Environmental Studies, B.A.

Consistent with the mission of Westminster College, the Environmental Studies program seeks to develop an understanding of the complex interactions between humans and the natural world. An interdisciplinary liberal arts approach, combined with a disciplinary perspective, is used to provide a foundation that students will use to identify, investigate, and propose solutions to environmental problems that face humanity.

To demonstrate knowledge of local, regional, and global environmental issues and the diverse stakeholder perspectives involved.
To analyze environmental issues from a multi-disciplinary perspective, including scientific, economic, political, social, historical, and cultural contexts.
To employ research skills on environmental topics, such as asking relevant questions, gathering and evaluating information, and using evidence to defend positions.
To effectively communicate environmental issues to diverse audiences.
To work collaboratively to identify, analyze, and propose solutions to environmental problems.

Program coordinator, Dr. Helen Boylan.

The Major in Environmental Studies

36 semester hours of core Environmental Studies coursework and a minimum of 24 semester hours in a second discipline, comprising:

All of the following:

*PS 101 is prerequisite to PS 242

One of the following:

Plus three electives, including one elective (4 SH) from each of the following categories:

To qualify as an elective, two projects completed by environmental studies students within the course must have connections to the environment, and students are encouraged to present one of the projects at URAC (April) or the Student Symposium on the Environment (December) during the semester the course is being taken.

Arts & Humanities Electives:

Communication Electives

Science and Social Science Electives:

ES and EVS Program Notes

Due to the number of overlapping courses, students will not be allowed to double-major or complete a combined major in Environmental Studies and Environmental Science. Additionally, students will not be able to major in Environmental Science and minor in Environmental Studies.