Overview

The Department of Geography, Environment and Urban Studies offers a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies, a minor in Environmental Studies, a major and minor in Geography and Urban Studies, and a certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Many of our students choose to complete a double major, a minor in a complementary discipline, and/or the GIS certificate.

The Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies focuses on the department's four themes of globalization, sustainability, social justice and geographic methods that are increasingly central to understanding the serious environmental challenges we face. Environmental Studies students learn geographic theory and methods that examine the complexity of human-environmental interactions; the increasing interconnectedness of the global economy, environment, culture and politics; and the importance of place and context in people's daily lives.

Additionally, the Environmental Studies program introduces students to environmental processes, contemporary environmental issues and policies, geospatial technologies including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and qualitative and quantitative social science research methods.

The Environmental Studies gateway 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 and global connections. In required courses and electives, students examine environmental policy and the role of political institutions; the geography of natural resources; environmental decision-making; natural hazards and risk assessment; environmental ethics and legal issues; health and the environment; environmental justice; food access; etc. The electives give students the opportunity to develop an area of emphasis around their particular interests. Students focus on an individualized research project in their Senior Research Seminar. Each student's program is developed with a departmental advisor to suit individual interests and is designed to maximize educational and career opportunities. We encourage Environmental Studies students to incorporate a semester abroad and/or an internship into their plan of study.

The objective of the Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies is to provide students with an understanding of:

• How space, place, and scale shape the interaction between environment and society;
• Critical thinking skills developed through examining a range of analytical approaches to investigate geographic, urban, and environmental processes;
• Contemporary explanatory frameworks in Geography and Urban Studies such as political ecology, feminist and poststructuralist theory, and development theory;
• The application of information technology skills to analyze spatial and temporal information, processes, and patterns through integrative research experiences;
• Practical considerations of community and environmental organizational settings at the local and regional scales.

The Environmental Studies major examines the nature, causes and consequences of human interactions with the environment. Students in Environmental Studies are equipped with the intellectual and methodological tools to understand and address the crucial environmental issues of our time: sustainability, health, climate change, food access, natural resource consumption, and environmental justice.

Themes

The department has identified several informal areas of concentration to assist students in making course selections. These do not constitute formal tracks but rather provide guidelines for developing a personalized curriculum. Students can focus on the following themes:

• Globalization
• Social Justice
• Urban Sustainability
• Geographic Methods

Campus Location: Main

Program Code: LA-ENST-BA

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.

Career Preparation

Environmental Studies graduates are especially competitive in the job market because of their technical and critical thinking skills, a sense of the complexity of interactions between humans and the environment, and their ability to synthesize information at a variety of scales. Students have the opportunity to gain technical skills in spatial statistics, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), cartographic production and design, and qualitative methods that are highly valued by employers. Our graduates find employment with nonprofits (domestic and international), planning or government agencies, consulting firms, and citizens' organizations. Many also go on to graduate programs in geography, planning, environmental studies, law and other fields. The Department of Labor expects that employment for geographers, planners and other geographic professions will grow at a rate of twenty percent or more for the next decade.

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 Environmental Studies and the Geography and Urban Studies majors are: ENST 3161 Spatial Statistics/GUS 3161 Spatial Statistics; ENST 2097 Research Design in Environmental Studies/GUS 2197 Research Design in Geography and Urban Studies; ENST 3062 Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems/GUS 3062 Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems. 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: GUS 4198 Senior Seminar in Geography and Urban Studies and ENST 4198 Senior Research Seminar are NOT cross-listed seminars. Anyone pursuing a double major in Geography and Urban Studies and Environmental Studies must take both capstone courses.

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

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 after graduation. The internship is complemented by a seminar in which students reflect on their experiences. Contact guses@temple.edu for more information on this opportunity.

Contact Information

Kevin Henry, Geography, Environment and Urban Studies Chair
309 Gladfelter Hall
215-204-4429
khenry1@temple.edu

Tina Rosan, Undergraduate Chair
320 Gladfelter Hall
cdrosan@temple.edu

Liz Janczewski, Student Services Coordinator
338A Gladfelter Hall
215-204-3386
liz.janczewski@temple.edu

Advising
guses@temple.edu

Learn more about the Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies.

These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2024-2025. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2024 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.

Summary of Degree Requirements

University Requirements

• MATH 0701 (4 s.h.) and/or ENG 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. The specific courses required for this major are ENST 2097 and ENST 4198.
• Students must complete requirements of the General Education (GenEd) Program. See the General Education section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for more details.

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 (numbered 2000-4999) must be taken in Humanities Subject Areas: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek (Ancient), Greek and Roman Classics, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Philosophy, Religion, Russian, and Spanish in the College of Liberal Arts, Art History in the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, 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.
• Professional Development Requirement
  • All students in the College of Liberal Arts are required to take a 1 credit seminar in professional development. CLA 1002 Professional Development for Liberal Arts Majors is the appropriate course option for this major. Other courses that fulfill this requirement may be found on the CLA College Requirements page. Only one course in this category may count towards graduation.
• Foreign Language/Global Studies Requirements:
  • All students must complete or test out of the first and second levels of a foreign language - these courses are numbered 1001 and 1002;
  • All students must complete at least one course from the GenEd Global/World Society category; and
  • All Bachelor of Arts students must complete one of the following options:
    • Third semester of a foreign language;
    • Demonstrated proficiency beyond the third semester in a foreign language (placement exam or certification from the language department);
    • Take one Global Studies course from the list on the CLA College Requirements page;
    • Study Abroad at an approved program; or
    • Take a second General Education Global/World Society course.
  • Notes on Foreign Language Study
    • The third level of language is numbered 1003 in French, Spanish, and Portuguese and numbered 2001 in all other foreign language subjects.
    • Students are strongly encouraged to take the third level of a foreign language as it is the minimum required for election to the prestigious honor society Phi Beta Kappa. (Taking the course does not guarantee admission but not taking it guarantees exclusion.)
    • See the College of Liberal Arts Policies section of this Bulletin for more information on the Foreign Language Placement, Regression in Coursework, and guidelines for students' other experiences with language.

General Electives are typically one-third of a student's program of study and can be focused on a second major, a minor, or towards some other personal enrichment or professional goals. See an academic advisor for assistance in developing an academic plan for these courses.

Major Requirements (40-41 credits in Environmental Studies and related coursework)

¹

No electives may double-count between the Environmental Studies major and either the Geography & Urban Studies major or minor.

²

One General Education course taken in Environmental Studies may count towards the major.

Environmental Studies Approved (non-ENST) Electives List

Students may use one elective from the list below toward the Environmental Studies Major to fulfill the Approved Elective requirement. This requirement can also be fulfilled with any ENST elective numbered 2003+.

Note: Upper-level Science and Liberal Arts courses from this list can be used to satisfy the CLA 45 credit upper-level distribution requirement, but not all courses below are offered within the College of Liberal Arts or College of Science and Technology. Please consult with a CLA Academic Advisor.

¹

Note: Only one course numbered below 1999 can count for the electives requirement.

Suggested Academic Plan

Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies

Suggested Plan for New Students Starting in the 2024-2025 Academic Year

Accelerated Programs

Students may opt to pursue an accelerated +1 program, enabling them to complete both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in less time than the traditional route.

The following accelerated programs may be of interest to students in the Environmental Studies BA:

College of Liberal Arts

• Geographic Information Systems PSM
• Geography MA
• Public Policy MPP

College of Education and Human Development

• Middle Grades Education MEd with Science and Language Arts concentration