Sustainability Courses

We are now living in the Anthropocene, the geologic epoch in which humanity has become the dominant force in shaping Earth.  What do we humans need to know in order to live here more wisely and sustainably?  This course is intended for Environmental Studies majors and minors and is focused on developing a hands-on understanding of how geological processes and materials interact.  Fundamental to comprehending geologic processes is a working knowledge of geologic time, which we humans are not natu...

Read more about EVST-2150 : Geoscience

In this course, students will study the abundance, growth, and distribution of organisms; interactions among organisms in communities; and the flow of energy and cycling of nutrients through these communities.  Coursework includes lectures, readings from relevant ecological literature, as well as directed and independent research projects situated in local ecosystems. Class time is divided between lecture/discussion, fieldwork and lab work.

Read more about EVST-2200 : Principles of Ecology

Ethics, Equity and the Environment is a seminar on advanced environmental ethics, in which you will examine a range of controversies in environmental studies, learn some analytical techniques for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of opposing arguments, and develop your own carefully-considered position on a contemporary environmental controversy.

Read more about EVST-2950 : Ethics, Equity, and Environment

Learn how you can influence decision-making processes in support of policies that are environmentally sustainable and socially just. This course takes a systematic approach to analyzing politics and policymaking processes for sustainable communities. Course goals are to understand the actors involved in environmental policymaking and environmental management (including YOU!), assess factors that influences the policymaking process, and identify promising venues for attaining policies that promot...

Read more about EVST-3000 : Environmental Politics

How much fertilizer and pesticide pollution is too much? What role should government play in regulating the environment? How do we stop depletion of fisheries? Will clean technology lay the foundation for cities' sustainable future? This course provides an introduction to the analytical tools used by economists to answer these and other important policy questions. The course presents an overview of environmental, natural resource, and ecological economics concepts with practical application to o...

Read more about EVST-3050 : Economics and the Environment

In this course, students will study the abundance, growth, and distribution of organisms; interactions among organisms in communities; and the flow of energy and cycling of nutrients through these communities.  Coursework includes lectures, readings from relevant ecological literature, as well as directed and independent research projects situated in local ecosystems. Class time is divided between lecture/discussion, fieldwork and lab work.

Read more about EVST-3200 : Principles of Ecology

An introduction to the concepts and practice of data gathering and analysis in relation to environmental and public policy issues. Topics covered include the specification of questions to guide inquiry, the gathering of data, descriptive statistics and graphic presentations, and statistical hypothesis testing. Students will design, implement, analyze, and present the results of a research study of social or environmental significance. Cross-listed with PUBA 440.

Read more about EVST-3400 : Research Design and Statistics

GIS is a vibrant and pervasive technology for investigating and understanding societal, environmental and ecological problems (and more) from a spatial perspective. This course introduces students to GIS concepts, such as posing spatial questions, finding and using GIS data, cartographic literacy and multi-step spatial problem solving. Students will learn how to acquire, map and analyze spatial data (in raster and vector forms) in order to assess a variety of questions, and will learn to communi...

Read more about EVST-3500 : Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

Course builds on basic GIS principles and skills to develop further expertise in GIS analysis and perform professional-level GIS work. Students will learn to perform basic statistical and multi-step analysis of GIS data, apply topology rules, execute vector and raster analysis tasks, credit, edit and assess quality of GIS data, customize and augment ArcGIS, and make professional quality maps to answer an socio-environmental question sand communicate results. Emphasis is placed on real-world GIS ...

Read more about EVST-3700 : Intermediate Geographic Information Systems

Agroecology can be defined in many ways but, in general, it is the ecology of sustainable food systems. Agroecology is a production practice that uses ecological and traditional knowledge to manage agricultural systems sustainably. It is also is a social movement, inherently linked to the food sovereignty movement. It is also a research discipline, aimed at examining how farms and landscapes can be managed to promote ecological, cultural, social, and economic sustainability. Agroecology as a res...

Read more about EVST-4640 : Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systms