Environmental Studies Major

The major requires 12 courses, up to eight of which may also count toward the core curriculum through appropriate course selection.

Summary of Requirements

First Year Introductory Course

This course provides an overview of environmental problems and their societal causes and effects from natural science, social science, and humanities perspectives, and introduces students to interdisciplinary methods of integrating these disciplines in policy solutions to environmental problems.

1. One course in introductory environmental studies.

First Year/Sophomore Natural Science Courses

The following natural science courses provide foundational knowledge of physics, chemistry, and biology. Additional natural science courses (and/or a minor in biological sciences) can be taken in order to pursue a career track in conservation biology (see Career Tracks on the program website). If you have relevant AP or IB exams with a score of 4 or 5 (HL score of 6 or 7 for IBs), such exam credit might count toward the following requirements.

Note that some courses have prerequisites that must be completed. Among science courses, courses with the NSCI (Natural Science) and HPLC (Honors Program Lincoln Center) subject codes are offered at the Lincoln Center campus, while courses with the PHYS (Physics), CHEM (Chemistry), BISC (Biological Sciences), and HPRH (Honors Program Rose Hill) subject codes are offered at Rose Hill campus.

Environmental Studies Natural Science courses (Physical and Life) all have the ESNS attribute.

2. One Environmental Studies Physical Science course.

Courses in this group have the ESPS attribute.

3. One Environmental Studies Life Science course.

Courses in this group have the ESLS attribute.

4. One Environmental Studies Physical Science or Life Science course.

First Year/Sophomore Social Science Courses

The following course provides foundational skills in economics. If you have relevant AP or IB exams with a score of 4 or 5 (HL score of 6 or 7 for IBs), such exam credit might count toward the following requirements.

5. One course in introductory economics.

Upper-Level Courses

The following courses provide advanced knowledge and methods in the policy areas of environmental economics, design, politics and law, history, anthropology, media and communications, and ethics and justice. Students can make course selections in these areas in order to pursue a particular career track (see Career Tracks on the program website).

6. One course in environmental history and culture.

HIST 3990 North American Environmental History or ANTH 4373 Environment and Human Survival is recommended, but any course listed below may apply to this requirement.

Courses in this group have the ESHC attribute.

7. One course in environmental economics.

ECON 3850 Environmental Economics or ECON 4030 Environmental-Economic Policy  is recommended, but any course listed below may apply to this requirement.

Courses in this group have the ESEC attribute.

8. One course in environmental politics and law.

POSC 3307 Environmental Politics or POSC 3131 Politics, Urban Health, and Environment is recommended, but any course listed below may apply to this requirement.

Courses in this group have the ESPL attribute.

9. One course in environmental ethics and justice.

PHIL 3109 Environmental Ethics, PHIL 3712 Global Environment and Justice, PHIL 3990 Environmental Worldviews and Ethics, PHIL 4302 Environmental Policy and Ethics, PHIL 4409 Environmental Ethics, PJST 3200 Environmental Justice, or THEO 4008 Religion and Ecology is recommended, but any course listed below may apply to this requirement.

Courses in this group have the ESEJ attribute.

10. One course in sustainable design.

VART 2050 Designing the City or VART 2055 Environmental Design is recommended, but any course listed below may apply to this requirement.

Courses in this group have the ESSD attribute.

11. One course in research and statistical methods.

ENST 3000 Environmental Research Methods, normally offered only each fall and taken in the senior year, provides an overview of environmental studies methods in preparation for ENST 4000 Senior Thesis.

12. Senior Thesis

This course, normally offered only each spring and taken in the senior year, involves writing a 50-page research thesis on an environmental issue of the student's choice.

Double majors can substitute for this course a double-counted thesis course from another program (such as HPRH, HPLC, URST, INST, HUST) if at least 50% of the thesis will be on an environmental topic, the college limit on 2 double-counted courses between majors is not violated, and the student secures permission from both program directors before the start of their senior year.

If a student wishes to double count ENST 4000 Senior Thesis toward the thesis requirement in another major program, they need to find out if this is permitted by the other program and what the requirements for this might be, and secure the permission of both program directors. Double majors in the program are discouraged from writing two long research theses in their already busy and challenging senior year.

Availability

The major in environmental studies is available at Fordham College at Rose Hill and Fordham College at Lincoln Center. Students in Fordham's School of Professional and Continuing Studies may major in environmental studies only if they receive the approval of their advising dean and/or department, and their schedules are sufficiently flexible to permit them to take day courses at the Rose Hill or Lincoln Center campuses.

Fordham College at Rose Hill students: The requirements above are in addition to those of the Core Curriculum.

Fordham College at Lincoln Center students: The requirements above are in addition to those of the Core Curriculum.

Professional and Continuing Studies students: The requirements above are in addition to those of the PCS Core Curriculum and any additional electives that may be required to earn a minimum of 124 credits.