Environmental Studies, BA

This program of study includes the following concentration options:

• Education & Eco-Social Justice Concentration
• Geographic Information Science Concentration
• Geography Concentration
• Policy, Politics, and Governance Concentration
• General Environmental Studies

Introduction

Environmental Studies takes an interdisciplinary and holistic approach to understanding human-environment systems and environmental challenges. The Environmental Studies major includes core classes in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to prepare our students to integrate knowledge from multiple fields of study. Our students learn to analyze and interpret complex environmental data and communicate environmental information for diverse stakeholders. The Environmental Studies major equips students to succeed as environmental professionals through experiential learning and advanced coursework in each student’s choice of an emphasis.

Why Consider an Environmental Studies Major?

Do you want to use your knowledge and skills to promote positive change in the environment? Do you want to understand the interactions and interdependencies between human and natural systems? Do you want an interdisciplinary education that reflects the complexity of society’s environmental challenges? Do you want to learn to communicate and integrate knowledge across areas of environmental expertise? Then Environmental Studies is the major for you.

Student Resources

Department website: Environmental Studies

Contact information: Kathryn Patrick, College of the Environment Professional Advisor, Environmental Studies 539, 360-650-3520, Kathryn.Patrick@wwu.edu

Department advising: See the Advising section of the College of the Environment website.

Degree Works: Current students should also log on to Degree Works to check student-specific program progress.

Career Services Center: Connect major to a career

Sample Careers: Environmental Communications, Environmental Analyst, Environmental Advocate, Government Agency Employee, Sustainability Officer, Water Resource Manager, Park Ranger, Forest Service Employee, Educator

How to Declare (Admission and Declaration Process):

Admissions applications with essays and deadlines are no longer required to declare a major in Environmental Studies.

Pathways for Major Declaration in Environmental Studies

There are two pathways to declaring a major within Environmental Studies:

1. Declare a pre-major and then declare a Major upon completion of admission requirements.
2. Declare a major upon completion of admission requirements.

Pre-Major Declaration

Students can declare a pre-major at any time. Upon completion of admission requirements, these students can then declare a major.

Benefits of declaring a pre-major are:

• Receive priority registration for restricted sections of ENVS 203 and ENVS 204, both required for entry into the major, and ENVS 201.
• Assignment of a College of the Environment professional advisor and a faculty advisor.
• Included in the College’s email distribution list of announcements and internships.

To declare as Pre-major:

• Go to the College of the Environment Undergraduate Student Forms webpage
• Click on the link to the Pre-major Declaration Form under the Declaration Forms section.
• Fill in the form with your information, writing in Environmental Studies as your pre-major.
• Submit the form to CENV@wwu.edu.

Processing your pre-major declaration form can take a couple of weeks. Do not wait until registration to submit. 

Upon completion of admission requirements, declare a major using the process  below.

Major Declaration

Students must meet the following requirements to declare a major:

• Confirmed admission to Western Washington University.
• ENVS 203, HNRS 215, or equivalent transfer credit (completion with C- or better).
• ENVS 204 or equivalent transfer credit (completion with C- or better).

To declare as a major:

• Go to the College of the Environment Undergraduate Student Forms webpage.
• Click on the link to the Major Declaration form under the Declaration Forms section.
• Fill in the form with your information, writing in the name of the specific Environmental Studies major you want to declare.
• Submit the form to CENV@wwu.edu.

Note that student must declare as a major for admission into the department and to have access to most upper division ENVS courses. Students who attempt to declare as a major without completing the ENVS 203 and ENVS 204 courses will be admitted as pre-majors.

If you have questions about this process, please set up an appointment with a professional adviser on our Undergrad Academic Advising webpage, visit the College of the Environment Student Support Office in Environmental Studies Building 539, or call 360-650-3520.

Recommended Deadline for Pre-Major and Major Declarations

While students may declare as pre-majors or majors at any time, students are strongly encouraged to declare early in the quarter. Students who submit a declaration form by October 6 will be given priority processing for winter quarter registration. Students who do so by January 15 will be given priority processing for spring quarter registration. Students who submit by April 18 will be given priority processing for summer and fall quarter registration.

Declaring an Environmental Studies pre-major or major does not guarantee you access to all ENVS courses. Some classes have pre-requisites and others are highly sought after by many students. When classes fill and long waitlists develop, we follow the department waitlist priority policy.

Note that extension program degrees and some combined major degrees may have different declaration processes. Review the catalog for the specific declaration process for your desired major.

Advising Tips

ENVS 201 is a requirement for many Environmental Studies courses; students are encouraged to complete this requirement as soon as possible to avoid delaying access to upper division ENVS courses.

Many other General University Requirements provide good foundations for studying the environment. The following courses are particularly encouraged:

• Communications (ACOM, BCOM & CCOM): ENG 101 and courses with COMM, JOUR and ENVS prefixes.
• Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning (QSR): ENVS 201 and MATH 112 or MATH 240.
• Natural Sciences (LSCI & SCI): ENVS 203, an LSCI course, and ESCI 225, a SCI course, are required for most Environmental Studies majors. For efficient GUR progress, choose these two courses and one additional LSCI course to complete your natural science GURs.
• Social Sciences (SSC): ENVS 204 is required for most Environmental Studies majors. Other courses to consider are ENVS 115, ECON 101, PLSC 250, UEPP 202, and UEPP 270.
• Additional math and sciences courses, such as MATH 114, CHEM 161 and BIOL 204 are also good GUR choices as these courses will allow enrollment in a broader range of upper division environmental science courses in the College of the Environment.

Grade Requirements

A grade of C- or better is required for a student’s major or minor courses, and supporting courses for majors and minors.