Environment and Sustainability Comprehensive Major: Climate Action Planning Emphasis

Program Requirements 

The Climate Action Planning emphasis will provide the essential tools for climate planning which include assessing vulnerability to climate change and preparing for the future. The emphasis prepares students to identify and prioritize specific implementation steps in the electricity, transportation, land use, and waste management sectors. This includes an understanding of policies designed to mitigate climate change or help communities adapt, as well as quantitative approaches to measuring vulnerability and evaluating various paths forward. 
A minimum of 61 credits is required for the Environment & Sustainability Comprehensive Major: Climate Action Planning Emphasis. 

BUAD 305Applied Energy Seminar3
ENVS 100Introduction to Environment and Sustainability (GT-SS2)3
ENVS 200Writing the Environment3
ENVS 210Introduction to Climate Policy3
ENVS 250Environmental Justice3
ENVS 301Science of Sustainability and Resilience3
ENVS 320Quantitative Skills for Climate Action Planning3
ENVS 350U.S. and Western Environmental Politics3
ENVS 380Advanced Climate Policy3
ENVS 390Environmental Monitoring4
ENVS 400Applied Sustainability3
ENVS 410Environmental Ethics3
ENVS 435Environmental Grant Writing1
ENVS 440Climate Action Planning3
ENVS 499Internship in Environmental Studies3
Required Supporting Courses
BIOL 130Environmental Biology (GT-SC2)3
BIOL 135Environmental Biology Laboratory (GT-SC1)1
ECON 215Environmental Economics3
PHYS 125Energy and the Environment (GT-SC2)3
Select one of the following:1
This Is The Headwaters
Headwaters Conference
Select one of the following:3
Statistics for Business and Economics
Statistical Thinking (GT-MA1)
Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1)
Quantitative Research Methods
Select one of the following:3
Cultural Anthropology (with laboratory)
Cultural Ecology
Borderlands: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality
Politics of the Environment
Politics of Social Movements
Human Rights
The Global South
Political Economy
Environmental Psychology
Multicultural Psychology
Social Psychology
Environmental Sociology
Social Problems
Social Movements
Social Class, Status, and Power
Total Credits61

Capstone Course Requirement

The following course in the Environment and Sustainability Major fulfills the capstone course requirement: ENVS 400 Applied Sustainability.

Graduation Requirements

Undergraduate programs require a minimum of 120 semester credits for graduation.  Of those 120 credits, 40 credits must be in upper-division courses (those marked 300 and above).  Fifteen of these 40 upper-division credits must be earned in courses that are part of the standard or comprehensive major program being pursued. 

Students are expected to review all graduation requirements, which can be found in the Western Undergraduate Catalog: Graduation Requirements

Degree Plan

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredits
HWTR 100 First Year Seminar 1
ENVS 100 Introduction to Environment and Sustainability (GT-SS2) 3
BIOL 130 Environmental Biology (GT-SC2) 3
BIOL 135 Environmental Biology Laboratory (GT-SC1) 1
ENG 102 Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) 3
Gen Ed General Education (Area I, II, or III) 3
 Credits14
Spring
MATH 113 Statistical Thinking (GT-MA1) 3
Elective Elective 3
PHYS 125 Energy and the Environment (GT-SC2) 3
ENG 103 Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) 3
Gen Ed General Education (Area I, II, or III) 3
 Credits15
Year Two
Fall
HWTR 398 Headwaters Conference 1
ENVS 200 Writing the Environment 3
Gen Ed General Education (Area II) 3
Gen Ed General Education (Area I or III) 3
Elective Elective or minor course 3
ENVS 250 Environmental Justice 3
 Credits16
Spring
ECON 215 Environmental Economics 3
Gen Ed General Education (Area I or III) 3
Gen Ed General Education (Area I or III) 3
ENVS 210 Introduction to Climate Policy 3
Elective Elective or minor course 3
 Credits15
Year Three
Fall
BUAD 305 Applied Energy Seminar 3
ENVS 301 Science of Sustainability and Resilience 3
ENVS 350 U.S. and Western Environmental Politics 3
Electivechosen from selection of classes on racial, gender, sex, and/or class contexts 3
Elective Elective 3
 Credits15
Spring
ENVS 360
Global Environmental Policy
or Water Policy and Politics
or The Water Planet
3
ENVS 320 Quantitative Skills for Climate Action Planning 3
ENVS 390 Environmental Monitoring 4
Elective Elective or minor course 3
Elective Elective 3
 Credits16
Summer
ENVS 499 Internship in Environmental Studies (Recommended but optional) 3
 Credits3
Year Four
Fall
ENVS 380 Advanced Climate Policy 3
ENVS 435 Environmental Grant Writing 1
Elective Elective or minor course 4
Elective Elective or minor course 3
ENVS 410 Environmental Ethics 3
 Credits14
Spring
ENVS 499 Internship in Environmental Studies (if not taken over summer) 3
Elective Elective or minor course 3
Elective Elective or minor course 3
ENVS 430 Watersheds of the World 3
ENVS 400 Applied Sustainability 3
 Credits15
 Total Credits123