Major and Minor
Luther offers both a major and a minor in environmental studies as well as the opportunity for students to pursue environmentally related study through the individualized, interdisciplinary major option or by taking any of the numerous elective courses. See below for major and minor requirements.
Requirements for the Major
The major in Environmental Studies requires 12 course equivalents: the five core courses and a concentration in one area. Six of the 12 courses must be at the 200 level or above. No more than three disciplinary courses counting for another major or minor may be applied to the environmental studies major. Students pursuing the major must choose one of the four options for a concentration listed below.
Core Courses:
- ENVS 134: Environmental Geology
- BIO 151: Principles of Biology I (Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity)
- PHIL 140: Environmental Philosophy
- POLS 258: Environmental Politics and Policy
- ENVS 485: Seminar (designated writing course)
Concentrations:
- Bioscience: Ecology, Biostatistics, Genetics, or Microbiology or Physiology, One organisms course (indicated by an * in the list of courses)
- Geoscience: Soils, Geomorphology, or Geology and Earth's Climate History, Ecology, Biostatistics
- Social Science: Environmental Economics, Constitutional Law, two of the following: Environmental Sociology, Public Administration, Philosophy of Science, Global Environmental History
- Individualized: student develops a proposed course of study for their concentration in consultation with an Environmental Studies faculty member. This proposal must explain the courses to be taken for the concentration, how they link together, and the rationale behind the proposal. Such proposals are typically completed during the spring semester of the sophomore year and must be submitted to the Environmental Studies Steering Committee no later than Dec. 1 of the junior year. Download Individualized Concentration Petition Form (pdf)
Requirements for the Minor
The minor in Environmental Studies consists of five courses. No more than two disciplinary courses counting for another major or minor may be applied to the environmental studies minor.
- PHIL 140 (Environmental Philosophy) or POLS 258 (Environmental Politics and Policy)
- ENVS 134 (Environmental Geology) or BIO 151 (Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity)
- ENVS 485 (Seminar)
- Two electives from the approved list of Environmental Studies course below
Elective Courses
The following list indicates courses that are approved as electives for the major as well as ones we anticipate would regularly be used by students to design an individualized concentration. The Environmental Studies Steering Committee will review courses on a regular basis to update the list as well as considering any petitions from students or faculty for other applicable courses.
For course descriptions, please view the courses page.
- ENVS 112 (Energy and the Physical World)
- ENVS 130 (Environmental Forays)
- ENVS 133 (Environmental Conservation)
- ENVS 140 (Physical Geography)
- ENVS 175 (Introduction to GIS)
- ENVS 185 (Natural Disasters)
- ENVS 239 (Geology and Earth's Climate History)
- ENVS 320 (Soil Genesis, Morphology, and Classification)
- ENVS 139, 239, 339, or 439 Special Topics
- ENVS 375 Directed Readings (1-2 hours)
- ENVS 380 Internship (1,2,4 hours)
- ENVS 389 Directed Research (1,2,4 hours)
- ENVS 395 Independent Study (1,2,4 hours)
- ENVS 490 Senior Project (1,2,4 hours)
- ENVS 493 Senior Honors Project (2,4 hours)
- ANTH 101,102, or 104 (Cultural or Physical Anthropology or Archaeology)
- ART 264 (Scandinavian Fine Handcrafts)
- BIO 112 (Insects, Humans, and the Environment)*
- BIO 152 (Molecules, Genes, and Cells)
- BIO 244 (Plant Taxonomy and Identification) – 2 hours*
- BIO 245 (Ecology of Ecuador)*
- BIO 246 (Ornithology) – 2 hours *
- BIO 247 (Subtropical and Marine Biology)*
- BIO 248 (Genetics)
- BIO 251 (Entomology)*
- BIO 252 (General Botany)*
- BIO 253 (Invertebrate Zoology)*
- BIO 255 (Physiology)*
- BIO 256 (Biostatistics)
- BIO 257 (Aquatic Biology)*
- BIO 258 (Vertebrate Natural History)*
- BIO 365 (General Ecology)
- CHEM 114 (The Environment: A Chemical Perspective)
- CHEM 151, 152 (General Chemical Principles I & II)
- ECON 255 (Environmental Economics)
- HIST 239 (Global Environmental History)
- PCAP 450 (Biodiversity)
- PCAP 450 (Food and the Environment)
- PCAP 450 (Ethics of Energy and Climate Policy)
- PHIL 120 (Ethics)
- PHIL 230 (Philosophy of Science)
- POLS 354 (Public Administration)
- REL 341 (Environmental Ethics)
- SCI 123 (Introduction to Meteorology)
- SOC 356 (Environmental Sociology)
- THD 126 (Movement Fundamentals I)
*organisms courses applicable to bioscience concentration
Interdisciplinary Major
Students who want to major in environmental studies have the option of designing an individualized interdisciplinary major. Individualized majors in environmental studies almost always begin with the core courses. Some students then add a heavier concentration of science courses, usually in the area of biology, resulting in an environmental science major. Others add a range of science, social science and humanities course, resulting in an environmental studies major. Individualized majors often include an internship or research component. For more information on designing an individualized major consult with the Director of Environmental Studies, Jon Jensen.