshmen only)
- HIST 1842 Atlantic World and Environmental Change
Two of:
- EESC 4400 Geomorphology and Landscape Change
- EESC 4440 Global Biogeochemical Cycles
- EESC 4457 Watershed Science
- EESC 4462 Paleoclimate Dynamics
- EESC 4463 Paleoclimate Proxies
- EESC 5535 Coastal Processes
- EESC 5599 Climate Change Debates
Two of:
- ARTS2207 Urban Design for Complexity and Sustainability
- ECON 3391 Economics of Energy and the Environment
- ENVS 3340 Alternative Energy
- ENVS 3355 Sustainable Cities
- INTL 2260 International Environmental Science and Policy
- PHIL 5515 How to Save the World: Ethics of Climate Change
- POLI 2531 Energy Politics in U.S., Comparative and Global Perspective
Two of:
- EESC 3310 Agroecology
- ENVS 3315 Sustainable Agriculture
One of:
- EESC 1170 Rivers and the Environment
One of:
- EESC 2297 Environmental Hydrology
- EESC 4400 Geomorphology and Landscape Change
- EESC 4457 Watershed Science
- EESC 3380 Environmental Oceanography
One of:
- HIST 2044 A Material and Cultural History of Food in China
- HIST 4254 Century of Famine
- HIST 4702 Feast or Famine
- HIST 4703 Environmental Histories of Water
One of:
- ARTS 2207 Urban Design for Complexity and Sustainability
- ENVS 3345 Environment and Public Health
- ENVS 3355 Sustainable Cities
- PHIL 5534 Environmental Ethics
- THEO 2231 The Bible and Ecology
- THEO 5429 Theology and Ecology
One of:
- ENVS 3345 Environment and Public Health
One of:
- PHIL 5534 Environmental Ethics
- THEO 3223 The Ethics of Global Public Health and the Common Good
One of:
- NURS 3210 Contemporary Issues in Public Health
- NURS 5345 Global Health Perspectives
- NURS 5350 Global Health Care: Meeting Challenges and Perspectives
One of:
- BIOL 2320 Case Studies in Epidemiology
- BIOL 2240 Race, Disease, and Disparities
- BIOL 5130 Environmental Disruptors of Development
One of:
- AADS 4485 History of Medicine and Public Health
- HIST 2431 Leeches to Lasers: Medicine & Health in the US
- HIST 4741 Opium Past and Present
One of:
- ENVS 2501 State of Affordable Housing in the States
- SOCY 1002 Introduction to Sociology for Healthcare Professions
- SOCY 1078 Sociology of Health and Illness
- SOCY 3314 Mental Illness and Society
- SOCY 3371 Gender, Environmental Health, and New Technologies
- SOCY 3397 Social Determinants of Health Across the Life Course
- SOCY 5545 Medical Sociology
One of:
- SOCY 1071 Global Inequalities
- SOCY 1501 Global Implications of Climate Change
- SOCY 1711 Social Inequality in America
One of:
- SOCY 3346 Environmental Justice
- SOCY 3370 Gender, Health, and Inequality
One of:
- ENVS/UNAS 2256 Environmental Law and Policy
Two of:
- POLI 2531 Politics of Energy and Climate in US and International Perspectives
- POLI 2446 Natural Resource Politics
- POLI 2441 Comparative Politics of Developmen
One of:
- INTL 2440 Poverty, Human Rights, & the Environment
- INTL 2260 International Environmental Science and Policy
- INTL 2533 Global Climate Politics
One of:
- HIST 2703 Is All Commerce Capitalism?
- HIST 2702 Colonial Pasts/Global Presents
- HIST 5403 US Energy History
- PHIL 5901 The Ethics of Capitalism
One of:
- SOCY 1040 Global Sociology
- SOCY 5557 Sociology of Development
- SOCY 5559 Economic Sociology
One of:
- ECON 11310 Principles of Macroeconomics I/Microeconomics CORE
Two of:
- ECON 2278 Environmental Economics OR ECON 2277 Environmental Economics & Policy
- ECON 3391 Economics of Energy & the Environment
One of:
- ISYS 3345 Managing for Social Impact & the Public Good
- MGMT 2137 Managing Diversity
- MGMT 2265 Globalization, Culture, & Ethics
- MGMT 2139 Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- MGMT 2145 Environmental Management
- MGMT 2265 Globalization, Culture, & Ethics
One of:
- ENVS 3365/SOCY3364 Human-Wildlife Conflicts & Coexistence
- SOCY 3360 Animals and Society
Two of:
- BIOL 1520 Biodiversity Connections: Biodiversity, Humans and Environment
- BIOL 1440 Sustaining the Biosphere
- BIOL 2010 Ecology and Evolution
- EESC 1222 Conservation Ecology in Ecuador
One of:
- BIOL 4030 Deep Sea Biology
- BIOL 5050 Evolution and Development
- BIOL 4450 Behavioral Ecology
Two of:
- ENGL 1721 Finding the Animal
- ENGL 2202 Beast Literature
- HIST 4222 How Animals Saved the World
- PSYC 1092 Humans and Other Animals: Mental Life
- THEO 2231 Bible and Ecology
- THEO 3000 Theological Bioethics: From the Basics to the Future
- UNAS 1703 Humans & Other Animals: Changing Perceptions
E. Elective (3 credits)
F. Senior Research Seminar (4 credits) or Senior Thesis (6 credits)
- ENVS 4941 Senior Research Seminar [Fall]
- ENVS 4942 Senior Research Seminar II [Spring]
- ENVS 4951 Senior Thesis I [Fall]
- ENVS 4952 Senior Thesis II [Spring]
- ENVS 4961 Senior Honors Thesis I [Fall]
- ENVS 4962 Senior Honors Thesis II [Spring]
Information for First Year Students
First-year students who are considering applying to become Environmental Studies majors should consider taking the following courses:
Environmental Systems: The Human Footprint (EESC 2201 and lab EESC 2211), as well as one or more of other the Environmental Systems courses (EESC 2202–EESC 2208 and labs EESC 2212–EESC 2218).
Information for Study Abroad
ENVS majors are encouraged students to take advantage of study abroad opportunities. Studying outside of the U.S. provides a global perspective on environmental and sustainability issues, and educational opportunities not available at BC. ENVS students are allowed four credits per semester abroad to count toward the major (or minor) requirements, or eight credits in unusual circumstances.
For further information contact ENVS Program Director Tara Pisani Gareau or stop by the program office in Devlin 213.