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 53 credits toward the major and concentration, comprised of core courses in the major (43 credits) and concentration-specific requirements (10-20 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.
- Students must select a concentration, either in Natural Sciences or in Equity, Development, and Ethics.
- Only grades of C- or higher will count toward completion of the required courses in the major and in the concentration.
Degree Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | 19 | |
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 | ||
| Research Methods in Geography, Environment, Sustainability | ||
| Introduction to Spatial Analysis | ||
| Research in Environment & Sustainability | ||
| Topics in Sustainability and Environment | ||
| Ethics & Aesthetics | 6 | |
| 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 & Economics | 6 | |
| Topics in Development and Economics | ||
Select 3 credits from the following interdisciplinary Development & Economics options: ** | ||
| Environmental and Natural Resource Economics | ||
| Ideas to Opportunities: Research Driven Feasibility Analysis | ||
| Social Entrepreneurship | ||
| Experiences in Sustainable Entrepreneurship | ||
| Sustainable Food and Craft Beverage | ||
| Sustainable Destination and Experience Management | ||
| Sustainable Tourism and Transportation | ||
| Equity & Society | 6 | |
| 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 | ||
| Environmental Law and Policy | ||
| Natural Resources Law and Policy | ||
| Environmental Sociology | ||
| Green Criminology | ||
| Disaster, Self, and Society | ||
| Environmental Science | 6 | |
| 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 and Disease Ecology Laboratory | ||
| 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 four* core classes that will satisfy four MAC competencies (Health and Wellness, Quantitative Reasoning*, 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 approaches and/or that have related skills that complement such studies in selected MAC areas:
- Oral Communication: ENG 123
- Civics & Community: ADS 205, HIS 200, LLC 140
- Critical Thinking & Inquiry in the Humanities and Fine Arts: IAR 124, PHI 121, PHI 261, PHI 262, REL 250
- Critical Thinking & Inquiry in the Social and Behavioral Sciences: ECO 201, GES 105, PCS 112
- Global Engagement and Intercultural Learning: ECO 100, ENT 130, ENT 206, GES 104, HTM 200, LLC 130
Instead of the above, students may choose any other MAC competency course that fulfills the relevant category.
- *
STA 271 does not carry a MAC competency. Students taking STA 271 will not fulfill the MAC Quantitative Reasoning competency.
Natural Sciences Concentration Requirements
- In addition to the required 19-20 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.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 13 | |
| 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 Sustainability | 3 | |
| Environment | ||
| Mathematics and Statistics | 3-4 | |
Select one option from the following: | ||
| Mathematics for the Life Sciences and Mathematics for Life Sciences Lab | ||
| Fundamental Concepts of Statistics | ||
| Minor | ||
Select 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 10-11 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.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 4 | |
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 Sustainability | 3 | |
| Sustainability | ||
| Mathematics and Statistics | 3-4 | |
Select one option from the following: | ||
| Data, Computing, and Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| Mathematics for the Life Sciences and Mathematics for Life Sciences Lab | ||
| Elementary Introduction to Probability and Statistics | ||
| Fundamental Concepts of Statistics | ||
| Minor | ||
Select 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.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required | 3-6 | |
| Senior Honors Project | ||
or GES 493 | Honors Work | |
| 6 credits of Honors course work in the major | 6 | |
| 3 credits of Honors course work in the major or another area | 3 | |
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.