Major and Minors

On Earth Day 1996, the Dartmouth faculty approved a new major in environmental studies. We also offer a minor in environmental science and a minor in environmental studies, including a specific sustainability track within the environmental studies minor. Undergraduates may also use our courses to modify a major in a discipline such as biology, geography, government, economics, and earth sciences.

The Major

The major in environmental studies requires introductory courses, core courses, elective focus courses, and the culminating experience course (see ENVS major worksheet below). We believe the interdisciplinary nature of environmental studies requires this number of courses to ensure students gain fundamental skills in the areas of environmental science and studies before they move into elective focus courses.

The prerequisites ensure that students have an introduction to a physical science lab science, an understanding of the economic system (since all environmental problems include economic considerations) and calculus so students will have basic quantitative skills used in more advanced environmental studies courses.

The core courses cover a body of knowledge considered fundamental to understanding the relationships between people and their environment, namely, global environmental science, environmental decision making and risk, environmental ethics and the legal system, and political institutions and their role in environmental issues. This core of intermediate level courses provides a unifying set of concepts and principles related to the analysis of complex environmental issues.

The elective focus courses give each student the opportunity to develop an area of emphasis around a theme of their choosing. These courses must be approved as part of the Student Major Plan which must include the rationale for the elective courses.

The culminating experience in the major is fulfilled by ENVS 50, 84, or 91.

Major Advising

The best source of advice is from a member of the ENVS faculty. This is important because the ENVS major is wide-ranging and flexible. Engaging with a faculty advisor as early as possible can therefore be instrumental in designing a curriculum that best meets your needs. To get things started, students should complete the worksheet above and submit their plan in DartWorks. They will then be assigned an advisor with whom they will meet.

The Minor Worksheets

ENVS Minors and Minor Tracks can be found at the link below.

Other Primary Major Modified with Environmental Studies

Students wishing to do an Other Primary Department Major modified with ENVS should complete the worksheet below and submit to Kim Wind at kim.wind@dartmouth.edu.

Plesae note: The ENVS major cannot be modified as the primary department as it is an interdisciplinary major.