Major, B.A.

The major in Environmental Studies invites students to join the ongoing work of understanding then addressing the restoration of planetary ecosystems and human health. 

Students are accepted into the Environmental Studies major by application only. Applications are evaluated for academic achievement, related coursework, and a personal statement that demonstrates a genuine interest and track record in environmental work. Admission is determined by the Steering Committee of the Environmental Studies Program, which includes faculty drawn from many departments. Between 30 and 40 students are accepted into the major each year. Students are informed of their application status prior to the spring registration period. 

At a Glance

Breadth

Reflecting the holistic nature of our approach, student take courses in natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities.

Depth

Students take six 3-credit courses within a concentration that focuses either on an environmental challenge or career path. 

Cohort Development

Our community shares common goals, but students develop as individuals by following their unique interests and developing new skills.

Flexibility

With an array of courses, students can pursue their passions and fulfill requirements within the concentration in a variety of ways.

Program Goals and Requirements

The Environmental Studies Program aims to empower students to be agents of change for a sustainable society. We meet this goal by

  • Providing students with an interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of the world's environmental challenges from scientific, societal, and cultural points of view
  • Preparing students with a diverse skill set for a wide range of environmentally related careers and/or further graduate study.

2024-2025 Program Requirements

  • The ENVS major consists of at least 43 credits, equivalent to at least 14 full-semester courses, as detailed below.
  • A minimum of 27 credits for the ENVS major cannot be used to fulfill requirements elsewhere.
  • If you are planning to elect a second major or minor, please consult with that department as well, as their requirements for the number of shared courses may differ.

1. Environmental Studies Introductory Seminar (1 credit, p/f)

  • ENVS1100 Environmental Studies Introductory Seminar

All students entering the major take the intro seminar in the fall semester. Meeting core and affiliated faculty in Environmental Studies and encountering their areas of expertise allows each student to plan their course program and target a likely area of concentration.

2. One required Environmental Systems Course (2 credits)

  • EESC 2201 The Human Footprint

3. Three additional Environmental Systems Courses (6 credits)

  • EESC2202 Ecosystems
  • EESC2203 Water Resources
  • EESC2204 Geochemistry
  • EESC2205 Climate Change
  • EESC2206 Oceans
  • EESC2207 Earthquakes
  • EESC2208 Quantitative Methods

Students are encouraged to take the required courses in environmental sciences as early as possible in their program of study. These courses provide a scientific knowledge base for understanding the complexity of environmental systems and anthropogenic influences on earth processes.The laboratory component of the environmental systems courses gives students the opportunity to develop their scientific curiosity, field research skills, and proficiency with data analysis.

4. One Environmental History Foundation Course (3 credits)

  • HIST2406 This Land Is Your Land: US Environmental History
    • or HIST 1710 Nature & Power: Making the Modern World Core EQ
    • or HIST 4703 Environmental Histories of Water
    • or HIST 4705 In the Eye of the Hurricane: An Environmental History of Latin America

Students are encouraged to fulfill the history requirement by their sophomore year. An historical understanding of how humans have related to the natural environment allows students to grasp both the specificity and the contingency of our contemporary ideas about the environment, a core intellectual resource for our work.

5. One Environmental Sociology Foundation Course (3 credits)

  • SOCY/ENVS 3562 Environmental Sociology I

Students are encouraged to fulfill the sociology requirement by their junior year. Environmental sociology is a core intellectual resource for thinking through persistent problems in the socially constructed world (like poverty, racism, and migration) and the complex ways these human issues impact and are impacted by the environment and our changing climate.

6. Research Methods (3 credits)

  • ENVS 3360 Research Methods in Environmental Studies

Students take this course as juniors to encounter and understand a variety of ways that interdisciplinary scientists formulate questions, collect and analyze data, and draw conclusions within environmental studies research. As a cohort, students develop research skills that they will go on to employ in meeting their senior research requirement.

7. One Elective (3 credits)

The elective can be used to deepen understanding of the student’s concentration, or to encounter a novel perspective in the environmental field.

8. Senior Research Seminar (4 credits) or Senior Thesis (6 credits)

In their senior year, all ENVS students formulate and carry out a research project. This requirement can be met in one of two ways: through enrollment in the senior research seminar or through completion of a senior thesis.

  • Senior Research Seminar (4 credits)
    • ENVS 4941 Senior Research Seminar [Fall]
    • ENVS 4942 Senior Research Seminar II [Spring]

This cohort experience brings seniors together weekly with a faculty instructor to undertake a small group research project over two semesters.

  • Senior Thesis (6 credits)
    • ENVS 4951 Senior Thesis I [Fall]
    • ENVS 4952 Senior Thesis II [Spring]
    • ENVS 4961 Senior Honors Thesis I [Fall]
    • ENVS 4962 Senior Honors Thesis II [Spring]

Alternatively, students can undertake an independent research project under the supervision of a faculty advisor who signs on to the project in spring of the junior year.

Concentrations (18 credits)

2026 Program Requirements

The ENVS major consists of a minimum of 43 credits, equivalent to at least 14 full-semester courses, as detailed below. ENVS students may choose more than one major, but at least 27 credits for the ENVS major must not be used to fulfill requirements for another major or minor (i.e., 16 credits can be shared). Note that all Boston College majors require at least 27 unique credits, so the number of credits that can be shared will be fewer for majors that require fewer courses, such as most departmental majors (i.e., if a major requires 30 credits, only 3 can be shared).

1. ENVS 2240 Ideas and Practices in Environmental Studies (3 credits)

This course is offered in the fall semester for the new cohort of ENVS majors (sophomores). Ideas and Practices in Environmental Studies provides an introduction to the history, ideas, and practices of the field of environmental studies for new ENVS majors. This interactive course will draw on cross- and inter-disciplinary perspectives from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to explore different ways of thinking about complex environmental topics.

2. Environmental Systems courses (6 credits):

  • EESC 2201 The Human Footprint
  • EESC 2202 Ecosystems
  • EESC 2203 Water Resources
  • EESC 2204 Carbon Cycle
  • EESC 2205 Climate Change
  • EESC 2206 Oceans
  • EESC 2207 Earthquakes
  • EESC 2208 Quantitative Methods

These are a series of 2-credit half-semester courses that introduce students to the basic concepts of environmental science from a variety of perspectives and professors, with the specific goal of providing students with a foundation for further interdisciplinary study of environmental issues. Students can take one or more of these courses in any given semester. Approved substitutions include: EESC 1167 for EESC 2201, EESC 1170 for EESC 2203, EESC 1505 or EESC 1174 for EESC 2205, and EESC 1157 for EESC 2206.

3. One Environmental History Foundation Course (3 credits)

  • HIST 2406/ENVS 2406 This Land Is Your Land: U.S. Environmental History
    • or HIST 1710 Nature & Power: Making the Modern World Core EQ
    • or HIST 4703 Environmental Histories of Water
    • or HIST 4705 In the Eye of the Hurricane: An Environmental History of Latin America

4. One Environmental Sociology Foundation Course (3 credits)

  • SOCY/ENVS 3562 Environmental Sociology I

Students are encouraged to fulfill the sociology requirement by their junior year. Environmental sociology is a core intellectual resource for thinking through persistent problems in the socially constructed world (like poverty, racism, and migration) and the complex ways these human issues impact and are impacted by the environment and our changing climate.

5. Research Methods in Environmental Studies

  • ENVS 3360 Research Methods in Environmental Studies
  • ENVS 3370 / EESC 3070 Geospatial Data Analysis for Environmental Sustainability

Typically in their junior year, students take a course in research methods, where they encounter a variety of methodological approaches used by interdisciplinary scientists formulate questions, collect and analyze data, and draw conclusions within environmental studies research.

6. One elective (3 credits)

The elective can be used to deepen understanding of the student’s concentration, or to encounter a novel perspective in the environmental field.

7. Senior Research Seminar (4 credits) or Senior Thesis (6 credits)

In their senior year, all ENVS students formulate and carry out a research project. This requirement can be met in one of two ways: through enrollment in the senior research seminar or through completion of a senior thesis.

  • Senior Research Seminar (4 credits)
    • ENVS 4941 Senior Research Seminar [Fall]
    • ENVS 4942 Senior Research Seminar II [Spring]

This cohort experience brings seniors together weekly with a faculty instructor to undertake a small group research project over two semesters.

  • Senior Thesis (6 credits)
    • ENVS 4951 Senior Thesis I [Fall]
    • ENVS 4952 Senior Thesis II [Spring]
    • ENVS 4961 Senior Honors Thesis I [Fall]
    • ENVS 4962 Senior Honors Thesis II [Spring]

Alternatively, students can undertake an independent research project under the supervision of a faculty advisor who signs on to the project in spring of the junior year.

Concentrations (18 credits)

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