Environmental Studies Major
“WATER IN
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Undergraduates at UNR now have the opportunity to study environmental issues from a wide variety of disciplinary perspectives through the new multidisciplinary Environmental Studies Major, administered by the UNR Academy for the Environment (UNAE). With the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin as our backyard laboratory, and with top environmental researchers in the sciences and humanities, students majoring in Environmental Studies at UNR will have a wealth of unique educational opportunities.
The major curriculum requires that students double-major with another academic discipline or pursue a dual concurrent degree, so that all graduates have the depth of knowledge in a chosen discipline. The curriculum of the Environmental Studies Major is then tailored to provide broader perspectives from fields other than the initial major. Thus, if a student with a declared major in biology wishes to also pursue an Environmental Studies degree, his/her curriculum will emphasize humanities, arts and policy. An English major will have a program geared toward science and policy. All students work with UNAE academic advisors to develop individualized programs of study that are updated annually.
Faculty, students, and community leaders all contributed ideas that helped shape this major during the year long process initiated in the summer of 2005. In addition to the academic rigor inherent in the double-major requirement, the ENV major curriculum emphasizes practical experience in the form of required field work, internships, and a third-year practicum seminar, as well as high-level scholarly research and writing. The integration of humanities, arts and social science into the curriculum design makes this major unique among Environmental Studies or Environmental Science majors in the nation, and capitalizes on the faculty and research strengths at UNR.
WHY MAJOR IN
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES?
The Environmental Studies Major degree program is designed to prepare the leaders of tomorrow with the skills and insight to address the complex environmental challenges of the 21st century. UNR’s physical location at the intersection of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Great Basin provides an ideal laboratory for undergraduate field research opportunities and can therefore contribute to enhanced understanding of regional environmental issues. Furthermore, the arid West and the nation as a whole are in critical need of a new generation of leaders who understand environmental issues from the perspectives of both specialists with focused, in-depth knowledge of specific issues and generalists who can place those issues in the context of social, historical, and political forces, with effective communication and problem-solving skills. Despite widespread consensus that environmental challenges require multiple approaches, very few Environmental Studies programs fully integrate humanities, arts, and social sciences into their curriculum, as does the UNR Environmental Studies major curriculum. Additionally, students pursuing this major will have opportunities to pursue practical internships, intensive research programs and international exchange opportunities as part of their major, gaining the practical experience to understand environmental issues on global, national, regional, and state levels.
Enrollment Information:
Contact Jen Huntleysmith
Associate Director for Academics & Outreach
jhuntleysmith@unr.edu
(775) 682-8398
Program Description:
Administered by the Academy for the Environment, the Environmental Studies Major is a multi-disciplinary program integrated across the sciences and humanities. Environmental Studies majors will be required to double-major in a second program. There are three different options for ENV majors, depending on the student’s alternate department. He or she can choose from two degree programs: double-major within either a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree, or a dual concurrent degree where ENV is the bachelor of arts degree.
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN |
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES |
Double major within the Bachelor of Arts degree Curriculum summaryTopic Areas: 33 credits
ES major core, 24 University core curriculum, 36-39 Alternate major, 36-40 Total Credits: 129-136 |
Double major within the Bachelor of Science degree Curriculum summaryTopic Areas: 27 credits
ES major core, 24 University core curriculum, 36-39 Alternate major, 75-90 Total Credits: 162-180 |
Concurrent dual degree (BA + BS): Students whose chosen departmental major is a course of study leading to a Bachelor of Science degree can pursue a dual degree in the Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies. This course of study meets the university’s requirement of fulfilling 128 credits of study in the original major plus an additional 32 credits, focusing on arts/humanities/social studies to balance the science emphasis of the original major. Curriculum summaryTopic Areas: 27 credits
ES major core, 24 University core curriculum, 36-39 Alternate Major, 75-90 Total Credits: 162-180 |
More Information:
- Specific Course Requirements
- Career Opportunities
Graduates with interdisciplinary environmental studies backgrounds will find ample opportunities for employment, internships, and advanced degree study [Read more] - Information on Environmental Studies Major Proposal History