Environment and Sustainability Comprehensive Major: Food Systems Emphasis

Program Requirements 

The Food Systems emphasis will provide the skills to equip students to improve and stabilize food systems, alleviate hunger, and identify entrepreneurial opportunities in a rapidly changing sector. Working at the intersection of food production and distribution networks, students will graduate with an understanding of the assets and challenges facing existing food system structures and an ability to help build new relationships between food consumers and producers. 

A minimum of 64 credits is required for the Environment & Sustainability Comprehensive Major: Food Systems Emphasis. 

ENVS 100Introduction to Environment and Sustainability (GT-SS2)3
ENVS 200Writing the Environment3
ENVS 250Environmental Justice3
ENVS 301Science of Sustainability and Resilience3
ENVS 315Food Policy & Politics3
ENVS 325Introduction to Soil Science4
ENVS 350U.S. and Western Environmental Politics3
ENVS 385Sustainable Agriculture & Food Production4
ENVS 390Environmental Monitoring4
ENVS 400Applied Sustainability3
ENVS 410Environmental Ethics3
ENVS 435Environmental Grant Writing1
ENVS 499Internship in Environmental Studies3
NTR 305Community Nutrition3
Required Supporting Courses
GEOL 101Physical Geology (GT-SC2)3
GEOL 105Physical Geology Laboratory (GT-SC1)1
CHEM 101Introduction to Inorganic Chemistry (GT-SC2)3
BIOL 130Environmental Biology (GT-SC2)3
BIOL 135Environmental Biology Laboratory (GT-SC1)1
ECON 215Environmental Economics3
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 Credits64

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
GEOL 101 Physical Geology (GT-SC2) 3
GEOL 105 Physical Geology Laboratory (GT-SC1) 1
 Credits16
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
ENVS 250 Environmental Justice 3
Elective Elective or minor course 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
Gen Ed General Education (Area I, II, or III) 3
Elective Elective or minor course 3
 Credits15
Year Three
Fall
NTR 305 Community Nutrition 3
ENVS 325 Introduction to Soil Science 4
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
 Credits16
Spring
ENVS 315 Food Policy & Politics 3
ENVS 360
Global Environmental Policy
or Water Policy and Politics
or The Water Planet
3
ENVS 390 Environmental Monitoring 4
Elective Elective 3
Elective Elective 3
 Credits16
Summer
ENVS 499 Internship in Environmental Studies (Recommended but optional) 3
 Credits3
Year Four
Fall
ENVS 385 Sustainable Agriculture & Food Production 4
ENVS 435 Environmental Grant Writing 1
Elective Elective 3
Elective Elective 3
ENVS 410 Environmental Ethics 3
 Credits14
Spring
ENVS 499 Internship in Environmental Studies (if not taken over summer) 3
Elective Elective 3
Elective Elective 3
Elective Elective 3
ENVS 400 Applied Sustainability 3
 Credits15
 Total Credits125