Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies

Learn more about the Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies.

The Environmental Studies major 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 program 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.

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, German, 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):

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: GUS 3161/ENST 3161, GUS 2197/ENST 2097, and ENST 3062/GUS 3062. 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 and ENST 4198 are NOT cross-listed seminars. Anyone pursuing a double major in Geography & Urban Studies and Environmental Studies 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.

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.

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.

Suggested Academic Plan

Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies

Requirements for New Students starting in the 2022-2023 Academic Year