The faculty in UNE’s three (3) colleges offering undergraduate programs have defined health of natural ecosystems as a major theme in the Nor’easter Core Curriculum. As part of the Nor’easter Core, the environmental studies programs within the School of Marine and Environmental Programs delivers courses like Introduction to Environmental Issues to all undergraduates regardless of major. The UNE College of Arts and Sciences is one (1) of the few in the nation to require formal instruction in the health of natural ecosystems as a requirement for graduation.
| Program Required Courses | Credits |
|---|
| BIO 105/105L – Biology I: Ecology/Evolution w/Lab | 4 – Fulfills Scientific Method Core |
| BIO 106/106L – Biology II: Cellular/Molecular w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 350/350L – Ecology w/Field Lab (third year) | 4 |
| BUEC 104 and 105 or BUEC 106 – Economics in Context | 3 |
| CHE 110/110L – General Chemistry I w/Lab | 4 |
| CHE 111/111L – General Chemistry II w/Lab | 4 |
| ENV 100 and 101 or ENV 104 – Introduction to Environmental Issues | 3 |
| ENV 200 – Environment and Society: A Global Perspective | 3 – Fulfills Health of Natural Ecosystems Core |
| ENV 215 – Field Methods in Conservation | 3 |
| ENV 220/220L – Conservation and Preservation w/Lab | 5 |
| ENV 250 – Environmental Policy in Comparative Perspective | 3 |
| ENV 499 – Senior Capstone in Environmental Studies | 3 |
| GIS 161 – GIS I: Fundamentals of Geospatial Science and Technology | 3 |
| LIT 121 and 122 or LIT 124 – Literature, Nature and the Environment | 3 |
| MAT 151 – Statistics for Environmental Sciences | 3 – Fulfills Quantitative Reasoning Core |
| Fifteen (15) Credits of Upper Division Science Electives* | 15 |
| Two (2) courses from different distribution groups in the list of Environmental Studies Distribution Requirements | 6–8 |
| Up to twelve (12) credits of ENV 295 and/or ENV 495 may be arranged with special permission from the Director of the School of Marine and Environmental Programs | 3–12 |
| Total Credits | 76–85 |
| Open Elective Courses (as needed to reach 120 credits) | Variable |
| Minimum Total Required Credits | 120 |
|---|
Please note: While some courses can fulfill both core and program requirements, the credits earned do not count twice towards the minimum total required credits for the degree.
*Upper-Division Science Electives – After consulting with their academic advisors, Environmental Science majors will choose at least sixteen (16) credit hours of upper-division science courses in Environmental Science, Biology, Marine Science, Chemistry, Physics, or Psychology. (This group of courses should be taken during the third and fourth years.)
Environmental Studies Distribution Requirements List
| Group A – Conservation, Preservation, Restoration | Credits |
|---|
| ENV 309 – Sustainability and Ecological Restoration | 3 |
| ENV 312/312L – Wetland Conservation and Ecology w/Field Lab | 4 |
| ENV 313/313L – Wetland Restoration: Science and Policy w/Field Lab | 4 |
| ENV 317 – Case Studies in Preserving Biodiversity and Protected Areas | 3 |
| ENV 397 – Topics in Environmental Studies | 3 |
| ENV 398 – Topics in Environmental Studies | 3 |
| ENV 399 – Topics in Environmental Studies w/Lab | 4 |
| Group B – Environmental Policy and Management | Credits |
|---|
| BUEC 390 – Environmental Economics | 3 |
| BUEC 395 – Ecological Economics | 3 |
| ENV 321 – Environmental Communication: Expert Practices for Ecosystem Management | 3 |
| ENV 328 – Environmental Pollution: Ecosystems, Wildlife and Human Health | 3 |
| ENV 357 – Sustaining Water: Social and Global Perspectives | 3 |
| ENV 362 – Climate Change Adaptation | 3 |
| ENV 397 – Topics in Environmental Studies | 3 |
| ENV 398 – Topics in Environmental Studies | 3 |
| ENV 399 – Topics in Environmental Studies w/Lab | 4 |
| Group C – Arts, Humanities, and Values | Credits |
|---|
| ENV 331 – Women and the Environment | 3 |
| ENV 333/333L – The Nature Writers w/Field Lab | 4 |
| ENV 334/334L – Contemporary Nature Writing w/Lab | 4 |
| ENV 397 – Topics in Environmental Studies | 3 |
| ENV 398 – Topics in Environmental Studies | 3 |
| ENV 399 – Topics in Environmental Studies w/Lab | 4 |
| Group D – Global Ecology and Social Justice | Credits |
|---|
| ENV 340 – Environmental Movements and Social Change | 3 |
| ENV 341 – Indigenous Ecology, Conservation Biology, and the Politics of Knowledge | 3 |
| ENV 344 – Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| ENV 349/349L – Environment, Health, and Community Development in E. Africa w/Lab | 4 |
| ENV 397 – Topics in Environmental Studies | 3 |
| ENV 398 – Topics in Environmental Studies | 3 |
| ENV 399 – Topics in Environmental Studies w/Lab | 4 |
The School of Marine and Environmental programs also offers minors in the following areas:
Students wishing to pursue teacher certification in Life Science can complete a double major with Environmental Science and Middle and Secondary Education or a major in Middle and Secondary Education and a concentration in Environmental Science. For more information, see the Middle and Secondary Education catalog page.
Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.
