The Environmental and Sustainability Studies core curriculum embraces the interdisciplinary nature of environmental issues through scientific, social, and humanistic approaches to undergraduate scholarship. The curriculum envisages core themes, or Domains, that are essential to modern environmental education: the physical and biological sciences; the history of human interactions with the non-human world; the social and cultural dimensions of environmental problems; environmental thought as reflected in literature, ethics and philosophy; policy and decision-making; and practical experience.

A student may declare a major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies when the student has done the following:

1. Completed 30 hours of college work, at least 15 hours of which are at Western Michigan University.
2. Achieved an overall GPA of 2.50 or above.
3. Completed the Entry Option and the Physical Science Domain with a grade of “C” or better in each.

After completing these requirements, students must take at least one course from each of the remaining domains. All domains have a prerequisite of one of the courses in the Entry Option.

At the advanced level, undergraduates will develop interdisciplinary competency by taking advanced courses outside the ENVS core. Students will also take a senior seminar capstone course. The senior seminar will bring together ENVS undergraduates from diverse disciplinary majors, who will work in teams outside the classroom to address complex environmental problems in both theoretical and experiential modes.

Second Major

Because the Program is broadly interdisciplinary, Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ENVS) is called a coordinate major; thus, students who choose ENVS are required to take a second major, chosen from any college in the University, to provide depth in a particular discipline.

Students choosing their disciplinary major from within the College of Arts and Sciences have the option, upon graduation, to select either of their two majors as their “degree” major. If Environmental and Sustainability Studies is selected, students will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree if their second major is in the Humanities or Social Sciences; they will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree if that major is in the Sciences. Students choosing their disciplinary major as first degree will graduate accordingly.

Those students whose disciplinary major is in another college must graduate with their ENVS major as their second major.

In addition to satisfying all Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program requirements, students selecting Environmental and Sustainability Studies as their first major must satisfy the College of Arts and Sciences curriculum requirements as well as all University requirements. Those selecting ENVS as their second major must satisfy all requirements as designated by the College of the first major, as well as all University degree requirements.

Note: Because of the complexity of this course of study, students are encouraged to speak regularly with an advisor.

Academic Standards

Students in this program must earn a grade of “C” or better in all courses counted toward their major.