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
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENST 1000 | INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES | 3 |
| Three natural science courses | ||
At least one must be a physical science | ||
At least one must be a life science | ||
| ECON 1200 | BASIC MICROECONOMICS | 3 |
| One course in environmental history and culture | ||
| One course in environmental economics | ||
| One course in environmental politics and law | ||
| One course in environmental ethics and justice | ||
| One course in sustainable design | ||
| ENST 3000 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH METHODS | 4 |
| ENST 4000 | SENIOR THESIS | 4 |
Freshman 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.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENST 1000 | INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES | 3 |
Freshman/Sophomore Natural Science Courses
The following natural science courses provide foundational knowledge of physics, chemistry, and biology. Additional natural science courses can be taken by choosing a concentration in conservation biology and minoring in biological sciences (see the major concentrations and career tracks page on the program website). If you have relevant AP courses with a score of at least 4, these courses might count toward the following requirements.
2-4. Three of the following natural science courses, at least one of which should be a physical science and one a life science.
Note that some courses have prerequisites that must be completed. Among science courses, courses with the NSCI (Natural Sciences) 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.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BISC 1002 | ECOLOGY: A HUMAN APPROACH | 3 |
| or NSCI 1040 | PEOPLE AND THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT | |
| CHEM 1109 | CHEMISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT | 3 |
| ENVS 3000 | ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE | 3 |
| NSCI 1020 | PHYSICAL SCIENCE: TODAY'S WORLD | 3 |
| NSCI 2010 | GLOBAL ECOLOGY LECTURE | 3 |
| NSCI 2060 | ENVIRONMENT: SCIENCE, LAW, AND POLICY | 3 |
| PHYS 1203 | ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSICS | 3 |
| The following courses can also be used | ||
| BISC 1000 | LIFE ON THE PLANET EARTH | 3 |
| BISC 1010 | FOUNDATIONS OF BIOLOGY | 3 |
| BISC 1401 | INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY I | 4 |
| BISC 1402 | INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY II | 4 |
| BISC 1403 | INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY I | 3 |
| BISC 1404 | INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY II | 3 |
| CHEM 1321 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY I | 4 |
| HPLC 1603 | HONORS: NATURAL SCIENCE I | 4 |
| HPLC 1604 | HONORS: NATURAL SCIENCE II | 4 |
| HPRH 2004 | HONORS: SCIENCE I | 3 |
| HPRH 2005 | HONORS: SCIENCE II | 3 |
| NSCI 1403 | GENERAL BIOLOGY LECTURE I | 3 |
| NSCI 1404 | GENERAL BIOLOGY LECTURE II | 3 |
| NSCI 1423 | CONCEPTS IN BIOLOGY LECTURE I | 3 |
| NSCI 1424 | CONCEPTS IN BIOLOGY LECTURE II | 3 |
| NSCI 1321 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY LECTURE I | 4 |
| NSCI 1501 | GENERAL PHYSICS LECTURE I | 3 |
| PHYS 1501 | GENERAL PHYSICS I | 3 |
| PHYS 1601 | INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICS I | 4 |
| PHYS 1701 | PHYSICS I | 3 |
Freshman/Sophomore Social Science Courses
The following courses provide foundational skills in economics and statistics. If you have relevant AP courses with a score of at least 4, these courses might count toward the following requirements.
5. One course in introductory economics.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 1200 | BASIC MICROECONOMICS | 3 |
Upper Policy Areas, Electives and Concentrations
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. To develop a concentration in one of these areas, see the major concentrations and career tracks page on the program website.
6. One course in environmental history and culture.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 3990 | NORTH AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY | 4 |
| Or any of the following courses | ||
| ANTH 2700 | YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT: THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF FOOD | 4 |
| ANTH 3371 | PEOPLE AND ENVIRONMENT | 4 |
| ANTH 3380 | HAZARDS, DISASTERS, AND HUMAN EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| ANTH 4373 | ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN SURVIVAL | 4 |
| ANTH 4722 | PRIMATE ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION | 4 |
| COMC 4222 | MEDIA AND THE ENVIRONMENT | 4 |
| ENGL 3424 | ROMANTICS AND THEIR WORLD | 4 |
| HIST 3538 | THE GOOD EARTH? | 4 |
| HIST 3772 | HUDSON RIVER | 4 |
| HIST 3992 | CAPITALISM | 4 |
| HIST 3993 | ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY: NEW YORK CITY | 4 |
| HIST 3994 | HISTORY OF CLIMATE CHANGE | 4 |
| HIST 3998 | PEOPLE AND OTHER ANIMALS IN HISTORY | 4 |
| HIST 5730 | HISTORY OF CAPITALISM | 4 |
| INST 3100 | THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT | 4 |
| SOCI 3145 | ENVIRONMENT TECHNOLOGY SOCIETY | 4 |
| URST 5070 | Environmental History of the American City | 3 |
7. One course in environmental economics.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 3850 | ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS | 4 |
| or one of the following courses: | ||
| ECON 3385 | ECONOMICS OF ENERGY | 4 |
| ECON 3430 | ST: SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS | 4 |
| ECON 3840 | ENVIRONMENTAL-ECONOMIC POLICY | 4 |
| HIST 3992 | CAPITALISM | 4 |
| HIST 5730 | HISTORY OF CAPITALISM | 4 |
| MGBU 3430 | SPECIAL TOPIC: SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS | 3 |
8. One course in environmental politics and law.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POSC 3307 | ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS (formerly 2507) | 4 |
| or one of the following courses: | ||
| NSCI 2060 | ENVIRONMENT: SCIENCE, LAW, AND POLICY | 3 |
| POSC 3131 | POLITICS, URBAN HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENT | 4 |
| HUST 2001 | INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL HEALTH | 4 |
9. One course in environmental ethics and justice.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 4302 | ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY & ETHICS | 4 |
| PHIL 3109/4409 | ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS | 4 |
| PHIL 3712 | GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT AND JUSTICE | 4 |
| or one of the following courses: | ||
| ENGL 3632 | POSTMODERN FICTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE | 4 |
| ENGL 3916 | ANIMALS IN LITERATURE | 4 |
| PHIL 3722 | NATIVE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHY | 4 |
| PHIL 3990 | ENVIRONMENTAL WORLDVIEWS AND ETHICS | 4 |
| THEO 4008 | RELIGION AND ECOLOGY | 4 |
| THEO 4520 | ANIMALS, ANGELS, AND ALIENS: BEYOND THE HUMAN IN CHRISTIAN THOUGHT | 3 |
10. One course in sustainable design.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| VART 2055 | ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN | 4 |
| Or one of the following courses: | ||
| VART 2050 | DESIGNING THE CITY | 4 |
| VART 2070 | ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN I | 4 |
| VART 2085 | SUSTAINABLE NEW YORK | 3 |
| VART 3055 | ECOLOGY FOR DESIGNERS | 4 |
| VART 3056 | URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN | 4 |
| ARHI 4555 | ART AND ECOLOGY | 4 |
11. One course in research and statistical methods.
ENST 3000 was formerly ENST 2000. This course allows students to start work early on the required senior thesis and prepare for Senior Thesis.,
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENST 3000 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH METHODS | 4 |
Senior Thesis Capstone
12. Senior Thesis
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENST 4000 | SENIOR THESIS | 4 |
This course allows students to concentrate on a particular area of environmental studies in preparation for employment or graduate school and is offered every spring semester at Rose Hill. It requires a 40-page research thesis with possible inclusion of an internship as a case study. It can be used to fulfill the senior thesis capstone requirement only when taken in the senior year, i.e., in one of the student's last two semesters. The preparatory course ENST 3000 ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH METHODS, or other appropriate research methods course, should be taken prior to the thesis course so that students can begin working on their thesis early.
Availability
The major in environmental studies is available at Fordham College at Rose Hill and Fordham College at Lincoln Center. Students in Fordham School of Professional and Continuing Studies may major in environmental studies only if 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.