Major

PoE offers an interdisciplinary Environmental Studies Major, which gives students:

  • A solid foundation in natural sciences, social sciences, and quantitative methods courses focused on the study of humans in the environment
  • The freedom to incorporate courses from across campus under the ‘Perspectives and Experiences’ requirement
  • A senior capstone project centered around a project-based internship

Major Requirement Map

Major Requirement List

[printer friendly]

[collapse/expand all]

CoEnv GenEd
(75 Credits)

All Environmental Studies majors need to complete the General Education Requirements of the College of the Environment.

ENVIR Core Courses
(20 Credits)

ENVIR 100
Environmental Studies: Interdisciplinary Foundations

ENVIR 200
Environmental Studies: Research and Communication

ENVIR 250
Environmental Studies: Data Types and Collection Methods

ENVIR 300
Environmental Studies: Synthesis and Application

Biology
(10 credits)

Two courses:

BIOL 180
Introductory Biology

and One course from among:

BIOL 200
Introductory Biology

BIOL 118 + BIOL 119
Survey of Physiology (both courses and lab required)

BIOL/FISH/OCEAN 250
Marine Biology

Chemistry
(5 credits)

One course from among:

CHEM 120
Principles of Chemistry I

CHEM 142
General Chemistry

Quantitative Methods
(10 credits)

STATISTICS

One course from among:

Q SCI 381
Introduction to Probability and Statistics

STAT 220
Basic Statistics

STAT 311
Elements of Statistical Methods

 

OTHER QUANITITATIVE METHODS

One course from among:

ESRM 250
Introduction to GIS in Forest Resources

ESRM 304
Environmental and Resource Assessment

ESRM 430
Hyperspatial Remote Sensing in Natural Resource Management

ESS 421
Introduction to Geological Remote Sensing

FISH 453
Geospatial Pattern Analysis and Geostatistics

GEOG 360
Principles of GIS Mapping

GEOG 471
Methods of Resource Analysis

Q SCI 482
Statistical Inference in Applied Research I

Earth Systems Literacy
(8 - 10 credits)

CLIMATE

One course from among:

ATM S 211
Climate and Climate Change

ESS 201
The Earth System and Climate

 

LAND, WATER, ATMOSPHERE

One course from among:

ATM S 212
Air Pollution: From Urban Smog to the Ozone Hole

ESS 210
Physical Geology

ESS / OCEAN 230
Rivers and Beaches

GEOG 205
Introduction to Physical Sciences and the Environment

OCEAN 200 + OCEAN 201
Introduction to Oceanography (lab required)

Values and Cultures
(15 credits)

All three courses:

ENVIR/ESRM/ECON 235
Introduction to Environmental Economics

ENVIR/HSTAA 221
Environmental History of the U.S.

ENVIR/PHIL 243
Introduction to Environmental Ethics

Perspectives and Experiences
(30 credits)

A minimum of thirty credits (with no more than 5 credits at the 200 level or below) from the list of approved courses. A minimum of three credits must be completed in each of the following Environmental Perspectives and Experiences categories:

Human and social dimensions

Human and Social Dimensions
Philosophical, literacy, artistic, cultural or ethnographic aspects of how humans envision, value, and interact with the environment.

 Bioregional

Bioregional
Place-based analysis of environmental issues or problems within the Pacific Northwest bioregion.
Natural

Natural Sciences
The physical, chemical and biological elements of the environment, including humans.

 International

International
Place-based analysis of environmental issues or problems outside of the United States.
Policy

Policy and Decision Making
The intersection of facts and values as applied to governance, and specifically to environmental problems and decision-making.

 Fieldwork

Fieldwork
Direct engagement with sites or stakeholders out of the classroom for the purpose of collecting assignment-related material.

Additional Perspectives and Experiences Notes:

  • Courses may be listed in multiple categories, however, courses are not allowed to meet more than one category requirement.
  • To request that a course not on the approved list be used to fulfill the Environmental Perspectives and Experiences requirement, please submit a completed course substitution petition.

Capstone
(10 credits)

Three courses to include at least 5 credits of ENVIR 491:

How to Apply

Current UW Students

  • Schedule an advising appointment to declare the major anytime regardless of total credits or classes completed. Environmental Studies is an ‘open major’, so there is no fixed schedule to apply to the major.

Freshmen Applicants

  • When completing your application to the University of Washington, select ‘Environmental Studies’ as your intended major under ‘Educational Objectives’. Your major will be automatically declared upon admission to the UW.

Transfer Applicants

  • (Recommended) Attend a Transfer Thursday Information Session, and schedule an appointment with PoE advisers prior to applying.
  • (Recommended) Complete as many foundational courses for the Environmental Studies major prior to enrolling at the UW.  Washington State community college students should refer to the UW equivalency guide for UW course equivalents.
  • When completing your transfer application to the University of Washington, select ‘Environmental Studies’ as your intended major under ‘Educational Objectives’. Your major will be automatically declared upon admission to the UW.

Honors

Three options are available to individuals interested in completing a degree with honors: Interdisciplinary Honors, Departmental Honors and College Honors.  Please visit the University Honors Program for information about Interdisciplinary or College Honors. You can declare Departmental Honors anytime you meet the GPA requirements detailed below.

Departmental Honors Requirements

GPA

  • Minimum cumulative 3.40 UW GPA
  • Minimum cumulative 3.60 GPA in all courses used in major requirements

Honors Coursework

  • 4 credits from:
    • ENVIR 497 Seminar in Environmental Studies
    • ENVIR 498 Independent Study
    • ENVIR 499 Independent Research

Honors Capstone Experience

  • Completion of 8 credits of ENVIR 491
  • Presentation of Capstone Project at an approved research symposium or conference

Environmental Studies students who complete Departmental Honors will receive a degree "with Honors in Environmental Studies.”