Environmental And Sustainability Studies

ENVS – Environmental Studies course descriptions

Faculty

Anya Butt (director), Russ Benedict, Ashley Garr, Lee Macomber, Tuan Nguyen, Paul Weihe

 

Statement of philosophy 

Environmental studies examines the relationship of science, society and nature in a world with a focus on sustainability. Properly addressing environmental problems requires the ability to analyze complex systems and explore solutions within the socio-cultural, economic and political decision-making process. This major provides students with a strong grounding in the three legs of sustainability: an understanding of economics, politics, and the relevant scientific aspects for constructively solving problems through an interdisciplinary approach. 

Students shape their major by selecting a focus either on a more science oriented or a more socio-political oriented major and supplement it with diverse electives. A focus on the socio-economic and political aspects in environmental studies enables students to help properly define sustainable resource use through an understanding of the science and environmental relationships within the debates at the global, national and local levels. A focus on the science involved in environmental issues enables students to gain a comprehensive ability to address these issues within an applied context. Course work is enriched by supervised independent research, career-focused internships, experiential and service-learning opportunities. Central’s extensive network of internship opportunities provide students with invaluable hands-on experience. Strongly recommended is at least one semester of study abroad. 

The Environmental Studies major is one component of Central’s commitment to becoming a leader in sustainability education, along with the Global Sustainability program.  Both programs focus on addressing global issues that arise due to the scarcity of resources on our earth and efforts by humanity to balance our needs with those of future generations. Due to the commonalities in courses and focus between the Environmental Studies program and the Global Sustainability minor, students are not allowed to declare major/minors simultaneously in these programs.

Career opportunities in environmental science are varied and increasing. Due to their strong backgrounds in the sciences, the social sciences and GIS, environmental studies and sustainability graduates have career opportunities in sustainability focused careers, as well as a diverse variety of positions in environmental protection and policy. This includes companies looking for entry level individuals with strong analytical skills for water, air, biological or soil analyses, or federal, local or state agencies focused on habitat monitoring, restoration, and delineation; as well as careers focused on environmental education and technical writing about environmental issues.

Major Communication Skills

It is essential for majors to be able to effectively speak, read, write and think critically within the context of their ENVS course work. For this reason, many required courses and electives include assignments and activities that evaluate students’ communication skills proficiency.  Evaluation of students’ communication skills formally occurs in ENVS 380 Environmental Studies Seminar and ENVS 480 Environmental Studies Senior Seminar. Two requirements of these common capstone course are a major paper and an oral public presentation.

Major/Minor restrictions

Students planning to major or minor in Environmental Studies may not minor in Global Sustainability.

 

Environmental and Sustainability Studies Major Requirements (minimum 56 credits) 

  1. Complete all of the following:
    BIOL     130       Diversity of Life with Lab (4)
    ECON   112       Principles of Microeconomics (3)
    ENVS   120       Introduction to Environmental Science with Lab (4)
    ENVS   380       Project Proposal Development (3)
    ENVS   480       Environmental Capstone Project (1)
    GEOG  320       Principles of GIS with Lab (3)

 

  1. Complete either Block A or Block B:

      Block A Socio-economic focus
      CHEM   107       Introduction to Environmental Chemistry (3)
      ECON   113       Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
      GEOG  237/337 Physical Geography: Weather and Climate with Lab (4)
      PHIL     245       Environmental Ethics (4)
      HIST     237       American Environmental History (4)

 

      Block B Science focus
      BIOL     131       Introduction to Cells with Lab (4)
      BIOL     229       Ecology and Evolution with Lab (4)
      CHEM   111       General Chemistry I with Lab (4)
      CHEM   112      General Chemistry II with Lab (4)
      CHEM   241       Analytical Chemistry with Lab (4)
       ** certain courses from one block can serve as electives for students choosing the other block: BIOL 229, CHEM 241, GEOG 237 HIST 237 PHIL 245

 

  1. Complete one of the following:
    BIOL     210       Epidemiology (3)
    COSC   110       Introduction to Computer Science (3)
    MATH   215       Applied Statistics (4)*
    *MATH 105 may be substituted for MATH 215, but MATH 215 is the recommended statistics course for the major

 

  1. Complete one of the following:
    POLS   215       The Politics of State and Local Government (4)
    SJST    220        Environmental Justice (3)
    Or one POLS, ECON or SOC course approved by the program director

 

  1. Complete one of the following:
    COMM  250       Evaluating Contemporary Media (4)
    ENGL    246       Writing for Non-profit Organizations (4)
    Or one COMM course approved by the program director

 

  1. Complete at least 10 s.h. of elective credit from the following (with at least 6 s.h. at the 200-level or above)
    BEHS   285       Not-for-Profit Seminar (1)
    BEHS   397       Internship in Not-for-Profit Management (3)
    BIOL     310       Tropical Ecology (1-4)
    BIOL     324       Field Botany with Lab (4)
    BIOL    333        Climate Change and Human Health (4)
    BIOL     342       Mammalogy with Lab (4)
    BIOL     343       Ornithology with Lab (4)
    BIOL     345       Limnology with Lab (4)
    BIOL     350       Conservation Biology and Ecology of Iowa (4)
    BIOL     361       Microbiology with Lab (4)
    CHEM   203       Introduction to Organic and Biological Chemistry (4)
    CHEM   231       Organic Chemistry I with Lab (4)
    CHEM   321      Inorganic Chemistry with Lab (4)
    CHEM 351        Biochemistry with Lab (4)
    CHEM   372       Environmental Chemistry with Lab (3) (not regularly offered)
    CHEM   442       Instrumental Analysis with Lab (4)
    ECON   321       Environmental Economics (3)
    ECON   329       Economic Development (3)
    ENGL   213       Literature, Environment and Ecology (3)
    ENVS   125       Geology and the Environment with Lab (3)
    ENVS   240/340  Agriculture and Sustainability (3)
    ENVS   270       Iceland: Stories of Fire and Ice (1-4)
    GEOG  110       Introduction to Geography (3)
    GEOG  338       Geomorphology with Lab (4)
    GEOG  420       Advanced GIS with Lab (2)
    GERM  362       Germany and the Environment (3) (not regularly offered)
    KIN       261       Community, Consumer and Global Health (3)
    POLS   140       Introduction to International Politics (4)
    POLS   344       International Law and Human Rights (4)
    POLS   397       State and Local Environmental Project Review Internship (3)
    PHYS   101       Introductory Physics I (4)
    PHYS   102       Introductory Physics II with Lab (4)
    or                       PHYS   111 General Physics I with Lab (5)
                                  PHYS   112 General Physics II with Lab (5)
    PHYS   204       Energy and Environment (3)
    REL      238       Taoism and Confucianism (4)
    REL      320       Nature, Science, Theology and Political Philosophy (4)
    SUST    125       Introduction to Global Sustainability (4)
    300/400-level internship by arrangement and approval by the program director
    Note: Study abroad courses may also apply as electives pending approval by the program director.

 

 

Environmental Studies Minor Requirements (minimum 23 credits)

  1. Complete all of the following:
    ENVS   120       Introduction to Environmental Science with Lab (4)
    GEOG  320       Principles of GIS with Lab (3)

                             

  1. Complete one of the following:
    BIOL    130        Diversity of Life with Lab (4)
    CHEM  107       Introduction to Environmental Chemistry (3)
    GEOG  237/ 337      Physical Geography; Weather and Climate with Lab (4)

     

  1. Complete one of the following:
    HIST     237       American Environmental History (4)
    PHIL     245       Environmental Ethics (4)
    POLS   215       The Politics of State and Local Government (4)
    SJST    220       Environmental Justice (3)
    Or one POLS, ECON, or SOC course approved by the program director.

 

  1. Complete at least 10 credits of additional electives with the approval of the Environmental Science director (with 6 credits at or above the 200 level).