Environmental Studies Concentration

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In recent decades, issues related to the environment have emerged as key concerns at local, national, and international levels. The Environmental Studies Concentration is designed to give students a broad exposure to a range of environmental issues and to provide multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the complexity of factors that affect the environment and our understanding of it.

The requirements for the ENV concentration have recently changed. Students in the class of 2015 and later, as well as students in the classes of 2013 and 2014 who have not taken CIS 171, will fulfill the current requirements. Students in the classes of 2012, 2013, and 2014 who have taken CIS 171 will fulfill the former requirements.

Environmental Studies Concentration (For students who have not taken the former CIS 171, Introduction to Environmental Studies)

1. Completion of six courses, to include:

ENV 201: Environmental Sciences
ENV 202: Environmental Social Sciences
ENV 203: Environmental Humanities

ENV 201, 202, and 203 must be completed by the end of the junior year.

one additional environmental course in the Natural Sciences, from an approved list
one additional environmental course in the Social Sciences, from an approved list
one additional environmental course in the Humanities, from an approved list

2. No more than one course may count toward both the student’s major and the concentration

3. No more than two courses at the 100 level may count toward the concentration

4. A grade of C- or higher is required in all courses applied toward the concentration

No courses applied toward the concentration may be taken pass/fail. No more than two courses taken away from Davidson may count toward the concentration, and these courses must be approved by the Environmental Studies Concentration faculty liaison.

5. In order for any additional course to be considered for the concentration, at least 50% of its content must pertain to the environment. Methodology courses that do not focus on environmental topics are not eligible for this requirement.

Application Procedure:

The Environmental Studies Concentration is administered by the Environmental Studies department. The faculty liaison for 2011-2012 is Dr. Lynn Poland. Students submit a written application to the concentration liaison by March 15 of the junior year. The proposal will specify the courses to be used to satisfy the concentration requirements. Earlier application increases the opportunity for coherence and flexibility in planning the applicant’s course of study. Certification of completion of all the requirements for the concentration is made by the Registrar upon the recommendation of the Environmental Studies department.

Former Requirements (for students who have taken CIS 171):

Completion of six courses, to include CIS 171: Introductory Environmental Studies, one course in Natural Sciences, one course in Social Sciences, one course in Humanities, one elective, and ENV 490: Concentration Capstone Seminar. Remaining requirements (see 2 – 5 above) are the same.

Sample list of approved courses for the ENV concentration:

Natural Sciences:
BIO 321: Ecology
BIO 381, 382, 383, 384: Courses in International Environmental Field Studies
CHE 107: Chemistry of the Environment
CHE 215: Chemical Equilibrium (C. Hauser section)
CHE 304: Topics in Environmental and Green Chemistry
ENV 120: Introduction to Geoscience
PHY 103: Physics of the Environment

Social Sciences:
ANT 271: Human Ecology
ANT 325: Environment, Economy, and Culture
ANT 360: Anthropology of Development and Environmental Sustainability
ECO 226: Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
ECO 336: Economic Growth and Sustainable Development
HIS 244: Settlement of the American West, 1800-1900
HIS 246: Fires, Famines, and Floods: Environmental Disasters in U. S. History
POL 314: Environmental Policy

Humanities:
ART 230: Earth Art – From Lascaux to Lutyens
ENG 289: Environmental Literature
ENG 389: Studies in Literature and the Environment
GER 340: Environmentalism on Film
PHI 140: Environmental Ethics
REL 247: Food in Religious Perspective
REL 248: Christianity and Nature