New BA in environmental studies

river view

A new ENST major affects the incoming First-year class in 2009.  Students already at Bucknell may opt to follow these requirements rather than the ones in the catalogue in force when they arrived.

An interdisciplinary bachelor of arts major in environmental studies is offered for the student with an abiding interest in the general environmental problems faced by humans, and with special concern for the social and policy aspects of their solution. Environmental studies is a strong, broad, liberal arts degree. It also is a preparation for one of the growing numbers of environmental careers in planning, business, non-profits, law, enforcement, or education.

The Bachelor of Arts major in environmental studies requires 10 courses distributed as follows:

  1. ENST 201: Gateway to Environmental Studies (ENST 201 is preferred, ENST 100 can satisfy this requirement if taken prior to the third year)
  2. ENST 202: Research Methods (or MA 216 with permission)
  3. BIOL 208 or GEOG 332: Ecology course
  4. GEOL 106: Earth Science course
  5. Humanities Core Course (see list A)
  6. Human-Environment Systems Science Course (see list B)
  7. (1)  Environmental Studies Elective (see list C)
  8. (2)  Environmental Studies Elective (see list C)
  9. (3)  Environmental Studies Elective (see list C)
  10. ENST 411: Senior Clinic

Requirements 5] through 9] are satisfied by selecting a five (5) course theme in collaboration with an academic advisor, preferably by the fall of the third year. Each theme is designed to provide a cohesive path through the major, but will not be recognized on course transcripts or diplomas.

BA themes have been designed in each of the following areas; descriptions and lists of courses to take for each theme may be obtained from the program director or from any advisor. See the BA concentrations page for details.

  • Environmental Policy
  • Politics and Economics
  • Environmental Planning
  • Environmental Ethics/Humanities
  • Environmental Advocacy
  • International Environmental Perspectives
  • Environmental and Human Health
  • Perspectives on Sustainability

Students may also propose their own theme of courses to satisfy degree requirement 5] through 9].

COURSE LISTS

The environmental studies degrees are based on these lists of courses.

List A: Humanities Courses

ENGL 120 Literature and the Environment, ENGL 201 Nature Writing/Writing Nature, ENST 205 Green Utopias, ENST 207 American Environmental History, ENST 229 Environmental Thinkers, ENST 247 Environmental History of the Ancient World, ENST 371 Environmental History, PHIL 218 Ecology, Nature and the Future, RELI 226 Environmental Ethics, RELI 234-01 The End of Nature and the Posthuman Future, RELI 234-02 The Ethics of Consumption.

List B: Human-Environment Systems Science Courses:

GEOG 113 Human Impact on the Environment (freshman, sophomore only), GEOG 345 Food and Environment, GEOG 257 Global Environmental Change, GEOG 332 Evolution, Ecology, and Human Impact, BIOL 415 Conservation Biology, GEOL 310 Applied Environmental Geomorphology

List C: Electives

All courses with the ENST course designation and all courses in lists A and B, plus: ANTH 260 Anthropological Perspective on Human-Environment Relations, ANTH 410 Cross Cultural Perspectives on the Environment, CAPS 407 Politics and Economics of International Environmental Aid, ECON 231 Resources and the Environment, GEOG 231 Weather and Climate, GEOL 205 Introduction to Geochemistry, GEOL 207 Environmental geohazards