Environmental Studies

Declaring the Environmental Studies Major

The major should be declared by the end of a student’s sophomore year or earlier. Students interested in declaring an ES major should proceed according to the following sequence: 1) carefully read through the “Course Requirements for the Major” and the “Curricular Pathways Requirements” sections below. 2) From the ES Program Office or Blackboard, obtain the “Checklist of Environmental Studies Major Requirements” and “Curricular Pathways” document.” After reviewing these documents, contact a potential ES advisor, and schedule a time to discuss the major. The current list of advisors is available from the ES Program Office. 3) In consultation with your advisor, discuss your interests and identify an appropriate curricular pathway within the major. Complete the Registrar’s Declaration of Major form along with the Checklist of ES Major Requirements. 4) Submit these forms, signed by your advisor, to the ES Program Office. These documents, when approved by the Program Director, constitute an agreement between you and the ES Program as to the content of your major. 5) As described below, a draft pathway proposal approved by your advisor is due to your advisor no later than two weeks before fall break in the first semester of your junior year (if declaring in the second semester of second year or earlier). A final draft, reviewed and accepted by advisor, must be turned in no later than one week after break. If a student is declaring the ES major in the first semester of junior year or later, then the pathway proposal must be submitted by the end of the semester when the student declares.

Course Requirements for the Major

The Checklist of Environmental Studies Major Requirements, available on Blackboard and from the ES Program Office, contains the most up-to-date list of courses and major requirements. (See checklist on Blackboard at: https://tinyurl.com/OberlinESMajor).

The six required core courses include 1) Environment and Society (ENVS 101) and 2) Introduction to Environmental Humanities (ENVS 201), which should be taken by the end of the student’s second year; 3) Environmental Policy (ENVS 208) OR Environmental Economics (ECON 231); 4) Earth’s Environments (GEOL 120); 5) Environmental Biology (BIOL 103) OR Evolution and Ecology (BIOL 200); and 6) Chemistry and the Environment (CHEM 051), OR Structure and Reactivity (CHEM 101) OR Chemical Principles (CHEM 102) OR Topics in General Chemistry (CHEM 103).

Three additional full courses in either Social Science or Humanities must be taken from the set of elective courses listed on the Checklist of Environmental Studies Major Requirements. One additional full course in Natural Science must be taken from the set of courses listed on the checklist OR count toward the major in the Biology, Chemistry, Geology, and/or Physics Departments. Majors must take at least one Natural Science course that includes a regular lab. A second natural science course with a regular lab is strongly recommended, but not required. Students who are interested in a double major in Biology and/or in the Environmental Biology pathway are encouraged to take BIOL 200 rather than BIOL 103. Majors also must take one full credit course in research methods selected from the following: CAST 300, CHEM 211, ECON 255, ENGL 255, ENGL 299, ENVS 230, ENVS 316, ENVS 340, GEOL 235, GSFS 305, HIST 299, PHIL 201, POLT 205, PSYC 200, PSYC 308, SOCI 301, STAT 113 or 114, STAT 215. CHEM 211, ENGL 255, ENVS 316, ENVS 340, GEOL 235, and PSYC 308 may also count as SS/HU, or NS electives.

In addition to the distribution and credit hour requirements described above, the following rules apply to all students completing the ES major:

• At least five full courses completed for the ES major must be taken at Oberlin; no more than three study away or transfer courses will count towards the ES major. Students planning to study away for more than a single semester must get approval from their advisor and the Program chair.
• Courses cross-listed in two departments (e.g., ENVS 208 and POLT 208) can be taken in either department.
• First year seminar program (FYSP) courses do not count toward the ES major.
• Students must earn minimum grades of C- or P for all courses that apply toward the major.
• A maximum one full course of combined private reading (ENVS 995) and independent research or honors (ENVS 501-504) can be counted towards the ES major. The faculty sponsor, in consultation with the ES program director, will determine whether a given private reading may count as NS or SS/HU  electives.
• If ES requirements change after the major is declared, students can choose to comply with either the requirements in place at the time of their declaration of major or the revised requirements.
• Core courses cannot be double-counted for any other ES Major requirements. For example, if a student takes ENVS 208 or ECON 231, then it will only count toward their core requirement. However, if a student takes both courses, the ENVS 208 will count toward their core requirement, and ECON 231 will count toward the Social Science elective.
• Any course that fulfills the research methods elective AND is also approved as and SS/HU, or NS elective can be counted for both requirements. This double-counting is only allowed for courses listed under the ‘Research Methods Elective.’ These include ENGL 255 and PSYC 308 (can be counted as SS/HU elective), and CHEM 211, ENVS 316, ENVS 340, and GEOL 235(can be counted as NS elective). Students who double-count these courses will be able to complete their ES major with 10 courses (instead of 11).

As indicated above, many course requirements and elective courses that count for credit towards the ES major originate in other departments. Certain courses that count towards the ES major have prerequisites that do not themselves count (for example Introductory Economics, which does not count, is a prerequisite for Environmental Economics which does). Not all courses listed in the catalog are offered every year. Frequently, special topical courses that may be counted towards the ES major are offered on a one-time basis by either regular or visiting faculty. A list of these courses (“Alternative Courses”) is available on Blackboard and in the ES Program Office.

Curricular Pathways Requirements

1.      Objectives and Summary:

Environmental Studies (ES) majors are required to complete a “curricular pathway.”  A curricular pathway is a course of study that equips an ES major with a depth of knowledge, analytical skills, and experiences related to understanding and addressing a topic or subject area of special interest to that student. Although certain pathways may emphasize tools from particular disciplinary perspectives, the program recognizes that many of the most pressing contemporary issues in ES are highly interdisciplinary and can be most successfully understood through a curricular plan that focuses course work across disciplines. For students interested in pursuing highly interdisciplinary topics such as climate change, agriculture and food studies, environmental justice or urban sustainability, courses will necessarily be selected from multiple departments and disciplines. In contrast, students wishing to pursue pathways that necessitate strong background within one traditional discipline, (e.g., in environmental biology, environmental policy, environmental economics, etc.) are encouraged to consider an appropriate double major in association with their pathways. We anticipate that students who successfully complete the ES major will report their pathways to graduate schools and potential employers. However, the pathway completed will not be reported on a student’s Oberlin transcript. Successful completion of a pathway is marked by the creation and approval of the four milestones described below. 

     II.     Pathway Milestones and due dates:

1) Pathway Focus Area selected: Due at the time the major is declared (on major’s checklist).
2) Pathway Proposal: Students are encouraged to complete a pathway proposal as early as possible during the major as it aids in advising. A draft proposal is due to the adviser no later than two weeks before fall break in the first semester of junior year or by the end of the semester when the student declares (if declaring in the first semester of Junior year or later). A final draft, reviewed and accepted by adviser, must be turned in no later than one week after break.
3) Capstone Experience Proposal: Due no later than fall or spring break the semester prior to undertaking the capstone experience.
4) Pathway report: A draft of the report is due to the adviser no later than two weeks before spring break senior year (fall break for December graduates). A final draft, reviewed and accepted by adviser, must be turned in no later than one week after break.

Students must submit, discuss and receive approval for each of these milestones from their adviser. This information will then be entered into the student’s academic record. The four milestones of the pathway are explained in greater detail below.

     III.     Pathway Milestones Explained:

1) Pathway Focus Area Selection: At the time that students declare an ES major, they must discuss with their advisers and select a focus area for their pathways from the list of those approved (see below) and record this on the Checklist of Environmental Studies Major Requirements.

2) Pathway Proposal: A complete pathway proposal is a single document that includes a “statement of goals and intent” and a proposed “course trajectory.” The statement of goals and intent describes the theme that the student intends to pursue, provides a rationale for the importance of that theme and describes the specific goals with respect to knowledge, skills and expertise and the intended outcomes. This statement must use the template described in the “Curricular Pathways for Environmental Studies Majors” document - available on Blackboard and from the ES Program Office. It should include the questions and directly and sequentially address each of the questions on that template. The course trajectory is a semester-by-semester sequence of courses that the student has taken and intends to take to complete the proposed pathway. Note that courses listed in this sequence should fulfill all requirements described in the “Checklist of ES Major Requirements.” During each advising session after the first, the adviser will review the course trajectory with the advisee and appropriate adjustments will be made based on changes in focus and course availability.

The pathway proposal is an agreement between a student, their adviser and the ES program. The responsibility of proposing, revising, and executing a focused pathway is the student’s. Students are also responsible for ascertaining that proposed courses are, in fact, scheduled to be offered during the semesters indicated in their course trajectory and that they will have the necessary prerequisites to take them (students may need to consult with instructors and departments to determine this). The responsibility of reviewing, requesting revisions, and approving each student’s pathway proposal rests with that student’s adviser. After a pathway proposal has been approved by a student’s adviser, course substitutions and other changes can occur with the approval of the adviser through the student’s senior year. If a student wishes to make substantial changes in the focus of their course of study, the pathway proposal must be revised, reviewed and re-approved by that student’s adviser, and then resubmitted electronically to the ES Program.

3) Capstone Proposal: The capstone experience provides students with a concrete opportunity to apply, integrate, and further develop knowledge and skills from multiple courses in order to achieve the goals that student defines in the pathway proposal. The capstone experience can be fulfilled in a variety of ways including study away, summer fellowships, honors projects, private reading, independent research, certain courses (which must be approved by the student’s adviser), and Winter Term experiences. The capstone proposal articulates the way in which a proposed experience contributes to the pathway and must follow the template provided in this document. The template for the capstone proposal is included in “Curricular Pathways for Environmental Studies Majors.” Students must discuss and receive approval from their adviser no later than two weeks before fall or spring break of the semester/summer/winter prior to completing their capstone experience. Ideally, students will complete the capstone proposal by the second semester of their junior year, but no later than the first semester of their senior year.

4) Pathway Report: The pathway report provides each student with the opportunity to reflect on the ways in which the chosen pathway has (and has not) achieved the goals and intent specified in that student’s pathway proposal and to reflect on how the capstone experience contributed to the pathway. The report should address the specific questions and follow the format of the template provided in “Curricular Pathways for Environmental Studies Majors.” A draft of the report is due to the adviser no later than two weeks before spring break of the senior year (fall break for December graduates). A final draft, reviewed and accepted by adviser, must be turned in no later than one week after break. The student’s adviser will notify the registrar of successful completion of the report as a requirement for completion of the ES major. In addition to its function as a reflective document, the pathway report will also serve as a portfolio document for the ES Program in its ongoing curricular assessment process.

     IV.     Focus Areas for Pathways:

Pathway focus areas that are typically supported by the Oberlin curriculum are listed below. A variety of specific interests can be pursued within each of these focus areas. There is substantial flexibility to allow students to choose what interests them most. It is the responsibility of a student to work with their adviser to discuss and then craft a pathway proposal that articulates the specific focus that the student will then pursue.  The types of capstone experiences, including study away options, research experiences, internships, and other learning opportunities differ for different pathways and should be explored with a student’s adviser early on. It is important to recognize that the list of courses associated with each pathway are simply recommendations; it is up to the student, in consultation with their adviser, to choose a course trajectory that meets the particular objectives that a student defines in the pathway proposal.

Pathway focus areas include: Agriculture & Food Studies; Art & the Environment; Climate Change Studies; Energy & Society; Environmental Biology; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental & Ecological Design; Environmental Economics; Environmental Education; Environmental Geology; Environmental History; Environmental Justice; Environmental Literature & Media; Environmental Politics & Policy; Environmental Psychology; Environmental Thought; Global Environmental Issues and Politics; Indigenous Environmental Issues; Public Health; Sustainable Enterprise & Entrepreneurship; Systems Ecology; Urban Sustainability (or Sustainable Communities); Water & Society.

The current list of pathway focus areas and a more detailed description of the range of options and relevant course possibilities associated with each focus area are included in a “Curricular Pathways for Environmental Studies Majors” document that is available from the ES Program Office, ES website, and ES Blackboard site. This document also includes the templates that ES majors should use for their pathway proposals, capstone experience proposals, and pathway reports.

Social Science Courses

Humanities Courses

Natural Science Courses