Environment and Sustainability, B.A.

Students in the undergraduate B.A. in Environment and Sustainability work with diverse faculty and staff from across the campus and community in addition to their time in Departmental classes. The aims of this interdisciplinary program are (1) to learn how to gather and integrate information about environmental and sustainability problems from multiple disciplines, (2) to think critically about the causes of environmental and sustainability problems, (3) to propose effective and equitable solutions and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, and (4) to communicate ideas clearly. 

Students in the Program come from a variety of backgrounds, both culturally and disciplinarily, and participate regularly in internships and study abroad through Departmental and extramural offerings. Our classes require students to engage in field work as well as experiential learning. Every major receives the benefit of in-depth personalized advising every semester from permanent faculty who have received honors for their work in mentoring students. 

Graduates will be well prepared for roles as educated citizens who are especially well informed about the environment and for numerous career paths that require a broad range of knowledge about environmental and sustainability issues. In addition to interdisciplinary core courses, the curriculum requires courses in biology, chemistry, geography, and philosophy, and students may elect to take courses in other disciplines, ranging from political science, history and sociology, to art, design and English, and to the natural and physical sciences. Graduates of environmental and sustainability programs go on to careers in non-profits, government, and the private sector, as well as to graduate studies in a variety of disciplines. 

Overall Requirements

  • 120 credit hours, to include at least 36 credits at or above the 300 course level.
  • ​A minimum of 50 credits toward the major and concentration, comprised of core courses in the major (43 credits) and concentration-specific requirements (7-16 credits).
    • Students must select a concentration, either in Natural Sciences or in Equity, Development, and Ethics.
      • Students in either concentration must select a minor, chosen from a list that is dependent on concentration.
  • Only grades of C- or higher will count toward completion of the required courses in the major and in the concentration.

Degree Program Requirements

University Requirements
General Education Requirements (MAC)
College of Arts and Sciences Additional Requirements (CIC)

Major Requirements 

  • Only grades of C- or higher will count toward completion of the required courses in the major and in the concentration.
Core Courses19
Geography, Environment, and Sustainability
Introduction to Earth Science
and Earth Science Laboratory
Introduction to Environment & Sustainability
Environment and Experience
Chemistry
Chemistry and the Human Environment
Philosophy
Environmental Ethics
Select 3 credits from the following GES courses: *
North Carolina Environments
Sustainable Campus Operations
Introduction to Environment through Film
Introduction to Spatial Analysis
Research in Environment & Sustainability
Topics in Sustainability and Environment
Ethics & Aesthetics6
Topics in Ethics and Aesthetics
Select 3 credits from the following interdisciplinary Ethics & Aesthetics options: **
Art and/as Social Justice
Environmental Communication
American Romanticism
Literature and the Environment
Music and Environment
Philosophy of the Arts
Introduction to the Philosophy of Science
The Arts as Social Change: Theory and Practice
Ecofeminism
Topics in Native American and Indigenous Studies
Development & Economics6
Topics in Development and Economics
Select 3 credits from the following interdisciplinary Development & Economics options: **
Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
Ideas to Sustainable Opportunities: Feasibility Analysis
Social Entrepreneurship
Experiences in Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Sustainable Food and Craft Beverage
Sustainable Destination and Experience Management
Sustainable Tourism and Transportation
Equity & Society6
Topics in Equity and Society
Select 3 credits from the following interdisciplinary Equity & Society options: **
Disaster, Self, and Society
Food and Culture in a Global Context
Environmental Anthropology
Anthropology of Global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
Recreation, Parks, and Health
Urban Geography: Sustainable Land Use
World Population Problems
Sustainable Transport and Mobility
Sustainable Tourism and Transportation
Sustainable Urban Planning in an Entrepreneurial Environment
Sustainable Regional Planning
National Parks and Protected Areas
Geography of Livable Cities
Environmental Health
American Indians and Nature
United States Environmental History
Environmental Justice: Interdisciplinary Response for Sustainability
Environmental Law and Policy
Natural Resources Law and Policy
Environmental Sociology
Green Criminology
Disaster, Self, and Society
Environmental Science6
Topics in Environmental Sciences
Select a minimum of 3 credits from the following interdisciplinary Environmental Science options: **
Principles of Ecology
Ecology and Evolution Laboratory
Biology and Conservation of Sea Turtles
Marine Biology
Conservation Biology
Landscape Ecology
Aquatic Ecology
The Biosphere
Disease Ecology
Global Change
Essentials of Toxicology
Quantitative Analysis
Organic Chemistry I
Organic Chemistry II
Environmental Hazards Assessment
Natural Resource Regions of North America
Physical Geography: Landscape Processes
Weather and Climate
and Climatology Laboratory
The Water Planet
Biogeography
*

With advisor approval, students could instead select one of the following: GES 270, GES 366, GES 368, and either GES 462 or GES 464 (whichever is not required by concentration).

**

With advisor approval, students could instead select another interdisciplinary option not listed here.

Concentrations 

Students must select one of the concentrations as detailed following the major requirements. 

  • Natural Sciences
  • Equity, Development, and Ethics

Electives

Electives sufficient to complete the 120 credit hours required for degree.

Recommended MAC Courses

Students in the B.A. in Environment and Sustainability take three core classes that will satisfy three MAC competencies (Health and Wellness, Critical Thinking and Inquiry in the Natural Sciences, and Data Analysis and Interpretation). The following recommendations are intended to suggest classes that incorporate interdisciplinary environmental and sustainability studies and/or that have related skills that complement such studies:

Instead of the above, students may choose any other MAC competency course that fulfills the relevant category.

Natural Sciences Concentration Requirements

  • In addition to the required 16 credits specified below, all students in the Natural Sciences concentration are required to have a minor (or second major) in one of the listed areas. Any minor (or second major) courses already approved for inclusion in the Core of the major in Environment & Sustainability will count toward the requirements for both the major and the minor (or second major).
  • Only grades of C- or higher will count toward completion of the required courses in the major and in the concentration.
Biology13
Principles of Biology I
and Principles of Biology I Laboratory
Principles of Biology II
and Principles of Biology II Laboratory
Principles of Ecology
Ecology and Evolution Laboratory
Geography, Environment, and Sustainability3
Environment
Minor
Choose one of the following minors: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or as approved by the Environment & Sustainability Program. Students pursuing a second major in one of these areas are exempt from the minor requirement.

Equity, Development, & Ethics Concentration Requirements

  • In addition to the required 7 credits specified below, all students in the Equity, Development, & Ethics concentration are required to have a minor (or second major) in one of the listed areas. Any minor (or second major) courses already approved for inclusion in the Core of the major in Environment & Sustainability will count toward the requirements for both the major and the minor (or second major). 
  • Only grades of C- or higher will count toward completion of the required courses in the major and in the concentration.
Biology4
Select 4 credits of the following:
Major Concepts of Biology
and Major Concepts of Biology Laboratory
Principles of Biology II
and Principles of Biology II Laboratory
Geography, Environment, and Sustainability3
Sustainability
Minor
Choose any minor except those offered by the Department of Geography, Environment, and Sustainability (i.e., except Climate Justice, Digital Earth Technologies, Environment, Geography, or Sustainability). Students pursuing a second major (except those in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Sustainability) are exempt from the minor requirement.

Disciplinary Honors in Environment and Sustainability  

Requirements

  • A minimum of 12 credit hours as defined below.
  • UNC Greensboro cumulative GPA of 3.30 or better or, for transfer students, cumulative GPA of 3.30 or better from all prior institutions.
Required3-6
Senior Honors Project
Honors Work
6 credits of Honors course work in the major6
3 credits of Honors course work in the major or another area3

Recognition

Receive a Certificate of Disciplinary Honors in Environment and Sustainability Studies; have that accomplishment, along with the title of the Senior Honors Project, noted on the official transcript; and be recognized at a banquet held at the end of the spring semester.

Honors Advisor

Contact Aaron Allen at asallen@uncg.edu for further information and guidance about Honors in Environment and Sustainability Studies. To apply: https://honorscollege.uncg.edu/disciplinary-honors/disciplinary-honors-admissions