Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary major offered by the Department of Geography and Urban Studies that examines the nature, causes and consequences of human interactions with the environment. Students in Environmental Studies gain the intellectual and methodological tools to understand and address the crucial environmental issues of our time and the impact on individuals, society, and the planet. Students are introduced to a physical lab science, an understanding of the economic system, and social science methods in order to prepare for our core courses.

The Environmental Studies core courses are designed to develop the theoretical and methodological frameworks and tools necessary to understand the relationships between people and their environment as they interact through local to global connections. Students examine environmental policy and the role of political institutions; environmental decision-making; natural hazards and risk assessment; environmental ethics and legal issues; and environmental justice. The electives give students the opportunity to develop an area of emphasis around their particular interests.

We encourage our students to incorporate a semester abroad and/or an internship into their plan of study. Each student's program is developed with a departmental advisor to suit individual interests and is designed to maximize educational and career opportunities. Our graduates find employment with government environmental agencies, nonprofits (domestic and international), citizens' organizations, consulting firms, and corporate environmental affairs departments. Many also go on to graduate programs in environmental studies, law, geography, planning, and other fields.

We offer the B.A. as well as a minor in Environmental Studies. Many of our students choose to complete a double major or a minor in a complementary discipline.

Internships

We encourage students to apply their skills and knowledge in a credit-bearing internship that utilizes their academic training. Assignments at planning, social service, environmental and other agencies, as well as at firms that specialize in mapping and geographic data analysis, have helped in securing employment opportunities. The internship is complemented by a seminar in which students discuss their experiences. Contact guses@temple.edu for more information on this opportunity.

Requirements for the B.A. Degree in Environmental Studies

1. University Requirements:

Mathematics 0701 (4 s.h.) and/or English 0701 (4 s.h.), if required by placement testing.
All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses as part of the major. See below for a list of the specific courses required for your major.
Students must complete requirements of the General Education (GenEd) Program. See the General Education section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for more details.

2. College of Liberal Arts Requirements:

Completion of a minimum of 123 credits, including: 90 credits in CLA/CST courses, 45 credits of which must be at the upper level (numbered 2000-4999). For Social Science majors, 6 upper level credits must be taken in the Humanities Departments (English, French, German, Greek and Roman Classics, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese (only available at our Japan campus), Philosophy, Religion, Russian, and Spanish), Art History, or any department in the College of Science and Technology.
A minimum GPA of 2.0, cumulatively, in CLA/CST coursework, and in the major.
Only courses in which a student receives a grade of at least C- can satisfy GenEd, major, minor, or CLA Foreign Language and Global Studies requirements.

3. Foreign Language/Global Studies Requirements:

1) All students must complete the second level of a foreign language;

2) All students must complete at least one course from the GenEd Global/World Society category; and

3) All students must complete one of the following options:

Third level of a foreign language;

Demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language;

A second General Education Global/World Society course;

Study Abroad at an approved program; or

Take one Global Studies course from the list on the CLA College Graduation Requirements page

4. Major Requirements (49 s.h.)

Specifically Required courses:

Biology 1011, 1012

Economics 1101, 1102, 3596

Environmental Studies/Geography & Urban Studies 1051 (or 1951), 1052, 3062

Geography and Urban Studies 3161

Environmental Studies 4198

Other major requirements:

A Research Methods course selected from Geography & Urban Studies 4197 (which also completes the second writing intensive course) or Environmental Studies/Geography & Urban Studies 4078 (which is *not* writing intensive, so a student must select a WI Elective to compensate for this).

One course selected from the Policy Listing Below

One course selected from the Natural Science Topics Listing below

One additional course from either area.

5. General electives vary according to a student's individual program of study. Consult your academic advisor for more information.

Prerequisite and Fundamental courses:
Subject	Course #	Course Title	Hours	Attribute
Economics	1101	Macroeconomic Principles	3
Economics	1102	Microeconomic Principles	3

Major courses:
Subject	Course #	Course Title	Hours	Attribute
Environmental Studies/Geography & Urban Studies	1051 or 1951	Environment and Society	3
Environmental Studies/Geography & Urban Studies	1052	Introduction to the Physical Environment	4
Biology	1011	General Biology I (with lab)	4
Biology	1012	General Biology II (with lab)	4
Environmental Studies/Geography & Urban Studies	3062	Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems	3
Geography & Urban Studies	3161	Statistics for Urban and Spatial Analysis	3
Economics	3596	Energy, Ecology, and Economy (prerequisites: Economics 1101 & 1102)	3	WI
Environmental Studies	4198	Senior Research Seminar	3	WI

Select one Research Methods course from:			3
Geography & Urban Studies Environmental Studies/Geography & Urban Studies	4197 4078	Research Methods in Geography and Urban Studies or Research Methods in Environmental Studies**		WI
Electives		Choose three courses from the list of approved electives below. One must be a policy course and one must be from the natural sciences. Note: No electives may double-count between the Environmental Studies major and either the Geography & Urban Studies major or minor.	9
Major subtotal:			39

Total		major + prerequisites	45

All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses. The specific writing-intensive courses required for this major are listed above and are identified by "WI" in the Attribute column.

Double-Counting Across Curricula

Many students elect to take a combination of the Environmental Studies major or minor and the Geography and Urban Studies major or minor as they are complementary programs.

The ONLY courses that can double-count between the Geography and Urban Studies and Environmental Studies majors are: Geography & Urban Studies 3161, Geography & Urban Studies 4197, Environmental Studies/Geography & Urban Studies 4078. When used for the major in either program, these courses may not be used to fulfill the minor elective requirements of the other program. Note Geography & Urban Studies 4198 and Environmental Studies 4198 are NOT cross-listed seminars. Anyone pursuing a double major in Geography & Urban Studies and ES must take both capstone courses.

Students may not combine a major or minor in Environmental Studies and a major or minor in Environmental Science in the College of Science and Technology.

Distinction in Major

Environmental Studies majors may graduate with distinction in major with a 3.5 in Environmental Studies coursework and a 3.0 GPA overall.

Requirements for the Minor

Subject	Course #	Course Title	Hours	Attribute
Environmental Studies/Geography & Urban Studies	1051 or 1951	Environment and Society	3

One of the following (plus any required prerequisites):			3-4
Biology Earth & Environmental Science Environmental Studies/Geography & Urban Studies Economics	2227 3021 3062 3596	Principles of Ecology or Introduction to Hydrology or Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems or Energy, Ecology, and Economy

Policy Elective		Select one policy course from the list of approved electives below.	3
Environmental Studies Electives		Select three topics courses from the list of approved electives below. Note: No electives may double-count between the Geography & Urban Studies major and either the Geography & Urban Studies major or minor.	9

Total			18-19