Environmental Studies

As a general rule of thumb, the Environmental Studies Department recommends the following for students who wish to study off campus.

• First-year students should take ENVS 120 Introduction to Environmental Studies.
• Second-year students should take ENVS 207 Methods of Environmental Analysis.
• If attending a field program (SFS, SIT, CIEE) and you are not an ES / Science major, take one science course from the ES foundation requirements that is NOT within the Biology department. 
• Complete at least one ES foundation from the two ES foundations outside your major division (Science, Social Sciences and Environmental Humanities)
• The ES Interdisciplinary requirement can often be taken abroad, especially if attending a field based program

For planning tips related to your specific field of concentration, please refer to the Advising Sheet for that major (e.g. ES-Biology majors should refer to the OCS Advising Sheet for Biology for tips about the biology side of the major).

Which requirements can Environmental Studies majors fulfill while off campus?

• Specific courses in the major such as the interdisciplinary requirement (ENVS 459 Interdisciplinary Fieldwork) or general ES foundation requirements
• General Studies distribution requirements
• General degree credit
• Specific courses in the combined major such as an Ecology course for ES/Bio, or a Politics course for an ES/Pol (if approved by the combined department)

Major Credit Limitations

• The maximum number of credits that can be applied to the Environmental Studies major from off campus studies (including AP credit, IB credit and credits from other U.S. institutions) is 8 credits in ES courses with the approval of your major adviser. For credit limits in the courses for your particular area of concentration (e.g. politics, biology), please consult the table below.

What are the types of OCS programs recommended by the Environmental Studies department?

• Field study programs with opportunities to engage in research with the local community
• Interdisciplinary field experiences

Which Partner Programs are recommended by the Environmental Studies Department?

The following programs all fulfill the interdisciplinary course requirement for the ES major with the exception of the DIS program.  For SFS and CIEE programs, the Directed Research course fulfills the requirement.  For SIT programs, the Independent Study Project course fulfills the interdisciplinary requirement.

• CIEE: Monteverde Tropical Ecology and Conservation (Costa Rica)
• CIEE: Monteverde Sustainability and the Environment (Costa Rica)
• DIS Copenhagen (Denmark)
• IES: Freiburg Environmental Studies & Sustainability (Germany)
• SEA Education Association (Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA)
• SFS: Australia Rainforest to Reef (Yungaburra)
• SFS: Cambodia Climate Change, Ethics and Conservation (Siem Reap)
• SFS: Chile Wild Patagonia - Fire and Ice (Chile)
• SFS: Panama Tropical Island Biodiversity Studies (Bocas del Toro)
• SFS: Tanzania Wildlife Management Studies (Moyo Hill Camp)
• SFS: Turks and Caicos Marine Resource Studies (South Caicos)
• SIT: Ecuador Comparative Ecology and Conservation (Quito)
• SIT: India Sustainable Development and Social Change (Jaipur)

Students interested in Off-Campus Studies should attend an OCS First Step meeting in the fall of their second year, discuss their interests with their major adviser, and schedule an appointment with an OCS adviser.