Environmental Studies Program

Major Requirements

 

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The Environmental Studies Program at Binghamton University provides undergraduates with an interdisciplinary major focusing on the interrelationships of humans and their environment as well as the practical and ethical problems resulting from these relationships. In addition to taking core courses required of all majors, an E.S. major completes a specialization developing a cross-disciplinary perspective with a problem oriented focus. Within the framework of the E.S. major, a student may obtain the interdisciplinary background required for such professional fields as planning, policy analysis, resource management, environmental analysis or environmental remediation.  To foster this, students take both natural and social science courses with an area of emphasis or specialization in one or the other.

Students can obtain either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree or a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree, depending on their specialization.  Graduates of the program have gotten jobs in either the public or private sector or have pursued graduate or professional studies.

BA Degree Program

Courses required for the Bachelor of Arts Degree include:

A. Five core courses (usually taken early in student's program):

    1. Envi 101 - Environment And Man/Women: An Ecological Perspective
    2. Envi 201 - Environment And Man/Women: Physical Aspects
    3. Chem 101, 107, Or 111 - Introductory Chemistry*
    4. Econ 160 - Principles Of Microeconomics
    5. Envi/Geog 239 - Environmental Planning and Policy or Envi/Phil 149 - Environmental Ethics and Policy

* - Students specializing in science areas are advised to take 107 or 111

B. Problem-oriented courses (usually taken in senior year). Select two of the following:

    1. Envi 397 - Independent Study
    2. Envi 413 - Environmental Impact Statements
    3. Envi 415 - Environmental Planning
    4. Envi 495 - Internship in Environmental Studies
    5. Envi 498 - Senior Thesis
    6. Envi 499 - Honors Thesis

C. Eight courses in one of the following specializations:

1. Ecosystems - This specialization is focused on ecological relationships, including plants, animals and their habitats. Coursework is drawn heavily from Biology.

2. Earth Sciences and Natural Resources - This specialization is rooted in Geology and looks at Earth systems and processes, including hydrology and land forming processes.

3. Public Policy, Administration and Law - This specialization examines the development and implementation of environmental laws and policies. Coursework is drawn heavily from Political Science and Geography.

4. Environmental Planning - This specialization concentrates on Geography courses to examine planning issues as they relate to the environment, such as natural resource conservation, land use planning and water resources management.

5. Environmental Economics - This specialization incorporates a number of Economics courses to examine the economic & policy issues relating to the environment. The focus is on the efficient allocation of natural and environmental resources.

6. Ecological Anthropology - This specialization focuses on people of many cultures as they influence and are influenced by ecological systems.

7. Environmental Chemistry - This specialization applies chemical relationships and techniques to the analysis of environmental pollution problems, drawing on courses in Chemistry and Geochemistry.

Students may design an individualized specialization with approval of the Environmental Studies Committee.

BS Degree Program

Courses required for the Bachelor of Science Degree include:

A. Five core courses:

    1. Envi 101 - Environment and Man/Women: An Ecological Perspective
    2. Envi 201 - Environment and Man/Women: Physical Aspects
    3. Chem 107, or 111 - Introductory Chemistry
    4. Econ 160 - Principles of Microeconomics
    5. Envi/Geog 239 - Environmental Planning and Policy or Envi/Phil 149 - Environmental Ethics and Policy

B. Problem-oriented courses. Select two of the following:

  1. Envi 397 - Independent Study
  2. Envi 413 - Environmental Impact Statements
  3. Envi 415 - Environmental Planning
  4. Envi 495 - Internship in Environmental Studies
  5. Envi 498 - Senior Thesis
  6. Envi 499 - Honors Thesis

C. Eleven courses in one of the following science specializations, differing from the BA by adding one second-year chemistry course and 2 additional courses within the primary science discipline:

1. Ecosystems

2. Earth Sciences and Natural Resources

3. Environmental Chemistry

Faculty

Program Requirements

Courses

Field Work

Internship Opportunities

Student Organizations

The Nature Preserve

Contact the Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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