Environmental Science and Sustainability Major (B.S.)

University-wide Graduation Requirements

Ohio University requires the completion of a minimum of 120 semester hours for the conferral of a bachelor’s degree. This program can be completed within that 120-hour requirement. For more information on the minimum hours requirement and other university-wide requirements, please review the Graduation Requirements – University-wide  page.

Liberal Arts and Sciences Distribution Requirement

View the College and Liberal Arts and Sciences Distribution Requirements .

Required Courses

Complete the following courses for a total of 43 credits:

• CAS 1415 - Introduction to Sustainability Credit Hours: 3
• ECON 1030 - Principles of Microeconomics Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 1100 - Physical Geography Credit Hours: 4
• GEOG 2400 - Environmental Geography Credit Hours: 3

•  

• ERTH 2020 - Introductory Geology Lab Credit Hours: 1

• and

• ERTH 2150 - Environmental Geology Credit Hours: 3

• or

• ERTH 1010 - How The Earth Works Credit Hours: 4

•  

• MATH 1350 - Survey of Calculus Credit Hours: 4
• PBIO 1000 - Plants and the Global Environment Credit Hours: 3
• PBIO 1000L - Plants and the Global Environment Laboratory Credit Hours: 1
• PBIO 2090 - Plant Ecology Credit Hours: 3

•  

• SOC 1000 - Introduction to Sociology Credit Hours: 3

• and either

• BIOS 1700 - Biological Sciences I: Molecules and Cells Credit Hours: 3

• and

• BIOS 1705 - Biological Sciences I Laboratory Credit Hours: 1

• or

• PBIO 1140 - Foundations of Plant Biology Credit Hours: 4

Statistics Requirement

Choose one of the following courses:

• ERTH 3050 - Statistical Methods in Geology Credit Hours: 4
• GEOG 2710 - Introduction to Statistics in Geography Credit Hours: 3
• MATH 2500 - Statistics and Probability Credit Hours: 4
• PBIO 3150 - Statistical Methods in Plant Biology Credit Hours: 4

Chemistry Requirement

Complete one course from each of the following groups:

Environmental Economics Requirement

Chooose one of the following courses:

• ECON 3010C - Economics of Altruism Credit Hours: 3
• ECON 3130 - Economics of the Environment Credit Hours: 3
• ECON 3350 - Economics of Energy Credit Hours: 3
• ECON 3510 - Agricultural Development Credit Hours: 3
• MKT 4100 - Sustainability Marketing Credit Hours: 3

Social Equity/Justice Requirement

Choose one of the following courses:

• GEOG 3410 - Geography of Hunger and Food Security Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 4560 - The Just and Sustainable City Credit Hours: 3
• PHIL 3350 - Environmental Ethics Credit Hours: 3
• SOC 2300 - Social Inequalities and Social Change Credit Hours: 3
• SOC 4810 - Environmental Sociology Credit Hours: 3

Environmental Policy and Planning Requirement

Choose one of the following courses:

• ES 3620 - Environmental Science and Public Policy Credit Hours: 3
• ES 4710 - Bioenergy: Science, Policy, and Business Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 4520 - Environmental and Sustainability Planning Credit Hours: 3
• POLS 4250 - Environmental and Climate Change Politics and Policy Credit Hours: 3
• POLS 4260 - Politics of the Contemporary Environmental Movement Credit Hours: 3

Experiential Learning Requirement

Choose one of the following courses. Please note that a minimum of 2 credits is needed to fulfill the requirement.

• ERTH 4610 - Regional Field Geology Credit Hours: 3
• ERTH 4901 - Geologic Studies Credit Hours: 1 to 6
• ES 4832 - Sustainability Implementation Practicum Credit Hours: 3
• ES 4910 - Environmental Studies Leadership Experience Credit Hours: 1 to 5
• GEOG 4910 - Internship Credit Hours: 1 to 12
• GEOG 4942 - Research Experience in Environmental Geography Credit Hours: 1 to 3
• PBIO 4910 - Internship Credit Hours: 2 to 15
• PBIO 4940 - Undergraduate Research Credit Hours: 2 to 4

Major Electives

Choose four courses from at least two departments, with a minimum of two courses at the 3000 or 4000 level, totaling 14-17 credits:

• ANTH 2210 - Animals and Human Society Credit Hours: 3

• or

• SOC 2210 - Animals and Human Society Credit Hours: 3
• ANTH 3568J - Writing for Social Justice Credit Hours: 3

• or

• SOC 3568J - Writing for Social Justice Credit Hours: 3
• BIOS 2200 - Conservation and Biodiversity Credit Hours: 3
• BIOS 3160 - Biogeography Credit Hours: 3

• or

• GEOG 3160 - Biogeography Credit Hours: 3
• BIOS 4310 - Aquatic Biology Credit Hours: 4
• ES 4250 - Watershed Management Credit Hours: 3
• ES 4300 - Field Methods in Environmental Studies Credit Hours: 3
• ES 4610 - Resilience Theory and Practice Credit Hours: 3
• ES 4720 - Energy Systems and Policy Credit Hours: 3
• ES 4730 - Environmental Entrepreneurship Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 2060 - The Physical and Global Dimensions of Climate Change Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 2680 - Introduction to GIS and Mapping Sciences Credit Hours: 4
• GEOG 3020 - Climatology Credit Hours: 4
• GEOG 3150 - Landforms and Landscapes Credit Hours: 3

• or

• ERTH 3300 - Principles of Geomorphology Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 3210 - Population Geography Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 3300 - Geography of Europe Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 3310 - Geography of Africa Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 3330 - Appalachia: Land and People Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 3350 - Geography of Latin America Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 3430 - Global Issues in Environment Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 3440 - Agricultural Ecosystems Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 3450 - Access to Water in a Changing World Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 3580 - Environmental Hazards Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 4170 - Landscape Ecology Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 4450 - Gender, Environment, and Development Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 4470 - Natural Resource Conservation Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 4660 - Principles of Remote Sensing Credit Hours: 4
• ERTH 2310 - Water and Pollution Credit Hours: 3
• ERTH 2710 - Extreme Ancient Climates Credit Hours: 3
• ERTH 3700 - Groundwater Fundamentals and Practices Credit Hours: 3
• ERTH 4060 - Geodata analysis for Geological Sciences Credit Hours: 3
• ERTH 4270 - Water Geochemistry Credit Hours: 3
• ERTH 4750 - Watershed and Stream Hydrology Credit Hours: 3
• PBIO 2060 - Sustainable Agriculture Credit Hours: 3
• PBIO 2070 - Biology of the City: Biological and Physical Processes in Constructed Ecosystems Credit Hours: 3
• PBIO 3220 - Tropical Plant Ecology Credit Hours: 3
• PBIO 3260 - Plant Ecophysiology Credit Hours: 4
• PBIO 3330 - Restoration Ecology Credit Hours: 3
• PBIO 4380 - Soil Properties and Ecosystem Processes Credit Hours: 4
• REC 3550 - Principles of Ecotourism Credit Hours: 3
• SOC 3090 - Sociology of Appalachia Credit Hours: 3

Capstone Requirement

Choose one of the following courses:

• EH 4010 - Climate Change and Public Health Credit Hours: 3
• ERTH 4800 - Principles of Hydrogeology Credit Hours: 3
• ES 4500 - Environmental Studies Capstone Seminar Credit Hours: 3
• INST 4960 - Global Problems, Local Solutions Credit Hours: 3
• PBIO 4380 - Soil Properties and Ecosystem Processes Credit Hours: 4
• POLS 4850 - Sustainability Citizenship Credit Hours: 3
• T3 4080 - Environmentalism in America Credit Hours: 3

Advanced Writing Recommendation

Suggested courses (choose one) to meet J course requirement or Advanced Writing requirement, depending on applicable General Education requirements for the student:

• ENG 2801 - Environmental Writing & Rhetoric Credit Hours: 3
• ANTH 3568J - Writing for Social Justice Credit Hours: 3
• SOC 3568J - Writing for Social Justice Credit Hours: 3