Putting earthly passion to work
Susquehanna’s environmental studies program trains you to address today’s complex environmental problems with the power of an interdisciplinary approach.
From day one, your award-winning faculty will inspire you with hands-on projects, research, knowledge-creation and skill-building that help you move from the classroom to real-world problem-solving.
You’ll study the complex causes and consequences of human civilization’s impact on the planet from diverse academic perspectives. At the same time, you’ll learn how to apply creative thinking, innovation, cultural knowledge, ethical principles and scientific know-how to design the just, sustainable, resilient world of the future.
Choosing your path
Susquehanna’s environmental studies curriculum offers many different pathways through the major so you can follow your passions and interests. Foundation courses provide a rigorous backbone of study across the sciences, humanities, and social sciences, but a broad array of electives from 16 different majors give each student the chance to design their own trajectory. That could be advanced work focused in:
- sciences
- economics
- business
- cultural studies
- social sciences
- communications
- political science
Working closely with your advisor, you’ll create your own individual course of study that puts you on a path to leadership in a variety of careers, from business, finance and education, to government, the arts, journalism, outdoor recreation, law, politics and community development.
Susquehanna’s environmental studies major presents many opportunities for internships, summer research and club activities, so you’ll be able to participate in community projects, field work and hands-on application of your knowledge. You can join the Beekeeping Club, Geoclub, work in the campus garden, or live in the Sustainability House. Our majors intern with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, PA Fish and Boat Commission, local law firms and the PA Department of Environmental Protection. They work in the Freshwater Research Institute, the Sustainability Office, edit and write for the newspaper, and work on mapping projects, tree surveys and conservation research.
The capstone course for the major asks students to design a community development project; one year, students built resilience into Selinsgrove’s waste, transportation and flood management systems; another year, they created an interpretive nature trail on campus. Your work will leave a legacy that benefits future generations while building a powerful resume that employers will notice.
When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s) and the Academic Planning Tool.
Learning goals
Students will be able to describe broad environmental problems in terms of their interrelated scientific, political, economics, ethical, and human dimensions.
Students will attain factual, in-depth knowledge of contemporary environmental issues from multiple disciplinary backgrounds.
Students will develop critical thinking, research, and analysis skills.
Students will understand the inherent complexity of environmental problems and will be able to communicate effectively a position to various stakeholders.
Environmental Studies Major
To earn the B.A. in environmental studies students must complete62 semester hours of coursework, all with grades of C- or higher. All majors must complete 50 semester hours of program foundation courses and 12 semester hours of electives.
Double-counting restriction for Environmental Studies major
Students in the Environmental Studies major may double-count a maximum of 20 semester hours toward another major or minor.
50 Foundation
4 ECOL-/BIOL-220 Biostatistics
4 EENV-101 Environmental Science OR ECOL-100 Introduction to the Science of Ecology OR BIOL-101 Ecology and Evolution or BIOL-010 Issues in Biology when the topic is one of the following: Biology of Climate Change, Conservation Biology, Environmental Biology, or Human Ecology
4 ENST-110 Sustainability and Society
4 EENV-105 Energy and the Environment or EENV-332 Sustainable Energy Resources
4 EENV-242 Climate and Global Change
4 ENST-335 Environmental Laws and Regulations
4 ENST-201 Environmental Humanities
4 ECON-105 Elements of Economics
NOTE: ECON-201 Principles of Macroeconomics or ECON 202 Principles of Microeconomics may be substituted with approval of the Program Coordinator.
4 ENST-301 Current Topics in Environmental Studies
4 ENST-505 Environmental Studies Community Project
4 POLI-212 Introduction to Public Policy
4 RELI-235 Environmental Ethics or PHIL-226 Philosophy, Ethics and the Environment
2 Internship (must be approved by Program Coordinator)
12 Electives: Students must complete 12 semester hours forming a cohesive focus, with advisor approval. No more than 4 semester hours may be taken at the 100 level or lower, and at least 4 semester hours must be taken at the 300 level or higher. It is not necessary for students to complete all 12 semester hours from the same category.
Biology/Ecology/Earth Sciences
4 BIOL-332 Population Biology
and BIOL 333 Population Biology Lab
2 BIOL-560 Interdisciplinary Explorations in Biology when the topic is Sustainable Food Systems, Biology of Invasive Species, Amphibian Population Decline, or Biology of Climate Change
4 ECOL-201 Community and Ecosystems Ecology
4 ECOL-408 Aquatic Ecology and ECOL-409 Aquatic Ecology Lab
4 EENV-213 Oceanography
4 EENV-220 Water Resources
4 EENV-313 The Susquehanna River
4 EENV-360 Geographic Information Systems
4 EENV-383 Soil Science
Cultural Studies
4 ENGL-205 Literature Studies when the topic is Literature of Climate Change or Shakespeare and the Environment
4 ENGL-390 Special Themes and Topics, when the topic is Sustainability Literature
4 ENST-117 American Environmental History
4 HIST-324 Pennsylvania’s Pasts and Their Publics
4 PHIL-125 Justice
4 PHIL-150 Race, Class, and Ethics
4 RELI-101 Introduction to Religious Studies
4 RELI-105 World Religions
4 RELI-208 Buddhism
4 RELI-305 Topics, when the topic is Eco-Theology
Economics/Business
4 ECON-201 Principles of Macroeconomics (if not taken for Foundation credit)
4 ECON-202 Principles of Microeconomics (if not taken for Foundation credit)
4 ECON-313 Intermediate Microeconomics Theory
4 ECON-335 Economic Development
4 ECON-338 International Political Economy
4 ECON-373 Political Economic Thought
4 INFS-174 Data Collection and Modeling
4 INFS-472 Data Insight and Visualization
4 MGMT-230 Exploring Entrepreneurial Opportunities
4 MGMT-240 Principles of Management
4 MGMT-290 Non Profit Management
4 MGMT-333 New Ventures: Start-Up to Exit
4 MGMT-373 Managing for Sustainability
4 MGMT-437 Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Political Science
4 POLI-111 American Government and Politics
4 POLI-215 Law and Politics
4 POLI-333 Development, Globalization and Society
4 POLI-334 International Organizations and Law
4 POLI-352 Environmental Policy
Public Relations
4 COMM-211 Introduction to Advertising and Public Relations
4 COMM-314 Public Relations Writing and Campaigns
4 COMM-321 Crisis Management
Sociology/Anthropology/Psychology
4 ANTH-152 Public Culture
4 ANTH-162 Introduction to Anthropology
4 ANTH-310 National, Transnational, Diasporic Communities
4 ANTH-311 Regulating Bodies: Food, Sex, Drugs and the Economy
4 PSYC-232 Environmental Psychology
4 SOCI-413 Critical Race Theory
Honors
To graduate with honors, environmental studies majors must:
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.25 and a GPA of 3.50 in the program,
- Request nomination from the ENST program coordinator at the beginning of their senior year and
- Complete and publicly present an honors-quality project at the Senior Scholars’ Day in the spring of their senior year.
When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s) and the Academic Planning Tool.
Minor in Environmental Studies
Environmental studies is an interdisciplinary program that allows students to study environmental problems from multiple disciplinary perspectives. Drawing on courses from the departments of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Political Science, English and Creative Writing, Economics, Religious Studies, Sociology and Anthropology, and others, students develop a holistic, applied approach to environmental problem solving.
The minor in environmental studies requires 24 semester hours. Only courses completed with a grade of C- or higher may be counted toward the minor. No more than 8 semester hours may be taken at the 100-level or lower.
Double-counting restriction for interdisciplinary minors
Only 8 semester hours of this minor may be double-counted toward the student’s major or another minor.
Courses applied to the environmental studies minor must include the following (see below for detailed lists):
- Introductory (100-level) environmental science, biology, or ecology (4 SH)
- Upper-level (200-level or higher) environmental science, biology, or ecology (4 SH)
- Political science, law, or economics (4 SH)
- English, philosophy, religious studies, sociology/anthropology, or creative writing (4 SH)
- Sustainability Electives list (4 SH)
- ENST-301 Current Topics in Environmental Studies (4 SH)
4 Introductory (100-level) environmental science, biology, or ecology courses:
EENV-101 Environmental Science
EENV-105 Energy and the Environment
ECOL-100 Introduction to the Science of Ecology
BIOL-101 Ecology and Evolution
BIOL-010 Issues in Biology (Biology of Climate Change, Conservation Biology, Environmental Biology, or Human Ecology only)
4 Upper-level (200-level or higher) environmental science, biology, or ecology courses:
EENV-213 Oceanography
EENV-220 Water Resources
EENV-242 Climate and Global Change
EENV-313 The Susquehanna River
EENV-332 Sustainable Energy Resources
EENV-383 Soil Science
BIOL-332 Population Biology
BIOL-560 Sustainable Food Systems
BIOL-560 Biology of Invasive Species
BIOL-560 Biology of Climate Change
ECOL-201 Community and Ecosystems Ecology
ECOL-408 Aquatic Ecology and
ECOL-409 Aquatic Ecology Lab
4 Political science, law, or economics courses:
ECON-313 Intermediate Microeconomics Theory
ECON-335 Economic Development
ECON-373 Political Economic Thought
ECON-338 International Political Economy
ENST-335 Environmental Laws and Regulations
POLI-212 Introduction to Public Policy
POLI-215 Law and Politics
POLI-333 Development, Globalization and Society
POLI-334 International Organizations and Law
PPOL-352 Environmental Policy
4 English, philosophy, religious studies, or sociology/anthropology:
ANTH-152 Public Culture
ANTH-311 Regulating Bodies: Food, Sex, Drugs and the Economy
ENGL-205 Literature of Climate Change
ENGL-205 Shakespeare and the Environment
ENST-201 Environmental Humanities
PHIL-125 Justice
PHIL-150 Race, Class, and Ethics
PHIL-226 Philosophy, Ethics and the Environment
RELI-208 Buddhism
RELI-235 Environmental Ethics
RELI-305 Topics, when the topic is Eco-Theology
SOCI-316 Social Justice
SOCI-410 Economic Sociology WRIT-241 Environmental Writing
SOCI-413 Critical Race Theory
4 Sustainability course from the following:
EENV-360 Geographic Information Systems
ENGL-390 Special Themes and Topics, when the theme is Sustainability Literature
ENST-110 Sustainability and Society
ENST-117 American Environmental History
INFS-174 Data Collection and Modeling
MGMT-373 Managing for Sustainability
MGMT-437 Sustainable Entrepreneurship
PSYC-232 Environmental Psychology
4 ENST-301 Current Topics in Environmental Studies
This course introduces students to the three pillars of sustainability: environmental conservation, economic development, and social equity. Through the lens of sustainable resilience, students will analyze social and infrastructure systems and critically examine sustainable solutions’ impact on society. Class discussions, hands-on exercises, and a team-based project will result in a broad understanding of societal systems, their interconnectedness, and the sustainability challenges our world faces. 4SH.
Introduction to topics and methods of environmental history. An interdisciplinary study of the mutual relationships between humans and nature through time. Examines American environmental history from Native American ecology and European contact in the 16th century through urbanization and industrialization, and consequent problems of pollution and resource conservation in the 20th century. 4 SH. CC: Historical Perspectives.
A practical, accessible guide to the power of the arts and humanities for understanding and addressing human-caused environmental problems, including climate change, deforestation, species extinction, pandemics, and environmental injustice. The course takes a global, historical view of these problems, emphasizing their impact on human diversity, geopolitical and economic power, and struggles for equity and justice. Projects and research engage students in using the humanities and arts to advance sustainable, just solutions that reimagine the human role in Earth’s future. 4 SH. CC: Interdisciplinary, Diversity, Writing Intensive. Second year standing or permission of the instructor. Not restricted to ENST majors or minors.
An in-depth analysis of a current environmental issue. The topic will be explored through an integration of disciplines, including science, ethics, economics, policy, law, and literature, as well as the role of citizen activism. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. 4 SH.
Surveys important state and federal environmental legislation, the principles on which these laws are founded, and the problems that arise in their practical application. Employs case studies to illustrate the way in which environmental laws function in contemporary American society. 4 SH.
Individual and in-depth study of a specialized topic under a faculty member’s direction. 1-4 SH.
A capstone course for Environmental Studies majors. Students complete a community-based project that addresses an ongoing environmental issue. This course emphasizes the development of effective research, stakeholder analysis, communication, and partnership-building skills in a project-based environment. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. 4 SH. Capstone.
Environmental studies graduates find jobs as:
- Sustainability specialists (corporate, nonprofit or higher education)
- Environmental nonprofit managers
- Environmental lawyers
- Environmental educators
- Natural resources/conservation specialists
- Environmental policy analysts
- Communications specialists
- Environmental consultants
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Email Address chambliss@susqu.edu
Phone Number 570-372-4602
Associate Professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences
Email Address resslerd@susqu.edu
Phone Number 570-372-4216
Associate Professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences
Email Address straubd@susqu.edu
Phone Number 570-372-4767
Dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences
Director of Center for Environ Educ & Research
Professor Earth & Environmental Science
Email Address straubk@susqu.edu
Phone Number 570-372-4318
