Ursinus College
AC-2: Undergraduate Programs

All students at Ursinus College engage with the Core Curriculum that asks each student to reflect on fundamental questions such as: “What should matter to me?” “How should we live together?” “How can we understand the world?" and "What will I do?"  These core questions are the foundation of the liberal arts education of Ursinus College. Specifically, the second question “how should we live together?” asks students to take courses that examine sustainability supporting learning outcomes. Below are the learning outcomes taken from the Ursinus College Core Curriculum webpage. 

QUESTION 2: HOW SHOULD WE LIVE TOGETHER?

Diversity and Inequality (DN) - Students will:

• Explicitly engage and reflect on the question How should we live together? with reference to themes of diversity, difference, and social and political equality and inequality
• Analyze the operation of privilege, merited and unmerited, that reflects the unequal distribution of power in the world, and reflect critically on the causes and effects of political and social equality and inequality in the light of racial, ethnic, class, gender, sexuality, disability status, religious and/or other differences
• Develop the habit of giving serious consideration to viewpoints very different from their own, even, or especially, when these may be troubling or unsettling

Global Interconnections (GN) - Students will:

• Explicitly engage and reflect on the question How should we live together? with emphasis on how peoples of different cultures, societies, regions, and countries form and transmit the values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that distinguish them
• Develop familiarity with and the ability to reflect and analyze global, non-Western perspectives

Obligations (O) - Students will:

• Explicitly engage and reflect on the question How should we live together? with special consideration of our obligations to others
• Develop familiarity with ideas and claims, whether past or present, whether concrete or abstract, about what individuals or group entities should do in relation to some other or others
• Reflect critically and analytically on those ideas and claims

Ursinus College offers degrees in Environmental Studies. The following narrative (taken from the department’s webpage) are the requirements for all students wanting to earn a degree in Environmental Studies.  In addition to the below requirements, here is a detailed listing of courses and course descriptions for the Environmental Studies major.

Study of human relationships with the natural world range across disciplines, from the cultural, philosophical, ethical, and aesthetic to the scientific, economic, and political. Environment and Sustainability (ENVS) is an interdisciplinary department, in which students learn critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills. ENVS students learn to synthesize diverse disciplinary perspectives and approaches, drawing on and learning to integrate theoretical and empirical approaches from the natural sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities to understand and develop strategies for solving environmental problems. Explorations of environmental and sustainability theory and research methods as well as engagement with diverse problems through independent research, internships, and course-based service-learning are all integral to an ENVS degree.

Majoring within the field of ENVS offers (1) the opportunity to explore a breadth of environmental education topics that provide key critical thinking experiences and an ability to engage in fostering a more environmentally sustainable society and (2) the opportunity to specialize in a given area by pursuing one of 6 specific concentrations (e.g., applied sustainability, Earth & environmental science, environmental justice – see below) within the major that provides greater focus on an area and the ability to develop greater expertise relevant to solving environmental and sustainability problems in the specific field. Students receive a degree in Environmental Studies in addition to noting their specialized concentration (if any) on their transcript. Whether pursuing a general Environmental Studies degree or a specialized concentration within ENVS, students majoring within the field of ENVS at Ursinus are prepared for successful graduate study and careers in environmental sciences, conservation, policy, planning, education, engineering, agriculture, journalism, law, and many other areas.

ENVS students are active on and off campus, with numerous opportunities to work on campus with members of the faculty, staff, and administration and with members of the local community on research and applied projects involving recycling and waste reduction, energy efficiency, water resource management, sustainable purchasing and contracting policies, planning and land management, reforestation and forest mapping activities, creating food systems and managing agricultural production/land, developing climate and stormwater mitigation solutions, wildlife conservation, and geological education, among other topics. In addition to the focus on service and practice in the ENVS curriculum, Ursinus College features an Office of Sustainability, whose staff work to connect students, faculty, and staff with the college’s sustainability initiatives.

Off campus, ENVS students have successfully worked in internships with many national, regional, and local organizations involved in all facets of environmental science and policy, with organizations such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. National Marine Sanctuary Program, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural resources, Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy, Philadelphia Zoo, Elmwood Park Zoo, Academy of Natural Sciences, environmental engineering and consulting groups, outdoor education centers, organic farms, and many other organizations in the environmental and sustainability fields. ENVS majors’ professional experiences are tied closely to the ENVS academic program; the integrated nature of ENVS’s approach to learning and practice helps to prepare ENVS majors to be successful leaders and decision makers in the environmental arena.

REQUIREMENTS FOR MAJORS

All students majoring within the field of Environment & Sustainability (ENVS) must take a minimum of 14 courses. At least two of three environmental and ecological science courses must have a S designation. Majors within ENVS fulfill the college requirements for writing, oral presentations, and capstone experience by completing one of the ENVS capstone courses: ENVS-450W, 452W, or 454W. The ENVS capstone courses also convey the applied nature of ENVS by engaging students in an applied group project. These projects typically entail a partnership with either an off-campus organization, another (i.e., non-ENVS) unit of the College, or in the management of one of the ENVS living-learning laboratories (e.g. Ursinus Food Forest, BearShare, etc.). The ENVS curricular requirements are as follows:

ENVS core courses (must complete all of the following):

• ENVS-100
• ENVS-120
• ENVS-244
• BIO-101Q
• One introductory/intermediate environmental science course (CHEM-101Q/101L; ENVS/GEOS-142Q, 240Q; ENVS-180Q, or, if the department chair approves, ENVS-112 or ENVS-350). ENVS/GEOS-102Q does not fulfill this requirement.
• One advanced environmental science course (ENVS-266, 370, 372, or, if the department chair approves, ENVS-350)
• One ecological science course (ENVS/BIO-234, 310, 320, 325, 330, 334, 336, 360, 365, 375, 415W, 419W, 442W, 455W; or, if the department chair approves, ENVS-350)
• One social science or humanities course (ENVS/SOC-220, 288, 290; ENVS/ANTH-230; ENVS/PHIL-248; ENVS/HIST-254, ENVS/POL-351; ENVS/PSYC-260; ENVS/RELS-261; ENVS/MCS-302, or, if the department chair approves, ENVS-110, 111, or 350)
• One introductory synthesis course (ENVS-242, 243, or, if the department chair approves, ENVS-350)
• One intermediate synthesis course with community engagement and applied problem-solving (ENVS-332, 338, 340, or, if the department chair approves, ENVS-350)
• One intermediate synthesis course on interdisciplinary data analysis and problem-solving (ENVS-361, 362, 364, 366, or, if the department chair approves, ENVS-350)
• One course in advanced critical thinking: ENVS-428W, or, if the department chair approves, ENVS-350)
• One advanced synthesis capstone course in environmental problem solving: (ENVS-450W, 452W, or 454W, or, if the department chair approves, ENVS-350)
• Completion of an internship: ENVS-381 or 382

In consultation with the ENVS chair, students may petition to have ENVS-481W or 482W (independent research), or ENVS-491W and 492W (honors research) satisfy requirements in one of the environmental or ecological science, social science/humanities, or synthesis categories. For independent or honors research to fulfill the major requirements, students must have already completed at least three of the four (12 semester hours) foundational ENVS requirements (ENVS-100, ENVS-120, ENVS-244, and BIO-101Q) and receive permission of the ENVS chair.

Majors within ENVS are also encouraged to complete a concentration and/or a minor (or major) in an additional area of focus. ENVS majors will receive a B.A. or B.S. degree in Environmental Studies, depending on their particular path through the major. Students who complete the standard ENVS degree (i.e. with no concentration, minor, or other major) will earn a B.A. Students who complete the Applied Sustainability, Environmental Justice, or Food Studies concentrations will earn a B.A. in Environmental Studies, with their concentrated noted on their transcript. Students who complete a concentration in Biodiversity & Wildlife Conservation, Climate Change, or Earth & Environmental Science, minor in those fields, or minor/double major in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics will have the option to elect a B.S. degree in Environmental Studies, with their concentrated noted on their transcript.

Ursinus College offers an Applied Sustainability Minor for undergraduate students. Below is the requirements for students who want to earn a minor in Applied Sustainability. The language below was taken from the Applied Sustainability Minor webpage.

Applied Sustainability (APS) is an interdisciplinary minor comprised of integrative learning experiences across areas of study designed to introduce students to the sustainability field. The minor program provides students with curricular opportunities for developing knowledge and critical analytical skills in the environmental, societal, and economic dimensions of sustainability studies. Co-curricular and experiential learning are incorporated into the minor so that students have the opportunity to practice and reflect on applied skills. A minor in APS consists of 24 credits plus an applied learning experience. Required courses include:

Core:

Students must take at least one course from two of the following three categories (other courses may be taken as an elective):

o   Environment and Sustainability: ENVS-100

o   Society and Sustainability: PSJ-200, ENVS/SOC-220, or ENVS/RELS-261

o   Economies and Sustainability: ECON-120 (with permission from the coordinator of APS) or ENVS-340

Electives:

Students must take at least one course from each of the following three categories. A fourth course is required and can be taken from any of the categories or from the list above if not taken for the core requirement.

o   Environment and Sustainability: ENVS-242, 243, 332, 362, 450W, 452W, 454W, or ENVS/MCS-302

o   Society and Sustainability: ENVS-428W, HIST/GWSS-126, MCS-335, POL-343, 356, SOC-255

o   Economies and Sustainability: ECON/GWSS-210, ENVS-338, HIST-330, IDS/GWSS-441, or POL-359

XLP:

o   See additional information below

Other recommended courses include: ENVS-244, and other courses not selected from above.

Students who plan to continue on within the field of Applied Sustainability after graduation are advised to talk with the APS coordinator to determine the specific courses, and/or additional courses, that may be recommended for continuing on in a particular aspect of this field.

For majors in the field of Environment and Sustainability (ENVS) majors who wishing to minor in Applied Sustainability, no more than 12 credits can be counted toward both their APS minor and their major.

Special topics and new courses that contain substantive content germane to sustainability may count toward the minor with the permission of instructor and the APS minor coordinator. Study abroad courses may count toward the minor with permission of the student’s academic advisor and the APS minor coordinator.

To fulfill the minor, students must also complete an applied learning experience (XLP) the focus of which is germane to sustainability, from among the following options, with permission of the APS coordinator:

o   Office of Sustainability Fellows Program

o   Internships (ENVS-381 or 382, others as appropriate)

o   Semester-long research (directed, independent, or honors) with participating faculty

o   On campus or off-campus practicums (ENVS-001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, others as appropriate)

o   Bonner Leaders Program • Melrose Fellows

o   Model UN

o   Parlee Center for Science and the Common Good Fellows

o   U-Imagine

o   Summer Fellows research

o   Study Abroad

o   Or other approved experience

Use of Bonner Leaders, Melrose Fellows, Model UN, Parlee Center Fellows, U-Imagine, Study Abroad or Summer Fellows to fulfill the applied learning experience of the APS minor requires the joint approval of the APS minor coordinator and the director or advisor of the respective program.

Ursinus College offers an Climate Change minor for undergraduate students. Below is the requirements for students who want to earn a minor in Climate Change. The language below was taken from the Climate Change minor webpage.

The Climate Change (CCG) minor is an interdisciplinary minor designed for students interested in learning more of the science involving the global climate system, the natural and anthropogenic changes that have, are, and are likely to occur and the impacts on Earth and life on Earth, as well as important interactions with human systems, who can affect the climate system, but are also affected by it. The minor incorporates classes from multiple fields, including geological, ecological, marine, chemical, and social science perspectives. A minor in CCG consists of 28 credits. Required courses include:

o   Foundation (all required): ENVS-100 or 120, and BIO-101Q

o   Climate Science (select 2): ENVS-370, 452W, or ENVS/BIO-419W

o   Related Sciences (select 2): ENVS-180Q, 266Q, 361, 372, ENVS/BIO-330, ENVS/GEOS-142Q, or 240Q

o   Human Impact on Systems/ Climate-Related Social System (select 1): ENVS/SOC-220, 290, ENVS-242, 338, or 366 , ENVS/PHIL-248, or ENVS/MCS-302

Other recommended courses include: ENVS-244, 454W, ENVS/HIST-254, ENVS/PSYCH-260, and STAT-141Q or MTH-111, in addition to those courses not already selected from within the minor categories.

Students who plan to continue on within field of Climate Change after graduation are advised to talk with the CCG coordinator to determine the specific courses, and/or additional ones, that may be recommended for continuing on in a particular aspect of this field. CCG minors are also recommended to seek out and complete an XLP that provides additional experience and exposure to some aspect of climate change.

Environment and Sustainability (ENVS) or BIO majors who wish to minor in CCG, no more than 12 credits can be counted toward both their CCG minor and their major.

Special topics and other new courses may count towards the CCG minor with permission of the CCG coordinator. Similarly, internships or courses taken during a study abroad or off campus program may also count towards the CCG minor with approval from the CCG minor coordinator.