Environmental Studies

View Environmental Studies Program website

Environmental studies is broadly defined as the study of nature, including the relationship of humans to the rest of the natural world. Presently, human activities are altering the life systems of our home planet. Climate change, species extinction, atmospheric pollution and loss of ancient forests are common knowledge, as is the planetary impact of human populations and consumption habits. These problems have a biological basis that requires the application of the scientific method to understand them, to discern cause and effects, and to pose scientifically tenable solutions. However, concern for and stewardship of the planet is not solely the purview of the scientist. Our understanding of these issues is impossible without social, cultural, political, ethical and economic considerations. The work of understanding these trends and forming alternate visions for the future draws upon ideas, information and insight from disciplines across the curriculum as well as from co-curricular activities.

The goals of the environmental studies major and minor are two-fold: 1) to help students achieve cross-disciplinary perspectives on the environment, and 2) to create a community of concern among students and faculty who participate in the study area—a community that encourages learning how to act as well as to understand. Even if no environmental problems existed, students and faculty would study how natural systems function, how the arts and social studies reveal connections between humanity and nature, and how the environment has nurtured philosophical and religious ideas about the place of humans in the universe.

To complete a major or minor in environmental studies, a student must satisfy the following requirements designed to establish the breadth and depth of knowledge consistent with the goals of the environmental studies study area.

Learning Outcomes

Explain core concepts in the natural sciences underlying major environmental issues
Explain policy aspects of major environmental issues using the lens of anthropology, sociology or economics
Explain major environmental issues using the lens of history, philosophy, religious studies, the arts, or literature
Interpret environmentally related quantitative information
Communicate environmental ideas effectively in writing and oral presentation
Construct a well-supported argument or creative work about environmental issues
Integrate classroom and co-curricular learning related to civic engagement and environmental stewardship

Degree Requirements for the Environmental Studies Major

General College Requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Environmental Studies, a student must satisfy the following minimum requirements:

General College Requirements (see “Curriculum” section), including the following requirements to satisfy the major:
A total of 14 courses and a minimum of 54 credit hours*. At least half of the credits applied towards the student’s major must be completed at the College. In all courses the student must earn a grade of C- or better and a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00. For students planning to pursue upper division coursework in Biology, students should be aware that a grade of C or better is required in Biology courses.

*EXCEPTION: There is an exception for the number of required courses and minimum credit hours for students who complete a second major or minor in another discipline in addition to the ENST major. The depth requirement of the ENST major may be fulfilled by students who complete a second major or minor in any discipline at the College. In this case, a student must complete 10 courses and a minimum of 38 credit hours in ALL of the following categories EXCEPT C. Electives, 1. Depth Courses. Students must complete C. Electives, 2. Breadth.

Common Courses

A total of five common courses. ENST 100 should be completed by the end of the second year. The Environmental Application should be completed by the end of the third year, and the Environmental Keystone Seminar during the fourth year:

ENST 100 – Introduction to Environmental Studies
TOOLKIT COURSE

One course selected from:

ANTH 201: Anthropology Toolkit
BIOL 311: Biostatistics
CHEM 305: Quantitative Analysis
ECON 253: Economic Statistics
MATH 221: Introduction to Statistics
POSC 200: Scope and Methods
PSYC 301: Psychological Statistics
SOCI 201: Social Statistics

ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATION

One course selected from:

ENST 390: Applied Sustainability Practicum
ENST 398 or ENST 498: Internship
ENST 399 or ENST 499: Independent Study pre-approved to satisfy Environmental Application
An environmentally-focused pre-approved Study Abroad course, Study Tour, or Field Studies

CAPSTONE EXPERIENCES

ENST 490 – Environmental Keystone Seminar
SENIOR EXPERIENCE

All ENST majors must complete a St. Mary’s Project. Students may complete the SMP in any discipline including ENST 493 and ENST 494: St. Mary’s Project.

Environmental Sciences Courses

Two courses – 1 in biology and 1 in chemistry – as follows:

BIOLOGY – One course selected from:
- BIOL 101 – Contemporary Bioscience with environmental focus
- BIOL 271 – Ecology and Evolution and BIOL 271L
Note: For students planning to pursue upper division coursework in Biology, students should be aware that a grade of C or better is required in BIOL 271.
CHEMISTRY
One course selected from:
- CHEM 101 – Contemporary Chemistry with environmental focus
- CHEM 480 – Topics: Environmental Chemistry

Electives

DEPTH COURSESStudents choose one of the three options below to fulfill their depth requirement in order to provide significant expertise in a focused area. Alternatively, students may satisfy the depth requirement by completing a minor or a major in a field other than ENST. Only 1 track may count for completion of the depth requirement of the ENST major. Students who complete multiple tracks will not be awarded multiple majors.
- Four ENST-crosslisted courses, all from a single Environmental Studies track from at least two different disciplines, one of which must be at the 300-400 level, or
- A minor other than ENST, or
- A second major
BREADTH COURSES Students choose two ENST-crosslisted courses, one course from each of the ENST tracks not used to fulfill the depth requirement. A maximum of 4 credit hours of independent study can be used to fulfill the breadth requirement; this must be in addition to an independent study used to fulfill the Common Course requirement for Environmental Application. For students fulfilling the depth category by completing a major or minor other than ENST, please consult the ENST Major Handbook for a listing of ENST tracks and the associated SMCM majors and minors.

Environmental Tracks

The following courses, as well as other identified, occasional, ENST-crosslisted course offerings, can be used to satisfy the elective requirements of the major and minor:

Environmental Science Track
BIOL 316 – Tropical Biology
BIOL 432 – Limnology
BIOL 463 – Ecology of Coastal Systems
CHEM 306 – Instrumental Analysis
ENST 265 – Earth Systems
ENST 295 – Topics in Environmental Science
ENST 250 – Introduction to Environmental Science
ENST 395 – Advanced Topics in Environmental Science
GEOL 130 – Introduction to Geology
ENST 382 – GIS Applications
Environmental Policy & Social Sciences Track
ANTH 243 – Biological Anthropology
ANTH 302 – Food and Culture
ANTH 337 – Atlantic World Archaeology
ANTH 341 – Economic and Ecological Anthropology
ECON 350 – Environmental Economics
ECON 354 – Natural Resource Economics
ECON 372 – Economics of Developing Countries
ENST 285 – Topics in Environmental Policy & Social Sciences
ENST 385 – Advanced Topics in Environmental Policy & Social Sciences
POSC 311 – Public Policy
SOCI 355 – Demography
Environmental Humanities Track
ART 105 or ART 205 – Introduction to Visual Thinking (section with environmental focus)
ART 233: Nature Forms
ART 239 Painting and Drawing from Life: Fieldscapes
ART 390 – Advanced Topics: The Artist Naturalist
ENGL 106 – Introoduction to Literature: Nature
ENGL 130 – Literary Topics: Reading Nature
ENGL 201 – Topics in Writing: Writing about Science
ENGL 365 – Studies in American Literature: American Environmental Literature
ENGL 390 – Topics in Literature: Poetry and Science
ENGL 390 – Topics in Literature: Humans and Other Animals
ENGL 395 – Advanced Topics in Writing: Nature Writing Workshop
ENST 275 – Topics in Environmental Humanities
ENST 375 – Advanced Topics in Environmental Humanities
PHIL 321 – Environmental Ethics
RELG 380 – Religion and Ecology

TFMS 260 – Topics in Dance: Movement – Environmental Dance

Degree Requirements for the Environmental Studies Minor

General College Requirements

General College requirements.
All requirements in a major discipline of study. All requirements in a major discipline of study. Students minoring in ENST may not complete a major in ENST.

Required Courses

Six (6) courses with at least 22 credit hours in courses having an environmental focus as specified under a., b., and c. Study abroad is an option to fulfill minor requirements. Students must earn a grade of C- or better in each required course for the minor and maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 or better in these required courses:

ENST 100: Introduction to Environmental Studies
Environmental Science courses: one course chosen from the following:
- BIOL 101 – Contemporary Bioscience with environmental focus
- BIOL 271 – Ecology and Evolution and BIOL 271LNote: For students planning to pursue upper division coursework in Biology, students should be aware that a grade of C or better is required in BIOL 271.
- CHEM 101 – Contemporary Chemistry with environmental focus
- CHEM 480 – Topics in Environmental Chemistry
- ENST 250 – Introduction to Environmental Science
- ENST 265 – Earth Systems
- GEOL 130 – Introduction to Geology

Elective courses: 4 courses crosslisted with ENST, including courses from each of the three Environmental Studies tracks, with at least two courses at the 300-400 level. No more than 4 credits can be satisfied with an independent study.