Concentrations in Environmental Studies and Environmental science

Students must earn a "C" or better in each course taken to fulfill a concentration requirement.

Environmental Studies

The Environmental Studies and Environmental Science concentrations are designed to provide an interdisciplinary education in environmental issues that draws from the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. The required courses provide all environmental studies /science students the opportunity to ground themselves in relevant concepts and topics, as well as scientific methodologies and mapping skills that span the disciplines. Beyond these requirements, students who wish to explore the natural science aspects of these issues in more depth may pursue the Environmental Science Concentration (23-27 credits in addition to required courses), while those with greater interest in social science/humanities and policy themes may pursue the Environmental Studies Concentration (18-19 credits in addition to required courses). In addition to concentration requirements, students are strongly advised to complete an environmental studies internship to fulfill that graduation requirement.

Advisory Board:

Dr. Jon Moore
Dr. William O'Brien
Dr. Jim Wetterer

Courses

Available Options: Environmental Science Concentration (B.S. or B.A.), Environmental Studies Concentration (B.A.), Minor Concentration.

REQUIRED COURSES FOR BOTH CONCENTRATIONS

Course # Course Name Credits
EVR 2017 Honors Environment and Society 3
PCB 3352, or 
PCB 4043
Honors Issues in Human Ecology, or 
Honors Principles of Ecology
3
PHI 3682 Honors Environmental Philosophy 3
BSC 1011, 1011L Honors Biodiversity, with Lab 4
ECP 4302 Honors Environmental Economics 3
CHM 2045, 2045L Honors General Chemistry I, with Lab 4
STA 2023 Honors Introductory Statistics 3
GIS 3044C Honors Geographic Information Systems 3
IDS 4970 Honors Thesis (two semesters) 6
  Total Credits (gateway courses) 32

 

Environmental Science Concentration: In addition to the required courses listed above, students in this concentration must take the following courses:

 

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CONCENTRATION COURSES

Course # Course Name Credits
CHM 2046, 2046L Honors General Chemistry II, with Lab 4
CHM 2210, 2204L Honors Organic Chemistry I, with Lab* 4
  Science Electives 
from 2 or more disciplines**
12-16
  Humanities / Social Science Elective 3
  Total Credits (environmental science concentration) 23-27
  Total Credits (incl. required courses) 55-59

* Students are strongly encouraged to take CHM 2211 / 2211L, 
   Organic Chemistry II with Lab.
 
** BSC 1005 & 1005L may not be counted as a science elective.

 

Environmental Studies Concentration: In addition to the required courses listed above, students in this concentration must take the following courses:

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES CONCENTRATION COURSES

Course # Course Name Credits
  Science Elective 3-4
  Humanities / Social Science Electives 15
  Total Credits (environmental studies concentration) 18-19
  Total Credits (including required courses) 50-51

 

Science Electives: Courses on this list may be used to fill the science electives section of both the Environmental Science and Environmental Studies concentrations (except as indicated above). Please be aware that some courses on this list have prerequisites. Students are reminded that they need 45 upper-level (3000 or 4000-level) credits to graduate.

SCIENCE ELECTIVES

Course # Course Name Credits
BCH 3033

Honors Biochemistry

3
BCH 3033L (Optional)

Honors Biochemistry Lab

+1 (optional)

BOT 3501, 3501L or 

BOT 3223, 3223L

Honors Intro. to Plant Biology with Lab

Vascular Plant Anatomy and Lab

4

BSC 4442C

Honors Molecular Ecology

3
BSC 1010, 1010L Honors Biological Principles 4
BSC 3452C Honors Experimental Design and Data Analysis 3
BSC 1933 Honors Freshman Seminar in Biology 3
BSC 4930 Honors Special Topics in Biology (All Titles)
CHM 1020C Honors Contemporary Chemical Issues 3
CHM 2046, 2046L Honors General Chemistry II with Lab 4
CHM 2210, 2204L Honors Organic Chemistry I with Lab 4
CHM 2211, 2205L Honors Organic Chemistry II with Lab 4
CHM 3085 Honors Environmental Chemistry 3
CHM 3609, 3609L Honors Inorganic Chemistry with Lab 4
CHM 3121, 3121L Honors Quantitative Analysis with Lab 4
CHM 4135, 4135L Honors Instrumental Methods 
of Analysis with Lab
4
EVR 1001 Honors Environmental Science and Sustainability 3
EVR 4420 Honors Marine Conservation 3
EVS 4414 Honors Conservation Biology 3
GEO 4930 Honors Special Topics in Geography* 3
GLY 4105 Honors Evolution of Life on Earth 3
OCB 3012, 3012L Honors Marine Biology 
and Oceanography with Lab
4
OCB 2000 Honors Survey of Marine Biology 3
MCB 3020, 3020L Honors Microbiology and Lab 4
OCE 2001 Honors Introduction to Oceanography 3
PCB 3352 Honors Issues in Human Ecology 3
PCB 3411 Honors Animal Behavior 3
PCB 4043 Honors Principles of Ecology 3
PCB 4414 Honors Behavioral Ecology 4
PCB 4673 Honors Evolution 3
PHY 2048, 2048L Honors General Physics I with Lab 5
PHY 2049, 2049L Honors General Physics II with Lab 5
ZOO 4556 Honors Coral Reef Ecology 3
ZOO 2303, 2303L Honors Vertebrate Zoology with Lab 4

 

Humanities and Social Science Electives: Courses on this list may be used to fill the social science and humanities electives section of both the Environmental Science and Environmental Studies concentrations. Please be aware that some courses on this list have prerequisites.

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE ELECTIVES

Course # Course Name Credits
AMH 3630 Honors American 
Environmental History
3
ART 3275C Honors Scientific Illustration  4
ART 3277C Honors Introduction to Botanical Art Illustration 4
ART 3840C Honors Environmental Art 4
ECO 2013 Honors Macroeconomic Principles 3
ECO 2023 Honors Microeconomic Principles 3
ECS 3013 Honors International 
Economic Development
3
ENC 3362 Honors Environmental 
Writing and Rhetoric
3
EUH 3618 Honors Sense of Place Across Time 3
EVR 1933* Honors Freshman Seminar 
in Environmental Studies
3
EVR 3421 Honors Parks and Preservation 3
EVR 3314 Honors Energy Resources: Trends, Policy, Environment 3
EVR 4930* Honors Special Topics 
in Environmental Studies
3
EVS 3403 Honors Global Environmental Issues 3
GEO 4930 + Honors Special Topics in Geography 3
IDS 3131C Honors Audubon's Nature: Scientific Illustration 4
IDS 4933 Honors Race, Gender and Environmentalism 3
LIT 4434 Honors Literature and the Environment 3
PHI 3644 Honors Obligations 3
POS 3691 Honors Law and American Society 3
POS 4603 Honors Constitutional Law 1 3
POS 4604 Honors Constitutional Law 2 3
SYD 4792 Honors Race, Gender, 
Class, Sexuality and Science
3
SYP 4803 Honors Gender and Technology 3

 

* Can Count multiple times given different topics. 
+ Human geography topics may count for social science elective credit. 
# Non-Honors College course.

Minor Concentration: The minor concentration in Environmental Studies consists of at least 18 credit hours from relevant courses in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, at least 9 of which must be upper division courses. To count toward the minor, a course must be guided by an explicit environmental theme. At least 6 credits must be in the social sciences and humanities, while at least 3 credits of the minor must be from a relevant natural science. Per College policy, only 4 credits used to satisfy the student's concentration may overlap with the minor concentration. At least 50 percent of upper level credits must be taken at the Wilkes Honors College. Students must maintain a 2.0 in courses taken for the minor concentration. 
Courses that count for the minor concentration are listed below. Special Topics and Freshman Seminar courses, besides those in Environmental Studies, as well as relevant team-taught ICIS courses, must be approved by the Environmental Studies advisory Board to ensure that course content reflects an environmental theme.

 

 

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES MINOR CONCENTRATION

SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES COURSES

Course # Course Name Credits
AMH 3630 Honors American 
Environmental History
3
ART 3840C Honors Environmental Art 4
ECP 4302 Honors Environmental Economics 3
ENC 3362 Honors Environmental 
Writing and Rhetoric
3
EVR 1933 Honors Freshman Seminar 
in Environmental Studies
3
EVR 2017 Honors Environment and Society 3
EVR 3421 Honors Parks and Preservation 3
EVR 3314 Honors Energy Resources: Trends, Policy, Environment 3
EVR 4930 Honors Special Topics 
in Environmental Studies
3
EVS 3403 Honors Global Environmental Issues 3
GEO 2370 Honors Conservation and 
Use of Natural Resources
3
GEO 4930 Honors Special Topics in Geography 3
GIS 3044C Honors Geographic Information Systems 3
IDS 3131C Honors Audubon's Nature: Scientific Illustration 3
IDS 4933 Honors Race, Gender and Environmentalism 3
LIT 4434 Honors Literature and the Environment 3
PHI 3682 Honors Environmental Philosophy 3

 

NATURAL SCIENCE COURSES

Course # Course Name Credits
BSC 1011, 1011L Honors Biodiversity with Lab 4
BSC 1933 Honors Freshman Seminar in Biology 3
BSC 4930 Honors Special Topics in Biology (various titles) 3
CHM 1025C Honors Contemporary Chemical Issues 3
CHM 3080 Honors Environmental Chemistry 3
EVR 1001 Honors Enivronmental Science and Sustainability  3
EVR 4420 Honors Marine Conservation 3
EVS 4414 Honors Conservation Biology 3
GLY 4105 Honors Evolution of Life on Earth 3
OCB 3012, 3012L Honors Marine Biology and Oceanography, with Lab 4
OCB 2000 Honors Survey of Marine Biology 3
OCE 2001 Honors Introduction to Oceeanography 3
PCB 3352 Honors Issues in Human Ecology 3
PCB 4414 Honors Behavioral Ecology 3
PCB 3411 Honors Animal Behavior 3
PCB 4043 Honors Principles of Ecology 3
ZOO 4556 Honors Coral Reef Ecology  3