BA in Environmental Studies

 The Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies requires a minimum of 120 hours, including a minor. Students in this degree program take a broad, interdisciplinary approach that combines science with social science and humanities courses. Students are required to minor in a non-science discipline. This degree provides a foundation for students in the sciences that explain the human impacts to the environment, and the social and human dimensions of these issues including environmental politics, ethics, geography, and economics. Students with this degree are prepared for graduate school and career opportunities with federal and state regulatory agencies; wildlife and zoological parks; state, county and city parks; state natural resource agencies; university and secondary schools; and nonprofit and non-government organizations (NGOs).

For the Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies (ENST) following courses are required:
EEES 1020    Introductory Geology Laboratory    
EEES 2020    Introduction to Environmental Studies: Energy and Climate
EEES 2030    Introduction to Environmental Studies: Land and Water
EEES 2100    Fundamentals Of Geology    
EEES 2150    Biodiversity    
EEES 2160    Biodiversity Laboratory    
EEES 2500    Computer Applications In Environmental Sciences    
EEES 3050    General Ecology      
EEES 3060    General Ecology Lab

EEES 4960    Senior Seminar
EEES 3900    Literature and Communication in the Environmental Sciences
EEES 4940    Internship

One of the Following: 
EEES 3100    Surficial Processes   or EEES 2400   Oceanography

One of the following
EEES 4970    Senior Environmental Capstone   or EEES 4980  Special Topics: BioDesign Challenge

The following Related courses are also required:
ENGL 2950     Scientific Report Writing
MATH 2640    Statistics for Applied Science
CHEM 1090    Elementary Chemistry or CHEM 1100
PSC 4340        Environmental Policy     
ECON 3240    Environmental Economics or ECON 3270 Natural Resource Economics
GEPL 3900     Environmental Planning
PHIL 3180      Environmental Ethics or PJS 2500 Peace Education

One of the following: 
COMM 2600  Public Presentations, ENGL 3050 Persuasive Writing, ART 2800 Visual Literacy-Data Visualization, or HON 3010 Community Engagement. 

 The completion of the Environmental Studies Major requires a minor approved by your advisor.  Common minors include Geography and Planning, and Communications 

Students also are required to complete a 100-hr environment-related internship (EEES 4940) in an agency, corporation, university laboratory or other approved location.

With the exception of EEES 4940 students may not take any courses required in the major as P/NC.

Below is a sample plan of study. Consult your degree audit for your program requirements.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
First TermHours
NSM 1000 Foundations of Academic Success for Science and Math Majors 2
EEES 2020 Introduction to the Environment: Energy and Climate 3
ENGL 1110 College Composition I 3
Cultural Experience 4
Humanities Core 3
 Hours15
Second Term
EEES 1020 Introductory Geology Laboratory 1
EEES 2100 Fundamentals Of Geology 4
EEES 2030 Introduction to the Environment Land-Use and Water 3
ENGL 1130 College Composition II: Academic Disciplines And Discourse 3
Cultural Experience 4
 Hours15
Second Year
Third Term
EEES 3100
Surficial Processes
or Oceanography And Water Resources
3
GEPL 3900 Environmental Planning 3
EEES 2500 Computer Applications In Environmental Sciences 1
CHEM 1090 Elementary Chemistry 3
Social Science Core 3
Humanities Core 3
 Hours16
Fourth Term
EEES 2150 Biodiversity 4
EEES 2160 Biodiversity Laboratory 1
MATH 2640 Statistics for Applied Science 3
EEES 3900 Literature And Communications In The Environmental Sciences 3
Multicultural 3
 Hours14
Third Year
Fifth Term
EEES 3050 General Ecology 3
EEES 3060 General Ecology Laboratory 1
PHIL 3180 Environmental Ethics 3
COMM 2600 Public Presentations 3
Minor Course 3
Minor Course 3
 Hours16
Sixth Term
ENGL 3050 Persuasive Writing 3
Writing Across the Curriculum 3
Multicultural 3
Minor Course 3
Elective 3
 Hours15
Fourth Year
Seventh Term
EEES 4940 Internship 1-4
PSC 4340 Environmental Policy 3
EEES 4960 Senior Seminar 1
Minor Course 3
Minor Course 3
Elective 3
 Hours14-17
Eighth Term
ECON 3240 Environmental Economics 3
EEES 4970 Senior Environmental Capstone 3
Minor Course 3
Electives 6
 Hours15
 Total Hours120-123
  • PLO 1. Students will be able to describe general taxomonic organization of life on earth and the evolutionary processes that underlie biological diversity.
  • PLO 2. Students will be able to explain how both abiotic factors, such as climate and pollution, and biotic factors, such as competition and disease, affect organisms, communities, and ecosystems.
  • PLO 3. Students will be able to describe how scientific and social (economic or political) factors constrain solutions to environmental quality problems;
  • PLO 4. Students will demonstrate an increase in their knowledge of the relationships between the biosphere, atmosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere in northwest Ohio.
  • PLO 5. Students will be able to explain how human activities impact the biosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere in northwest Ohio.
  • PLO 6. Students will be able to identify science-based information or research that can contribute to communicating environmental issues to the public and contribute to solutions to environmental issues.
  • PLO 7. Students will able to develop and propose informed solutions to environmental issues while taking into account economic considerations and political compromises.