Portland-State-University 2023-2024 Bulletin

Environmental Studies B.A./B.S.

Requirements

This program is for students who are interested in understanding environment-society interactions through a social science lens. This will help prepare students seeking to enter environmental policy and governance careers, as well as those seeking to contribute to environmental success stories and inform positive socio-environmental change. 

Future careers for students in this major could include environmental policy, local, state or federal environmental agencies, environmental law, environmental governance and management, environmental consulting, environmental education, environmental nonprofits, and graduate work in human-environment studies.  The major focuses on providing social science foundations, including critical theoretical and humanities approaches, with a focus on equity, justice and policy applications. 

This major is distinct from the Environmental Sciences major (science track and management track) which focuses more explicitly on science and would be appropriate for students seeking science-based careers. While this major includes basic scientific foundations in climate and ecosystem science, it does not involve extensive science credits and instead takes an interdisciplinary social science focus. 

Students taking the Environmental Studies major are encouraged to pursue minors and certificates to complement the major and to focus on specific areas of interest, including: Climate science (ESM/GEOG); water resources (GEOG); GIS (GEOG); environmental science (ESM); sustainability (ESM). 

Core Courses

Core courses will give students basic foundations in natural science, social science, environmental justice, policy, and methods in environmental studies.

ESM 150Orientation to Environmental Sciences and Management

1

Critical social science and environmental justice foundations

Geog 230Environment and Society: Global Perspectives

4

or

ESM 330Environmental and Ecological Literacy

4

 

Geog 345UResource Management

4

or

Geog 348UCultural and Political Ecology

4

Environmental management and policy foundations

ESM 222Applied Environmental Studies: Policy Consideration

4

ESM 335Introduction to Environmental Management

4

Natural science foundations

ESM 220Introduction to Environmental Systems

4

Geog 210Physical Geography

4

Mth 111ZPrecalculus I: Functions

4

Mth 111Z may be waived with ALEKS math placement score of 60 or above.

Methods

ESM 333Methods of Data Collection, Analysis, Representation, and Modeling for Environmental Managers

4

ESM 334Methods of Data Collection, Analysis, Representation, and Modeling for Environmental Managers Lab

2

ESM 342Field Methods

2

Geog 380UMaps and Geographic Information

4

Electives

Electives include 300- and 400-level classes. At least 4 classes (16 credits) must be at the 400 level, including at least 1 class in ESM and 1 class in GEOG. 

Students will take 6 elective courses with at least 4 from within 1 focal area. 

Students may work with advisors to substitute other courses not on these lists (for example, relevant courses with a 410 course number).

Focal Areas

At least 4 of the 6 electives must come from one of the following areas:
Environmental justice and environmental humanities
Anth 414Culture and Ecology

4

Anth 418Environmental Anthropology

4

BSt 304The Civil Rights Movement

4

BSt 305U/Hst 312UAfrican History, Before 1800

4

BSt 325URace and Ethnicity in Latin America

4

BSt 357UCaribbean Spirituality and Resistance

4

BSt 412Oregon African American History

4

BSt 414Racism

4

BSt 484African American Community Development

4

CFS 488Structural Oppression

4

CFS 489Activism for Social Change

2

ESM 487Environmental Justice

4

ELP 349UGandhi, Zapata and New Agrarianism

4

ELP 418Permaculture & Whole Systems Design: Principles and Practices for Sustainable Systems

4

Eng 368ULiterature and Ecology

4

Geog 348UCultural and Political Ecology

4

Geog 430Cultural Geography

4

Geog 462Sense of Place

4

Geog 467Community Resilience in Coupled Socio-Ecological Systems

4

Hst 339UThe Environment and History

4

Hst 440American Environmental History

4

Hst 491Reading Seminar

4

NAS 342Indigenous Gardens and Food Justice

4

NAS 348Indigenous Practices for Environmental Sustainability

4

NAS 392Indigenous Ways of Knowing

4

NAS 407Indigenous Ecological Healing Practices

4

PHE 443UEnvironmental Health

4

PHE 450Epidemiology

4

PHE 452UGender, Race, Class and Health

4

Phl 310UEnvironmental Ethics

4

Phl 449Philosophy of Sustainability

4

Psy 413Ecopsychology

4

Soc 320UGlobalization

4

Soc 330USociology of Food Inequalities

4

Soc 337UPrejudice, Privilege, and Power

4

Soc 465Environmental Sociology

4

SySc 350UIndigenous and Systems Perspectives on Sustainability

4

WS 306UGlobal Gender Issues

4

WS 308UTopics in Gender, Literature, and Popular Culture

4

WS 332URace, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in the United States

4

WS 369UGlobal Reproductive Justice

4

WS 375UTopics in Sexuality Studies

4

Environmental policy and governance
CR 305UEcology of War and Peace

4

CR 313Environmental Conflict Resolution

4

Ec 332UEconomics of Environmental Issues

4

Ec 430Resource and Environmental Economics

4

Ec 438Energy Economics

4

ELP 348UIntroduction to Global Political Ecology

4

Eng 498Ecology, Criticism, and Culture

4

ESM 429Environmental Impact Assessment

4

ESM 435Natural Resource Policy and Management

4

ESM 463Water Quality Policy & Management

4

ESM 464Climate Adaptation: Managing Environmental Risks and Vulnerabilities

4

ESM 483Marine Conservation and Management

4

Geog 347UEnvironmental Issues and Action

4

Geog 412Global Climate Change Science and Socio-environmental Impact Assessment

4

PS 319UPolitics of the Environment

4

PS 389UEnvironmental Political Theory

4

PS 449International Environmental Politics and Law

4

PS 477Global Food Politics and Policy

4

Resource management and sustainable systems
ESM 355UUnderstanding Environmental Sustainability I

4

ESM 356UUnderstanding Environmental Sustainability II

4

ESM 416Ecosystem Restoration

4

ESM 418/Geog 418Landscape Ecology

4

ESM 420Ecological Toxicology

4

ESM 424Wetland Ecology

4

ESM 425Watershed Hydrology

4

ESM 427Watershed Biogeochemistry

4

ESM 428Urban Ecology

4

ESM 440/Geog 440The Ecology & Management of Wildfire

4

ESM 444Forest Ecology

4

ESM 462Climate Change Impacts, Adaptations and Responses: Geosphere and Anthrosphere

4

ESM 480Coastal Marine Ecology

4

ESM 485Ecology and Management of Bio-Invasions

4

Geog 310U/Sci 333UClimate and Water Resources

4

Geog 311UClimatology

4

Geog 312U/Sci 334UClimate Variability and Change

4

Geog 313UBiogeography

4

Geog 314USevere Weather

4

Geog 320/G 374Geomorphic Processes

4

Geog 322UAlpine Environments

4

Geog 333U/Ph 333UWeather

4

Geog 340UGlobal Water Issues and Sustainability

4

Geog 345UResource Management

4

Geog 346UWorld Population and Food Supply

4

Geog 412Global Climate Change Science and Socio-environmental Impact Assessment

4

Geog 413Disturbance Biogeography of Pacific Northwest

4

Geog 414Hydrology

4

Geog 415Soils and Land Use

4

Geog 442Sustainable Cities

4

Geog 445Resource Management Topics

4

Geog 446Water Resource Management

4

Geog 447Urban Streams

4

Geog 448The Urban Forest

4

Geog 449Geography of Food

4

NAS 392Indigenous Ways of Knowing

4

USP 313UUrban Environmental Issues

4

USP 434Green Buildings

3

USP 490Green Economics and Sustainable Development

3

Interdisciplinary skills
Comm 327Environmental Campaigns

4

Comm 416Communicating Environmental Controversies

4

Comm 445Risk and Strategic Communication

4

Comm 448Science Communication

4

CR 313Environmental Conflict Resolution

4

Ec 427Cost-Benefit Analysis

4

ELP 350UIntroduction to Leadership for Sustainability

4

ESM 340Research Methods in Environmental Science

4

ESM 451Project Management for Scientists

4

Geog 420Field Methods in Physical Geography

4

Geog 425Field Methods in Human Geography

4

Geog 480Fundamentals of Remote Sensing

4

Geog 484Cartographic Applications of GIS

4

Geog 488Geographic Information Systems I: Introduction

4

Geog 490GIS Programming

4

Geog 496Introduction to Spatial Quantitative Analysis

4

NAS 442Decolonizing Methodologies: Insurgent Research and Indigenous Education

4

Soc 396Social Research Methods, Social Statistics

4

Soc 397Social Research Methods

5

SySc 342USystems Thinking for Social Change

4

SySc 413Holistic Strategies for Problem Solving

4

USP 316Community Organizing and Social Change

4

Wr 327Technical Report Writing

4

Total Credit Hours: 61-65

No more than one course taken under the undifferentiated grading option (pass/no pass) will be accepted toward fulfilling major requirements. 
All courses used to satisfy the Environmental Studies major requirements, whether taken in the department or in other departments, must be graded C- or above or P.