2025-2026 Academic Catalog

Dec 05, 2025

2025-2026 Academic Catalog

Environmental Studies, BA (ENVSTDS-BA)

CIP Code: 030103

Program Description

The Environmental Studies major is a flexible degree that provides students with a critical foundation in understanding scientific, human, and cultural factors of environmental systems and issues. Students pursue an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the environment with courses in the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Science and Mathematics and with opportunities to incorporate courses from other colleges as well. Program requirements include core courses in environmental sciences and humanities, a skill-building course in geographic information science, a capstone that includes a high-impact learning experience, and at least six electives in the natural and environmental sciences or arts, humanities, and social sciences. Students may also choose to do an integrated concentration that combines electives from both the liberal arts and natural sciences or earn a certificate in geographic information science.

The Environmental Studies B.A. is ideal for students whose interests encompass more than one field or disciplinary approach to the study of the environment; students who change their major partway through their course of study yet aim to graduate in a timely fashion; or students who wish to go on to pursue an English M.A., a Master of Humanities (M.Hum), a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.), a Master of Business Administration (M.BA.), or M.S. in Leadership Development. Upon completing the Environmental Studies major, students will be equipped with skills in the core areas of critical thinking, writing proficiency, and research methods from interdisciplinary perspectives. Utilizing such skills, students will be strongly positioned for future success as environmental professionals with the ability to analyze, address, and adapt to constantly changing environmental conditions and issues that are of increasing importance to employers across a range of government, nonprofit, and private sectors. Possible career paths include jobs in environmental management, law, education, policy, marketing, advocacy, or public relations; geographic or geospatial technician; and environmental conservation and restoration planning, to name just a few.

Program Admission Requirements

This academic program does not have admission requirements beyond regular admission to Wright State University. Any student is eligible to declare this academic program.

Program Learning Objectives

Students enrolled in this program will learn to:

Demonstrate understanding of the multiple interconnections between environmental systems and natural, social, cultural, economic, philosophical, and historical factors.
Identify and integrate global environmental concerns and contexts to local places and communities from diverse cultural and geographic perspectives.
Utilize the techniques, skills, and modern tools for analyzing environmental systems in relation to human societies and practices.
Communicate clearly and effectively about environmental issues and topics for multiple audiences and purposes.
Design and produce a culminating project that reflects on complex connections in environmental topics or issues and engages in real-world problem solving through participation in an approved seminar or high-impact learning experience.

Program Learning Outcomes

As a result of their learning experience, graduates of this program can:

Demonstrate understanding of the multiple interconnections between environmental systems and natural, social, cultural, economic, philosophical, and historical factors.
Identify and integrate global environmental concerns and contexts to local places and communities from diverse cultural and geographic perspectives.
Utilize the techniques, skills, and modern tools for analyzing environmental systems in relation to human societies and practices.
Communicate clearly and effectively about environmental issues and topics for multiple audiences and purposes.
Design and produce a culminating project that reflects on complex connections in environmental topics or issues and engages in real-world problem solving through participation in an approved seminar or high-impact learning experience.

For More Information

Program Requirements

I. Wright State Core: 36 Credit Hours

As a part of the requirements for a bachelor’s degree at Wright State University, all students must complete the Wright State Core, a general education curriculum. Most programs require 36 hours in the Core, some programs may require additional hours.

Specific Core classes in some of the Elements may be required by some majors. When this occurs, the specific Core courses required will be listed below. In Elements where a specific course is not required, students can choose any course from the Wright State Core Program Requirements.

First-Year Seminar: 3 Credit Hours

All students must successfully complete a First-Year Seminar during their first year. Transfer students who transfer 24 or more credit hours (post high school graduation) are exempt from this requirement and will need to satisfy three additional credit hours in the Additional Core Courses category.

LA 1020 - First-Year Seminar: College of Liberal Arts Credit Hour(s): 3

Element A - English Composition: 6 Credit Hours

First-Year Writing Course (3 credit hours)

All students must successfully complete ENG 1100.  Based on Writing Placement level, some students may be required to enroll in a corequisite course (DEV 0100). 
ENG 1100 - Academic Writing and Reading Credit Hour(s): 3
Second-Year Writing Course (3 credit hours)
ENG 2100 - Research Writing and Argumentation Credit Hour(s): 3

Element B - Mathematics, Statistics, and Logic: 3 Credit Hours

Students will select one Element B course from the approved Wright State Core Program Requirements list. Based on Math Placement Level, students may need additional prerequisite or corequisite coursework in mathematics prior to enrollment in the course chosen.

Element C - Arts and Humanities: 6 Credit Hours

Students will select two Arts and Humanities courses, with different course prefixes from the approved Wright State Core Program Requirements. One course must fulfill the History requirement.

History Requirement (3 credit hours)

Choose 1 course from the list below:
HST 1100 - Western Civilizations to 1500 Credit Hour(s): 3
HST 1200 - The West and the World since 1500 Credit Hour(s): 3
HST 1500 - Introduction to Greek and Roman Culture Credit Hour(s): 3
Arts and Humanities Course (3 credit hours)

Choose an additional Arts and Humanities course (a different prefix from what is chosen above) from the approved Wright State Core Program Requirements.

Element D - Social and Behavioral Sciences: 6 Credit Hours

Students will select two Social and Behavioral Sciences courses, with different course prefixes from the approved Wright State Core Program Requirements.

Required:

PPH 2100 - Climate Change and Health Credit Hour(s): 3
Select an additional Social and Behavioral Sciences courses, with a different course prefix (not PPH) from the approved Wright State Core Program Requirements.

Element E - Natural Sciences: 8 Credit Hours

Students will select two Natural Science courses, from the approved Wright State Core Program Requirements. At least one course must contain a laboratory.

Required:

BIO 1120 - Cells and Genes Credit Hour(s): 4
BIO 1120L - Cells & Genes Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0
BIO 1150 - Organisms and Ecosystems Credit Hour(s): 4
BIO 1150L - Organisms & Ecosystems Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0

Additional Core Courses: 4 hours

Students will select up to 4 additional credit hours from Elements A-E from the approved Wright State Core Program Requirements to reach the 36 minimum hours required in the Core. Unless specified by the student’s major, these are selected by the student. When a major has required courses in this area, the specific Core course(s) required will be listed below.

Additional Core Requirements

Within the 36 credit hours of the Wright State Core students must successfully complete the following:

One Global Inquiry (GI) course

Two Inclusive Excellence (IE) courses

One to two Integrated Writing (IW) courses. To meet degree requirements all students must complete a minimum of 3 IW courses by choosing either (a) 1 in the Core and 2 in the major or (b) 2 in the Core and 1 in the major. Students should check their major program requirements for courses that fulfill Integrated Writing.

Students who do not make choices within the 36 required hours of the Core to fulfill the GI, IE, and IW requirements will take additional Core hours beyond the minimum of 36.

II. Major Requirements: 31 Credit Hours

Environmental Sciences
EES 2510 - Earth Systems Credit Hour(s): 4
EES 2510L - Earth Systems Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0
EES 3250 - Climate Change Credit Hour(s): 3
Environmental Humanities
ENV 3000 - Environmental Ethics and Issues Credit Hour(s): 3
ENV 3500 - Environmental Writing and Activism Credit Hour(s): 3
ENV 4500 - Topics in Environmental Studies Credit Hour(s): 3
Geographic Information Sciences
GEO 4410 - Cartography Credit Hour(s): 4
OR
GEO 4430 - Geographic Information Systems Credit Hour(s): 4
Capstone in Environmental Studies Credit Hour(s): 3

Approved seminar or experiential learning, such as internship, study abroad, independent study, service-learning, field work, or honors research.
Related Coursework
BIO 2310 - Evolution and Ecology Credit Hour(s): 4
BIO 2310L - Evolution and Ecology Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0
EES 1050 - Dynamic Earth Credit Hour(s): 4
EES 1050L - Dynamic Earth Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0

III. Major Electives: 18 Credit Hours

Six upper-division (3000-4000 level) courses of approved environmental studies electives. Electives may be concentrated in Natural and Environmental Sciences or Social Sciences, Humanities, and Fine Arts or an integrated concentration with at least two courses from the natural/environmental sciences and two from the liberal arts. Students might also use their electives to earn a certificate in Geographic Information Science (14 hrs). Electives may go over 18 hours, but a minimum of six elective courses are required.

Approved Electives in Natural and Environmental Sciences
BIO 3130 - Plant Biology Credit Hour(s): 4
BIO 3130L - Plant Biology Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0
BIO 3700 - Bioethics Credit Hour(s): 3
BIO 3850 - Tropical Ecology Credit Hour(s): 3
BIO 4060 - Evolutionary Biology Credit Hour(s): 3
BIO 4070 - Wetlands Biology Credit Hour(s): 4
BIO 4080 - Writing in the Biological Sciences Credit Hour(s): 3
BIO 4110 - The Aquatic Environment Credit Hour(s): 5
BIO 4110L - The Aquatic Environment Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0
BIO 4200 - Designing Biological Experiments Credit Hour(s): 3
BIO 4240 - Disease Ecology and Evolution Credit Hour(s): 3
BIO 4440 - Plant Physiology Credit Hour(s): 4
BIO 4440L - Plant Physiology Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0
BIO 4560 - Ecosystem Ecology and Global Change Credit Hour(s): 3
BIO 4700 - General Entomology Credit Hour(s): 4
BIO 4700L - General Entomology Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0
BIO 4720 - Ornithology Credit Hour(s): 4
BIO 4720L - Ornithology Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0
BIO 4730 - Marine Biology Credit Hour(s): 5
BIO 4800 - Conservation Biology Credit Hour(s): 3
CHM 4020 - Environmental Chemistry Credit Hour(s): 3
CHM 4020L - Environmental Chemistry Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0
EES 3180 - Water and the Environment Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 3180L - Water and the Environment Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0
EES 4320 - Environmental Microbiology Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 4330 - Global Biogeochemical Cycles Credit Hour(s): 3
Approved Electives in Social Sciences, Humanities, and Fine Arts
ATH 3700 - Field Methods in Archaeology Credit Hour(s): 3
GEO 3500 - Environmental Geography Credit Hour(s): 3
GEO 4100 - Remote Sensing Credit Hour(s): 3
GEO 4200 - Remote Sensing Applications Credit Hour(s): 3
GEO 4410 - Cartography Credit Hour(s): 4
GEO 4430 - Geographic Information Systems Credit Hour(s): 4
GEO 4440 - Advanced GIS Applications Credit Hour(s): 4
PLS 4380 - Environmental Law and Policy Credit Hour(s): 3
PLS 4410 - Natural Resources Law Credit Hour(s): 3
REL 3540 - Asian Religions and Ecology Credit Hour(s): 3

IV. College Requirements: 12-14 Credit Hours

Method of Inquiry: 3 Credit Hours

Required:

PHL 3000 - Critical Thinking Credit Hour(s): 3

Research Methods: 3 Credit Hours

Choose one course from the list below:

COM 3490 - Survey of Communication Research Credit Hour(s): 3
PLS 3100 - Quantitative Methods in Political Science Credit Hour(s): 3
SOC 3400 - Sociological Analysis Credit Hour(s): 3
SOC 3410 - Introduction to Research Methods Credit Hour(s): 3
WGS 3700 - Research Methods in Liberal Arts Credit Hour(s): 3

Foreign Language Requirement: 6-8 Credit Hours

Through 1020 level (1010, 1020) of one foreign language:

American Sign Language (ASL)*, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Latin, Spanish, or other foreign language.

*Note: all language classes above are 3 credit hours each, except for the ASL classes which are 4 credit hours each.

V. General Electives: 21-23 Credit Hours

Students must earn a minimum of 120 credit hours for a baccalaureate degree. If the total number of credit hours in the WSU Core (general education program) and the major requirements do not total at least 120 credits, students will choose additional courses (general electives) to meet the minimum required 120 credit hours. Students may choose from any undergraduate course in the Academic Catalog for which they meet the course prerequisites and for which they do not already have earned credit.

Students are encouraged to consider adding a minor, certificate, or microcredential.

The following course is a required general elective for this major:

EES 1070 - Sustainable Earth Credit Hour(s): 3

Total: 120 Credit Hours

Graduation Planning Strategy

A Graduation Planning Strategy (GPS), also known as a four-year guide, is an academic tool showing one example of how a program can be completed in a certain amount of time. All Wright State undergraduate majors can be completed in four years with careful planning. Some programs may require summer coursework. Time to degree is dependent on many factors including student placement in mathematics and writing courses, CCP and AP coursework, transfer coursework, and other variables.

This GPS is valid for this year’s Academic Catalog only and is subject to change. This GPS is a recommendation only and your actual program may vary. Students should consult with their academic advisor on a regular basis and create a personalized plan to degree completion.

Environmental Studies, BA (GPS)