WHY CHOOSE AN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES MAJOR?
The Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies is one of the world’s leading institutions for environmental studies and is the administrative home for the major. The major offers a robust and interdisciplinary curriculum that spans all contemporary disciplines that touch upon the environment. The curriculum includes biological sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences, as well as humanities, history, health, and modern culture.
The environmental studies major, offered by the College of Letters & Science and administered by the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, provides unique opportunities for undergraduate students to broaden their studies through interdisciplinary coursework related to the environment. The major must always be completed in tandem with a second major. This requirement is unique to the environmental studies major and allows undergraduates the opportunity to both broaden and deepen the focus of their other major with a perspective on the environment that spans a wide range of topics, and involves varying depths of application.
The major includes experiential learning opportunities via the capstone course and the field requirement, and encourages global interaction through study or internships abroad. With numerous travel abroad possibilities and ongoing access to a large selection of extracurricular events, graduates have countless combinations available to them. The outcome is a solid academic foundation in the study of the environment and access to a network of multidisciplinary problem-solving colleagues.
In today's world, the program prepares students to address modern challenges using interdisciplinary problem-solving approaches, applying both an understanding of, and practical experience beyond, a single academic discipline. Employers purposefully seek individuals with interdisciplinary and international preparation, and environmental studies students are ready to meet that need.
Click here to see a complete list of faculty and staff affiliated with the Nelson Institute.
The Nelson Institute also offers two undergraduate certificates:
Environmental Studies Certificate
Sustainability Certificate
Note: Students may not pair the environmental studies major with the environmental studies certificate.
Declaring the major
Students interested in declaring the Environmental Studies major should request a major declaration appointment. Information about declaring the major can be found at undergraduate advising.
Students who earn the Environmental Studies major may not also earn the Environmental Studies Certificate.
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
School/College Requirements
The Environmental Studies major is always paired with another major. Please refer to the School/College degree requirements of the other major to learn about degree requirements or consult an advisor.
Requirements for the Major
The environmental studies major provides students with an academically rigorous course sequence that encompasses introductory through advanced understandings of the interdisciplinary field of environmental studies. Students must have a declared primary major, and are allowed to apply a portion of course work from that major for the environmental studies major, making it possible to complete their degree within four years.
- 30 credits in the major as defined below.
- Declare and complete a primary major. Students must have a primary major declared before reaching senior standing (86 credits) or the environmental studies major may be canceled.
- At least 15 credits taken for the environmental studies major must be distinct, and not also meeting minimum requirements in another major.
- Students outside the College of Letters & Science may have to meet additional overlap requirements.
Foundation (12–16 Credits)
One course from each of the following four areas. Courses applied to Foundation cannot also be used in Theme or Capstone.
Environmental Humanities (1 course)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVIR ST 113 | Environmental Studies: Environmental Humanities | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/HIST SCI/HISTORY 125 | Green Screen: Environmental Perspectives through Film | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/RELIG ST 270 | The Environment: Religion & Ethics | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ENVIR ST/GEOG 460 | American Environmental History | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/HISTORY 465 | Global Environmental History | 3-4 |
Environmental Social Science (1 course)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVIR ST 112 | Environmental Studies: Social Science Perspectives | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 139 | Global Environmental Issues | 3 |
| SOC/C&E SOC 140 | Introduction to Community and Environmental Sociology | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/A A E 244 | The Environment and the Global Economy | 4 |
| SOC/C&E SOC/F&W ECOL 248 | Environment, Natural Resources, and Society | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 339 | Environmental Conservation | 4 |
Environmental Physical Science (1 course)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ATM OCN 100 | Weather and Climate | 3 |
| ATM OCN 101 | Weather and Climate | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOSCI 106 | Environmental Geology | 3 |
| PHYSICS 115 | Energy | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 120 | Introduction to the Earth System | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ILS 126 | Principles of Environmental Science | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 127 | Physical Systems of the Environment | 5 |
| SOIL SCI/ATM OCN 132 | Earth's Water: Natural Science and Human Use | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG/SOIL SCI 230 | Soil: Ecosystem and Resource | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 250 | Introduction to Sustainability Science | 3 |
| SOIL SCI 301 | General Soil Science | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/ATM OCN/GEOG 332 | Global Warming: Science and Impacts | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ATM OCN/GEOG/GEOSCI 335 | Climatic Environments of the Past | 3 |
Environmental Ecology (1 course)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEOSCI 110 | Evolution and Extinction | 4 |
| BOTANY 240 | Plants and Humans | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 251 | Ecology and the Global Environment | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 260 | Introductory Ecology | 3 |
| F&W ECOL 401 | Physiological Animal Ecology | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 413 | Preserving Nature | 3 |
| F&W ECOL/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 460 | General Ecology | 4 |
| F&W ECOL 550 | Forest Ecology | 3 |
THEME (15 credits)
Five courses and 15 credits from any of the areas below. Courses may be concentrated in one area or distributed across multiple areas. Courses applied to the thematic areas cannot also be used in Foundation or Capstone.
Biodiversity
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVIR ST/F&W ECOL 100 | Forests of the World | 3 |
| F&W ECOL 110 | Living with Wildlife - Animals, Habitats, and Human Interactions | 3 |
| GEOSCI 110 | Evolution and Extinction | 4 |
| BIOCORE 181 | Becoming a Scientist: Doing Biology Research | 2 |
| ENVIR ST/ENTOM 201 | Insects and Human Culture-a Survey Course in Entomology | 3 |
| BOTANY 240 | Plants and Humans | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 251 | Ecology and the Global Environment | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 260 | Introductory Ecology | 3 |
| ENTOM/ZOOLOGY 302 | Introduction to Entomology | 4 |
| GEOG/BOTANY 338 | Environmental Biogeography | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 360 | Extinction of Species | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/LAND ARC 361 | Wetlands Ecology | 3 |
| SOIL SCI/AGRONOMY/BOTANY 370 | Grassland Ecology | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 375 | Field Ecology Workshop | 3 |
| BOTANY 401 | Vascular Flora of Wisconsin | 4 |
| F&W ECOL 401 | Physiological Animal Ecology | 3 |
| BOTANY/ANTHRO/ZOOLOGY 410 | Evolutionary Biology | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 413 | Preserving Nature | 3 |
| BOTANY 422 | Plant Geography | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/C&E SOC/GEOG 434 | People, Wildlife and Landscapes | 3 |
| BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 450 | Midwestern Ecological Issues: A Case Study Approach | 2 |
| BOTANY/F&W ECOL 455 | The Vegetation of Wisconsin | 4 |
| BOTANY/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 460 | General Ecology | 4 |
| AN SCI/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 520 | Ornithology | 3 |
| AN SCI/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 521 | Birds of Southern Wisconsin | 3 |
| ATM OCN/AGRONOMY/SOIL SCI 532 | Environmental Biophysics | 3 |
| GEOG 538 | The Humid Tropics: Ecology, Subsistence, and Development | 4 |
| F&W ECOL/SURG SCI 548 | Diseases of Wildlife | 3 |
| F&W ECOL 550 | Forest Ecology | 3 |
| F&W ECOL 551 | Forest Ecology Lab | 1 |
| AGRONOMY/ENTOM/F&W ECOL/M&ENVTOX 634 | Ecotoxicology: Impacts on Populations, Communities and Ecosystems | 1 |
| ENVIR ST/BOTANY/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 651 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| BOTANY/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 672 | Historical Ecology | 2 |
Climate
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ATM OCN 100 | Weather and Climate | 3 |
| ATM OCN 101 | Weather and Climate | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/ATM OCN/GEOSCI 102 | Climate and Climate Change | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ATM OCN 171 | Global Change: Atmospheric Issues and Problems | 2-3 |
| SOIL SCI 211 | Soils and Climate Change | 2 |
| A A E 246 | Climate Change Economics and Policy | 3 |
| ED POL 320 | Climate Change, Sustainability, and Education | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ATM OCN/GEOG 322 | Polar Regions and Their Importance in the Global Environment | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ATM OCN/GEOG 332 | Global Warming: Science and Impacts | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ATM OCN/GEOG/GEOSCI 335 | Climatic Environments of the Past | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 349 | Climate Change Governance | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ATM OCN 355 | Introduction to Air Quality | 3 |
| GEOG/GEOSCI 420 | Glacial and Pleistocene Geology | 3 |
| ATM OCN 425 | Global Climate Processes | 3 |
| M E 466 | Air Pollution Effects, Measurements and Control | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/PHYSICS 472 | Scientific Background to Global Environmental Problems | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ATM OCN 520 | Bioclimatology | 3 |
| ATM OCN 522 | Tropical Meteorology | 3 |
| GEOG 523 | Advanced Paleoecology: Species Responses to Past Environmental Change | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ATM OCN/GEOG 528 | Past Climates and Climatic Change | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ATM OCN 535 | Atmospheric Dispersion and Air Pollution | 3 |
Energy
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHYSICS 115 | Energy | 3 |
| E C E 356 | Electric Power Processing for Alternative Energy Systems | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/BSE 367 | Renewable Energy Systems | 3 |
| A A E/ECON 371 | Energy, Resources and Economics | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOSCI 411 | Energy Resources | 3 |
| BSE 460 | Biorefining: Energy and Products from Renewable Resources | 3 |
| M E 461 | Thermal Systems Modeling | 3 |
| M E 466 | Air Pollution Effects, Measurements and Control | 3 |
| CIV ENGR/G L E 535 | Wind Energy Balance-of-Plant Design | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ATM OCN 535 | Atmospheric Dispersion and Air Pollution | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/A A E/CIV ENGR/URB R PL 561 | Energy Markets | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/A A E/ECON/URB R PL 671 | Energy Economics | 3 |
Food and Agriculture
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVIR ST/AGROECOL/AGRONOMY/C&E SOC/ENTOM 103 | Agroecology: An Introduction to the Ecology of Food and Agriculture | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 117 | GreenHouse Roots Seminar | 1 |
| FOOD SCI 120 | Science of Food | 3 |
| NUTR SCI 132 | Nutrition Today | 3 |
| SOIL SCI 211 | Soils and Climate Change | 2 |
| SOC/C&E SOC 222 | Food, Culture, and Society | 3 |
| C&E SOC/HIST SCI 230 | Agriculture and Social Change in Western History | 3 |
| AGRONOMY 300 | Cropping Systems | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 309 | People, Land and Food: Comparative Study of Agriculture Systems | 3 |
| A A E/C&E SOC/SOC 340 | Issues in Food Systems | 3-4 |
| MED HIST/PHILOS 344 | Food Ethics | 3 |
| NUTR SCI/A A E/AGRONOMY 350 | World Hunger and Malnutrition | 3 |
| CNSR SCI 360 | Sustainable and Socially Just Consumption | 3 |
| HORT 370 | World Vegetable Crops | 3 |
| AGRONOMY 377 | Global Food Production and Health | 3 |
| FOLKLORE 439 | Foodways | 3 |
| SOC/C&E SOC 650 | Sociology of Agriculture | 3 |
Health
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVIR ST/ENTOM 205 | Our Planet, Our Health | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/MED HIST 213 | Global Environmental Health: An Interdisciplinary Introduction | 3 |
| A A E/AGRONOMY/NUTR SCI 350 | World Hunger and Malnutrition | 3 |
| POP HLTH 370 | Introduction to Public Health: Local to Global Perspectives | 3 |
| CIV ENGR 422 | Elements of Public Health Engineering | 3 |
| CIV ENGR 423 | Air Pollution Effects, Measurement and Control | 3 |
| SOIL SCI 430 | Environmental Soil Contamination | 3 |
| M E 466 | Air Pollution Effects, Measurements and Control | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/POP HLTH 471 | Introduction to Environmental Health | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/POP HLTH 502 | Air Pollution and Human Health | 3 |
| GEN&WS/INTL ST 535 | Women's Global Health and Human Rights | 3 |
| POP HLTH/HIST SCI/MED HIST 553 | International Health and Global Society | 3 |
| CIV ENGR/M&ENVTOX/SOIL SCI 631 | Toxicants in the Environment: Sources, Distribution, Fate, & Effects | 3 |
| AGRONOMY/ENTOM/F&W ECOL/M&ENVTOX 632 | Ecotoxicology: The Chemical Players | 1 |
| AGRONOMY/ENTOM/F&W ECOL/M&ENVTOX 633 | Ecotoxicology: Impacts on Individuals | 1 |
| AGRONOMY/ENTOM/F&W ECOL/M&ENVTOX 634 | Ecotoxicology: Impacts on Populations, Communities and Ecosystems | 1 |
History, Culture, Society
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVIR ST 112 | Environmental Studies: Social Science Perspectives | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 113 | Environmental Studies: Environmental Humanities | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/HIST SCI/HISTORY 125 | Green Screen: Environmental Perspectives through Film | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ILS 126 | Principles of Environmental Science | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 139 | Global Environmental Issues | 3 |
| SOC/C&E SOC 140 | Introduction to Community and Environmental Sociology | 4 |
| HISTORY/CHICLA 151 | The North American West to 1850 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/CHICLA 152 | The U.S. West Since 1850 | 3-4 |
| ENVIR ST/ENGL 153 | Literature and the Environment | 3 |
| GNS/ENVIR ST 210 | Cultures of Sustainability: Central, Eastern, and Northern Europe | 3 |
| SOC/C&E SOC/F&W ECOL 248 | Environment, Natural Resources, and Society | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/RELIG ST 270 | The Environment: Religion & Ethics | 3-4 |
| ENVIR ST/ENGL 305 | Rhetoric, Science, and Public Engagement | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/AMER IND 306 | Indigenous Peoples and the Environment | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 307 | Literature of the Environment: Speaking for Nature | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 308 | Outdoors For All: Inequities in Environmentalism | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 317 | Community Environmental Scholars Program Seminar | 1 |
| ED POL 320 | Climate Change, Sustainability, and Education | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/HISTORY 328 | Environmental History of Europe | 3 |
| F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 335 | Human/Animal Relationships: Biological and Philosophical Issues | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 337 | Nature, Power and Society | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 339 | Environmental Conservation | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/HIST SCI 353 | History of Ecology | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/HIST SCI/RELIG ST 356 | Islam, Science & Technology, and the Environment | 3-4 |
| LAND ARC 360 | Earth Partnership Restoration Education: Indigenous Arts & Sciences | 1 |
| ENVIR ST/HISTORY 369 | Thinking through History with Animals | 3-4 |
| AMER IND/GEOG 410 | Critical Indigenous Ecological Knowledges | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/HISTORY/LEGAL ST 430 | Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/PHILOS 441 | Environmental Ethics | 3-4 |
| LSC/AMER IND 444 | Native American Environmental Issues and the Media | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/SPANISH 445 | Culture and the Environment in the Luso-Hispanic World | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG/HISTORY 460 | American Environmental History | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/HISTORY 465 | Global Environmental History | 3-4 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG/HISTORY 469 | The Making of the American Landscape | 4 |
| ANTHRO 477 | Anthropology, Environment, and Development | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/CLASSICS 488 | Greeks, Romans and the Natural Environment | 3 |
| HISTORY/AMER IND 490 | American Indian History | 3-4 |
| ENGL/ENVIR ST 533 | Topic in Literature and the Environment | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 537 | Culture and Environment | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 557 | Development and Environment in Southeast Asia | 3 |
| BOTANY/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 672 | Historical Ecology | 2 |
Land Use
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVIR ST/GEOSCI 106 | Environmental Geology | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 120 | Introduction to the Earth System | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 127 | Physical Systems of the Environment | 5 |
| LAND ARC 211 | Shaping the Built Environment | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG/SOIL SCI 230 | Soil: Ecosystem and Resource | 3 |
| SOIL SCI 301 | General Soil Science | 4 |
| GEOG/URB R PL 305 | Introduction to the City | 3-4 |
| A A E/ECON/REAL EST/URB R PL 306 | The Real Estate Process | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 309 | People, Land and Food: Comparative Study of Agriculture Systems | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/SOIL SCI 324 | Soils and Environmental Quality | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 337 | Nature, Power and Society | 3 |
| BOTANY/GEOG 338 | Environmental Biogeography | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 339 | Environmental Conservation | 4 |
| GEOG 344 | Changing Landscapes of the American West | 3 |
| BSE/DS/LAND ARC 356 | Sustainable Residential Construction | 3 |
| CNSR SCI 360 | Sustainable and Socially Just Consumption | 3 |
| F&W ECOL 410 | Principles of Silviculture | 3 |
| ECON/REAL EST/URB R PL 420 | Urban and Regional Economics | 3 |
| SOIL SCI 430 | Environmental Soil Contamination | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/C&E SOC/GEOG 434 | People, Wildlife and Landscapes | 3 |
| LSC/AMER IND 444 | Native American Environmental Issues and the Media | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ECON/POLI SCI/URB R PL 449 | Government and Natural Resources | 3-4 |
| F&W ECOL/SOIL SCI 451 | Environmental Biogeochemistry | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG/HISTORY 460 | American Environmental History | 4 |
| LAND ARC/URB R PL 463 | Evolution of American Planning | 3 |
| GEOG/URB R PL 505 | Urban Spatial Patterns and Theories | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/F&W ECOL 515 | Natural Resources Policy | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 537 | Culture and Environment | 4 |
| GEOG 538 | The Humid Tropics: Ecology, Subsistence, and Development | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 557 | Development and Environment in Southeast Asia | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/SOIL SCI 575 | Assessment of Environmental Impact | 3 |
| LAND ARC/ENVIR ST 581 | Prescribed Fire: Ecology and Implementation | 3 |
| URB R PL 601 | Site Planning | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/BOTANY/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 651 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| LAND ARC 668 | Restoration Ecology | 3 |
| LAND ARC 677 | Cultural Resource Preservation and Landscape History | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/LAND ARC/SOIL SCI 695 | Applications of Geographic Information Systems in Natural Resources | 3 |
Policy
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| URB R PL 215 | Welcome to Your Urban Future | 3 |
| A A E/ENVIR ST 244 | The Environment and the Global Economy | 4 |
| ENVIR ST 250 | Introduction to Sustainability Science | 3 |
| POLI SCI 272 | Introduction to Public Policy | 3-4 |
| ENVIR ST/ENGL 305 | Rhetoric, Science, and Public Engagement | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 309 | People, Land and Food: Comparative Study of Agriculture Systems | 3 |
| M H R 310 | Challenges & Solutions in Business Sustainability | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 339 | Environmental Conservation | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/A A E/ECON 343 | Environmental Economics | 3-4 |
| ENVIR ST/AMER IND/GEOG 345 | Managing Nature in Native North America | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 349 | Climate Change Governance | 3 |
| BSE/DS/LAND ARC 356 | Sustainable Residential Construction | 3 |
| PUB AFFR 366 | U.S. Environmental Politics and Public Policy | 3 |
| OTM 370 | Sustainable Approaches to System Improvement | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/C&E SOC/CURRIC 405 | Education for Sustainable Communities | 3 |
| F&W ECOL 410 | Principles of Silviculture | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 417 | Sustainability Science, Technology and Policy | 1 |
| ENVIR ST/HISTORY/LEGAL ST 430 | Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 439 | US Environmental Policy and Regulation | 3-4 |
| LSC/AMER IND 444 | Native American Environmental Issues and the Media | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ECON/POLI SCI/URB R PL 449 | Government and Natural Resources | 3-4 |
| M E 466 | Air Pollution Effects, Measurements and Control | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/F&W ECOL 515 | Natural Resources Policy | 3 |
| CIV ENGR 522 | Hazardous Waste Management | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/PHILOS 523 | Philosophical Problems of the Biological Sciences | 3 |
| ECON/A A E/F&W ECOL 531 | Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 534 | Environmental Governance: Markets, States and Nature | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/C&E SOC/SOC 540 | Sociology of International Development, Environment, and Sustainability | 3 |
| SOC/C&E SOC 541 | Environmental Stewardship and Social Justice | 3 |
| URB R PL 551 | Climate Action Planning: Sustainable Transportation | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 557 | Development and Environment in Southeast Asia | 3 |
| SOC/C&E SOC 573 | Community Organization and Change | 3 |
| SOIL SCI/CIV ENGR/M&ENVTOX 631 | Toxicants in the Environment: Sources, Distribution, Fate, & Effects | 3 |
| R M I 650 | Sustainability, Environmental and Social Risk Management | 3 |
| SOC/ECON 663 | Population and Society | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/URB R PL 668 | Green Politics: Global Experience, American Prospects | 3 |
Spatial Analysis
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVIR ST/F&W ECOL/G L E/GEOG/GEOSCI/LAND ARC 371 | Introduction to Environmental Remote Sensing | 3 |
| GEOG/CIV ENGR/ENVIR ST 377 | An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| GEOSCI/CIV ENGR/ENVIR ST/G L E 444 | Practical Applications of GPS Surveying | 2 |
| GEOG/URB R PL 505 | Urban Spatial Patterns and Theories | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG/LAND ARC/URB R PL 532 | Applications of Geographic Information Systems in Planning | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/LAND ARC/SOIL SCI 695 | Applications of Geographic Information Systems in Natural Resources | 3 |
Water
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ATM OCN/GEOSCI 105 | Survey of Oceanography | 3-4 |
| ATM OCN/SOIL SCI 132 | Earth's Water: Natural Science and Human Use | 3 |
| CIV ENGR 311 | Hydroscience | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ZOOLOGY 315 | Limnology-Conservation of Aquatic Resources | 2 |
| ZOOLOGY 316 | Laboratory for Limnology-Conservation of Aquatic Resources | 2-3 |
| CIV ENGR 320 | Environmental Engineering | 3 |
| CIV ENGR 322 | Environmental Engineering Processes | 3 |
| SOIL SCI 322 | Physical Principles of Soil and Water Management | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/LAND ARC 361 | Wetlands Ecology | 3 |
| BSE 473 | Water Management Systems | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ZOOLOGY 510 | Ecology of Fishes | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ZOOLOGY 511 | Ecology of Fishes Lab | 2 |
| G L E/GEOSCI 627 | Hydrogeology | 3-4 |
| G L E/GEOSCI 629 | Contaminant Hydrogeology | 3 |
Multi-thematic
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVIR ST/SOIL SCI 101 | Forum on the Environment | 1-2 |
| ENVIR ST 202 | Careers in the Environment | 2 |
| ENVIR ST 400 | Special Topics in the Environment: Biological Aspects of Envir St | 1-4 |
| ENVIR ST 401 | Special Topics: Environmental Perspectives in the Physical Sciences | 1-4 |
| ENVIR ST 402 | Special Topics: Social Perspectives in Environmental Studies | 1-4 |
| ENVIR ST 404 | Special Topics in Environmental Humanities | 1-3 |
FIELD EXPERIENCE
The field experience in the Environmental Studies major can be met in one of the following ways:
- A course from the list below. Courses used to meet the field experience requirement may also be used in other areas of the curriculum.
- Participation in an environmental study abroad program where 50% or more of the contact hours are in an out-of-doors situation (see your advisor)
- Participation in an environmental internship or similar experience where 50% or more of the contact hours are in an out-of-doors situation (field form summary must be submitted)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVIR ST/ILS 126 | Principles of Environmental Science | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 127 | Physical Systems of the Environment | 5 |
| SOIL SCI 301 | General Soil Science | 4 |
| ZOOLOGY 316 | Laboratory for Limnology-Conservation of Aquatic Resources | 2-3 |
| ENVIR ST/LAND ARC 361 | Wetlands Ecology | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 375 | Field Ecology Workshop | 3 |
| BOTANY/F&W ECOL 455 | The Vegetation of Wisconsin | 4 |
| BOTANY/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 460 | General Ecology | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/ZOOLOGY 511 | Ecology of Fishes Lab | 2 |
| F&W ECOL 551 | Forest Ecology Lab | 1 |
| LAND ARC/ENVIR ST 581 | Prescribed Fire: Ecology and Implementation | 3 |
| LAND ARC 668 | Restoration Ecology | 3 |
CAPSTONE requirement (3 Credits)
3 credits from:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVIR ST/SOIL SCI 575 | Assessment of Environmental Impact | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 600 | Environmental Studies Capstone | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/A A E/F&W ECOL 652 | Decision Methods for Natural Resource Managers | 3-4 |
Residence & Quality of Work in the Major
- 2.000 GPA in all ENVIR ST courses and courses in the major
- 2.000 GPA on 15 upper-level major credits, taken in Residence. Intermediate and Advanced level courses in the major are considered upper level.
- 15 credits in ENVIR ST or in the major, taken on campus (at UW–Madison)
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is not available in Environmental Studies.
- Explain the social and historical processes that impact our current environments. Interpret the meanings, values, and aesthetics that are created, shaped, and revealed as humans interact with and modify the environments they inhabit.
- Explain ecological processes and fundamental principles of environmental sciences relating to humanity’s key environmental challenges of the past, present, and future.
- Analyze and respond to environmental questions by applying interdisciplinary approaches that integrate multiple perspectives, including those from a coordinate major.
- Recognize through critical thinking a diversity of viewpoints, ethical commitments, and disciplinary approaches to environmental concerns across various scales from the local to the global.
- Demonstrate excellent reading, writing, communication, and research skills, both individually and in interdisciplinary teams.
Sample Four-Year Plan
This Sample Four-Year Plan is a tool to assist students and their advisor(s). Students should use it—along with their DARS report, the Degree Planner, and Course Search & Enroll tools—to make their own four-year plan based on their placement scores, credit for transferred courses and approved examinations, and individual interests. As students become involved in athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, volunteer experiences, and/or work, they might adjust the order of their courses to accommodate these experiences. Students will likely revise their own four-year plan several times during college.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Coordinate major course | 3 | Coordinate major course | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning A | 3 | ENVIR ST Humanities foundation course (H) (e.g. ENVIR ST 113) | 3 |
| Foreign Language | 4 | Communication A (complete during your first year) | 3 |
| ENVIR ST Soc Sci foundation (S) (e.g. ENVIR ST 112) | 3-4 | Foreign Language/Elective | 4 |
| Elective | 3 | ||
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Quantitative Reasoning B | 3-5 | Communication B | 4 |
| ENVIR ST 306 (counts for Ethnic Studies) | 3 | INTER-LS 210: Taking Initiative | 2 |
| ENVIR ST Eco Sci foundation (B) (e.g. ENVIR ST 260) | 3-4 | ENVIR ST Physical Sci foundation (P) (e.g. ENVIR ST 126) | 3 |
| Coordinate major course | 3-4 | Coordinate major course | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Coordinate major course | 3 | Coordinate major course | 3 |
| ENVIR ST theme | 3-4 | Coordinate major course | 3 |
| ENVIR ST theme | 3-4 | ENVIR ST theme | 3-4 |
| L&S Breadth/Elective | 3 | ENVIR ST theme | 3-4 |
| L&S Breadth/Elective | 3 | L&S Breadth/Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Coordinate major course | 3 | Coordinate major course | 3 |
| Coordinate major course | 3 | ENVIR ST Capstone or remaining theme | 3-4 |
| ENVIR ST Capstone or remaining theme | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
Environmental studies students are represented in majors all across campus and in most undergraduate schools and colleges. Environmental studies majors should utilize the career office for their home school as appropriate. All students, not just L&S students, can also benefit from SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science.
We encourage our majors to begin working on their career exploration and preparation soon after arriving on campus. We partner with SuccessWorks to help you leverage the academic skills learned in your major and liberal arts degree, explore and try out different career paths, participate in internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and network with professionals in the field (alumni and employers).
Letters & Science graduates are in high demand by employers and graduate programs. It is important to us that our students are career ready at the time of graduation, and we are committed to your success.
L&S career resources
Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities. SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.
In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.
Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- Enroll in a Career Course - a great idea for first- and second-year students:
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit)
- INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Comm B General Education Requirement)
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- Activate your Handshake account to apply for jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers recruiting UW-Madison students
- Learn about the impact SuccessWorks has on students' lives