Program Overview
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Location: Candelaria Hall 2200
Email: HSS@unco.edu
Website: www.unco.edu/hss/geography-gis-sustainability
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
The program consists of three parts:
- Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
- University-Wide Credits
Program Description:
The Environmental and Sustainability Studies program is built on the “three pillars” of sustainability: environment, economics, and equity. Environmental sustainability is the ability of the environment to support a defined level of environmental quality and natural resource extraction rates indefinitely. Economic sustainability is the ability of an economy to support a defined level of economic production indefinitely. Equity or social sustainability refers to the ability of a social system to provide equitable access for all groups to well-being and harmony indefinitely. Students in the program are interested in developing environmental solutions that incorporate environmental, economic, and equity concerns so that policies and practices are sustainable for the long-term.
Admission Requirements:
Academic Good Standing
Program Requirements:
Students may take 3 of the credits outside the program with advisor approval.
Degree Requirements — 120 Credits
1. Liberal Arts Curriculum— 31 credits
To complete the degree in 120 credits as outlined, the program recommends the below LAC courses which also count toward the 63 required major credits.
Any additional coursework completed outside of the recommended list of LAC courses may extend the length of the program of study.
Written Communication — 6 credits
SCI 291 (3) is recommended to fulfill Intermediate Writing Course requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Written Communication courses
Mathematics — 3 credits
STAT 150 (3) is recommended to fulfill Mathematics requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Mathematics courses
Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits
To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.
Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses
Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits
BIO 111 (4) and ENST 100 (3) are recommended to fulfill Natural & Physical Sciences requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Natural & Physical Sciences courses
See Liberal Arts Curriculum
2. Required Major — 63 credits
Core Credits — 26 credits:
Take one of the following courses:
| ESCI 200 | Introduction to Environmental Earth ScienceLAS1LASL | 4 |
| GEOL 100 | General GeologyLAS1LASL | 4 |
| MET 205 | General MeteorologyLAS1LASL | 4 |
| ESCI 150 | Our Violent EarthLAS1 | 3 |
Choose from the following courses — 12 credits:
Choose 12 credits from the following courses among the Social Dimensions, Natural Resource Sciences, and Economic & Policy Dimensions. A minimum of 9 credits must be chosen with prefix ENST or GEOG above the 199.
Social Dimensions:
| BAMG 355 | Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| ENST 215 | Human Behavior and Environment | 3 |
| ENST 249 | Food, People, and Place | 3 |
| | or | |
| GEOG 249 | Food, People, and Place | 3 |
| ENST 272 | Environmental Conflict Resolution | 3 |
| ENST 283 | The Psychology of Sustainability | 3 |
| ENST 326 | Emerging Africa: Local Resources and Livelihoods in a Global Context | 3 |
| | or | |
| GEOG 326 | Emerging Africa: Local Resources and Livelihoods in a Global Context | 3 |
| ENST 331 | Anthropology and Contemporary Human Problems | 3 |
| | or | |
| ANT 331 | Anthropology and Contemporary Human Problems | 3 |
| ENST 360 | Environmental Justice | 3 |
| | or | |
| SOC 360 | Environmental Justice | 3 |
| ENST 375 | Literature and the Environment | 3 |
| | or | |
| ENG 375 | Literature and the Environment | 3 |
| ENST 385 | Art and the Environment | 3 |
| ENST 460 | Sociology of Disasters | 3 |
| ENST 495 | Special Topics in Environmental Studies/Sustainability | 1- 3 |
| GEOG 200 | Human GeographyLAB2 | 3 |
| PHIL 311 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
Natural Resource Sciences:
Economic & Policy Dimensions:
| ENST 320 | American Environmental Worldviews | 3 |
| ENST 356 | Water Resource Economics | 3 |
| | or | |
| ECON 356 | Water Resource Economics | 3 |
| ENST 378 | Energy Policy and Economics | 3 |
| | or | |
| ECON 378 | Energy Policy and Economics | 3 |
| ENST 382 | Sustainability and Capitalism | 3 |
| ENST 391 | The Built Environment and Sustainability | 3 |
| ENST 495 | Special Topics in Environmental Studies/Sustainability | 1- 3 |
| GEOG 310 | Urban and Regional Planning | 3 |
| GEOG 312 | Economic Geography of the Industrialized World | 3 |
Applied Studies & Methods — 12 credits:
Take the following courses:
Choose at least 6 credits from the following courses:
ENST 492: Only 3 credits may count toward this category
Required Supporting Credits — 13 credits:
BIO 111, ENST 100, SCI 291, and STAT 150 are required in the major and these credits are recommended to be taken as part of the LAC. Any additional coursework completed outside of the recommended list of LAC courses may extend the length of the program of study.
| BIO 111 | Biology: Organisms to EcosystemsLAS1LASL | 4 |
| ENST 100 | Introduction to Environmental StudiesLAS1 | 3 |
| SCI 291 | Scientific WritingLAW2 | 3 |
| STAT 150 | Introduction to Statistical AnalysisLAX1 | 3 |
3. University Wide Credits — 26 credits*
Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for this degree at UNC; for this degree, that will typically be 26 credits.
*Note: Students who apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum and the major requirements will have an increased number of university wide electives to apply to this degree. See your advisor for details.
Program Notes
A student may consider pursuing a minor in another area pertinent to their career perspectives or may consider a second major, in conjunction with advisor input, to increase expertise in a selection of career choices.
Four Year Plan
This four year plan is a recommended schedule to complete this bachelor's degree in 4 years. Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance.
Year 1 – 31 credits
Fall Semester
| BIO 111 | Biology: Organisms to EcosystemsLAS1LASL | 4 |
| ENG 122 | College CompositionLAW1 | 3 |
| ENST 100 | Introduction to Environmental StudiesLAS1 | 3 |
| | Major Elective | 3 |
| UNIV 101 | Foundations for Learning and Development | 3 |
| | or | |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Spring Semester
| SCI 291 | Scientific WritingLAW2 | 3 |
| | Major Elective | 3 |
| | LAC HistoryLAH1 | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Consider: Intro level LAC class for potential minor programs
Students often minor in fields such as GIS, political science, earth science, and communication. This allows for the application of sustainability context within a specific skill set or discipline.
Year 2 – 30 credits
Fall Semester
| ENST 205 | Environment, Politics and Law | 3 |
| ENST 265 | Conservation of Natural Resources | 3 |
| GEOG 210 | Introduction to GIS and GPS | 3 |
| | LAC Arts and HumanitiesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4 | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Consider: ENST Applied Studies & Methods Category Requirement
Directed studies, internships, or applied courses meet this requirement. There are frequent opportunities during summers that would be appropriate between sophomore/junior or junior/senior years.
Spring Semester
| ENST 209 | International Sustainable Development | 3 |
| ENST 270 | Professional Development | 3 |
| STAT 150 | Introduction to Statistical AnalysisLAX1 | 3 |
| | LAC Social and Behavioral SciencesLAB1LAB2LAB3 | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Consider: LAC Double Counting
Students should select courses from Social and Behavioral Sciences, History, and/or Arts and Humanities categories that also fulfill U.S. Multicultural Studies [LAMS] (one course) and International Studies [LAIS] (one course) in order to complete the LAC in 31 credits.
Year 3 – 31 credits
Fall Semester
| ESCI 200 | Introduction to Environmental Earth ScienceLAS1LASL | 4 |
| | or | |
| GEOL 100 | General GeologyLAS1LASL | 4 |
| | or | |
| MET 205 | General MeteorologyLAS1LASL | 4 |
| ENST 335 | Environmental and Resource Economics | 3 |
| | LAC Arts and HumanitiesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4 | 3 |
| ENST 364 | Sustainability Leadership and Community Engagement | 3 |
| ENST 373 | Qualitative Research Methods | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Spring Semester
| ENST 315 | Nature & Society | 3 |
| | Major Elective | 3 |
| | Applied Studies & Methods Course | 3 |
| | LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1 | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Year 4 – 28 credits
Fall Semester
| ENST 490 | Capstone Proposal | 2 |
| | Applied Studies & Methods Course | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Spring Semester
| ENST 491 | Senior Capstone | 2 |
| | Applied Studies & Methods Course | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Advising Notes –
- Minor – Refer to notes in Year 1 Spring Semester for adding a minor
- Other ways to get involved in non-academic environmental-related programs on campus: