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Environmental and Sustainability Studies, Bachelor of Arts
Students who are interested in the environment and the issues at its crux will enjoy the pursuit of this degree. Crucial issues of sustainability, diversity, and change are interwoven through the program. A language proficiency requirement bolsters understanding beyond English-speaking perspectives.
Requirements Accordion Open
To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.
- All of Northern Arizona University's diversity, liberal studies, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
- All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
- At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
- At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
- A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.
The full policy can be viewed here.
Overview Accordion Closed
In addition to University Requirements:
- At least 57 units of major requirements
- At least 16 units of language requirements
- Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements.
- Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units.
Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.
| Minimum Units for Completion | 120 |
| Major GPA | 2.0 |
| Highest Mathematics Required | MAT 114 |
| Foreign Language | Required |
| Fieldwork Experience/Internship | Optional |
| Research | Optional |
| University Honors Program | Optional |
| Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan | Optional |
| Bachelor/Juris Doctor 3+3 | Optional |
| AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-A | Recommended |
| Progression Plan Link | View Progression Plan |
Purpose Statement
The Environmental and Sustainability Studies program at NAU constructs an interdisciplinary base of knowledge and skills that integrates humanistic disciplines and perspectives with natural and social scientific approaches to develop real-world solutions to our environmental and sustainability challenges, from the local to the global.
Our BS/BA degree program begins with a firm grounding in natural systems, to ensure all students understand how physical and biological processes maintain life, and how humans are affecting, and are affected by, the natural world. In addition to the natural sciences, students will also obtain a solid understanding of the environment through focusing on the social sciences and humanities in order to develop a critical appreciation of the historical, political,economic and ethical forces that have shaped our current environmental issues. This will prepare students for work in non-profit, government and community-action organizations.
Students will work together in field and lab environments to apply rigorous qualitative and quantitative methods to environmental and sustainability issues, exploring interdisciplinary impacts and solutions that range across space and time. Interdisciplinary experience is centered around focus areas or specific environmental problems, rather than disciplines. This structure produces students well-trained in both the fundamentals of multiple disciplines as well as specific knowledge needed to understand, analyze and become engaged in particular issues and professions. Additionally for the BA degree, students will attain foreign language competency and experience with cross-cultural communication to better understand the impact of environmental issues on global communities.
This issue-based approach allows students to attain a wide knowledge base in order to approach the solution of specific problems by working individually and together with other students. To culminate learning in the program, students develop an individually designed research project or internship addressing an environmental issue of importance to them, which helps to further prepare students for a range of professional or graduate opportunities.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Understand interactions among natural and human systems and their relationships to sustainability science.
- Examine feedbacks between the human experience and the environment.
- Identify and effectively communicate environmental issues and sustainable solutions using natural science, ethical, and social science principles.
- Explore the components of, and the interactions between, the Earth system such as lithosphere, hydrosphere, soils, atmosphere, and how people and society interact with these systems.
- Envision environmental problems through a lens that acknowledges component interactions, feedback loops, emergent properties, and uncertainty.
- Apply knowledge of coupled human-natural systems to address complex environmental problems such as decision-making in the face of uncertainty.
- Investigate the effects of resource use and management within linked natural and social systems and learn ways to maintain healthy ecosystem services.
- Apply knowledge of the policy cycle, stakeholders, the science policy interface and environmental legislation to inform sustainability policies.
- Incorporate sustainability principles into interdisciplinary policy decision-making, to generate innovative ideas.
- Demonstrate competence in critical thought and communication.
- Actively participate in field and lab research including data collection, management, analysis and synthesis.
- Participate in internship or research activities that align environmental studies concepts to address and resolve environmental issues.
- Attain foreign language competency and experience with cross-cultural communication.
- Investigate the core concepts of life sciences including nutrient cycling, applications of ecology, biological diversity, conservation biology, and the role of these concepts in human and natural systems.
Details Accordion Closed
Major Requirements
This major requires 73 units distributed as follows:
- Environmental and Sustainability Studies Major Courses: 57 units
- Foreign Language: 16 units
Take the following 73 units with a Grade of "C" or better in each course (or "Pass" in Pass/Fail courses):
Environmental and Sustainability Studies Major Courses (57 units)
- COM 150 (3 units)
- ENV 115, ENV 120, ENV 171, ENV 181, ENV 359 (14 units)
- ENV 226 and (ENV 224L or ENV 226L) (4 units)
- ENV 301W which meets the junior-level writing requirement (3 units)
- ENV 490C which meets the senior capstone requirement (3 units)
- HUM 175 (3 units)
- PHI 331 (3 units)
- POS 110 (3 units)
- One additional upper-division ENV course (3 units)
- Select one course from the following (3 units):
- Select 15 units with at least 6 units at the 300 or 400-level, from the following:
Natural Sciences
Select at least one from the following:- BIO 302, (BIO 322, BIO 322L), BIO 345, BIO 373, BIO 374, (BIO 384, BIO 384L), (BIO 414, BIO 414L), BIO 477, BIO 478
- CENE 150
- ENV 110, ENV 250*, ENV 375, ENV 440, ENV 440L, ENV 460
- FOR 213, FOR 222, FOR 240, FOR 250*, FOR 255, FOR 340, FOR 381*, FOR 382, FOR 443, FOR 465
- GLG 107, GLG 112, GLG 259*, GLG 304*, GLG 451
- GSP 150
- HS 313, HS 471*
- PHS 101
Social Sciences
Select at least one course from the following:- AIS 290, AIS 390*, AIS 395*
- ANT 102, ANT 351*, ANT 370*
- CENE 440
- CCJ 312
- ECO 324, ECO 328*
- FOR 230*, FOR 360W, FOR 434, FOR 445, FOR 447, FOR 493*
- GSP 148*, GSP 201, GSP 220*, GSP 240, GSP 241, GSP 272, GSP 276, GSP 303, GSP 371, GSP 376, GSP 402, GSP 421, GSP 470
- POS 210*, POS 320*, POS 344, POS 357*, POS 361, POS 455
- PRM 300, PRM 411
- PSY 411
- SOC 301*, SOC 315*, SOC 319, SOC 333, SOC 334, SOC 414, SOC 415
- SUS 101, SUS 220, SUS 230, SUS 320
Humanities
Select at least one course from the following:- CM 120
- COM 250
- ENG 364W*
- HIS 293, HIS 368, HIS 369*, HIS 381, HIS 397*, HIS 405*, HIS 413*
- HUM 130*, HUM 373
- WGS 410
*Courses related to Southwest Environments and Biocultural Diversity.
Topics courses must be environmentally focused. Please consult with your advisor.
Foreign Language Requirement
You must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to four terms of university coursework in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or through credit by exam. (16 units)
Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Program
This program is available as an Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan wherein a student may start a master's degree while simultaneously completing their bachelor's degree.
While completing the Bachelor of Arts in Environmental and Sustainability Studies, students can start a Master of Arts in Sustainable Communities at NAU.
- Students must apply to the master's program by the graduate program's application deadline, meet all admissions requirements listed in the policy Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Programs, as well as the admissions requirements for the specified master's plan to be considered for admission. Admission to programs is competitive and qualified applicants may be denied because of limits on the number of students admitted each year.
Be sure to speak with the Master's Program Director/Coordinator regarding your interest in the accelerated plan.
- Students must apply to the master's program by the graduate program's application deadline, meet all admissions requirements listed in the policy Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Programs, as well as the admissions requirements for the specified master's plan to be considered for admission. Admission to programs is competitive and qualified applicants may be denied because of limits on the number of students admitted each year.
Students accepted into the Accelerated Program should complete the following requirements:
Major Requirements
This major requires 85 units distributed as follows:
- Environmental and Sustainability Studies Major Courses: 69 units
- Foreign Language: 16 units
Take the following 69 units with a Grade of "C" or better in each course (or "Pass" in Pass/Fail courses):
Environmental and Sustainability Studies Major Courses:
- COM 150 (3 units)
- ENV 115, ENV 120, ENV 171, ENV 181, ENV 359 (14 units)
- ENV 226 and (ENV 224L or ENV 226L) (4 units)
- ENV 301W which meets the junior-level writing requirement (3 units)
- ENV 490C which meets the senior capstone requirement (3 units)
- HUM 175 (3 units)
- PHI 331 (3 units)
- POS 110 (3 units)
- SUS 601, SUS 602, SUS 603, SUS 604 (12 units)
- One additional upper-division ENV course (3 units)
- Select one course from the following (3 units):
- Select 15 units with at least 6 units at the 300 or 400-level, from the following:
Natural Sciences
Select at least one from the following:- BIO 302, (BIO 322, BIO 322L), BIO 345, BIO 373, BIO 374, (BIO 384, BIO 384L), (BIO 414, BIO 414L), BIO 477, BIO 478
- CENE 150
- ENV 110, ENV 250*, ENV 375, ENV 440, ENV 440L, ENV 460
- FOR 213, FOR 222, FOR 240, FOR 250*, FOR 255, FOR 340, FOR 381*, FOR 382, FOR 443, FOR 465
- GLG 107, GLG 112, GLG 259*, GLG 304*, GLG 451
- GSP 150
- HS 313, HS 471*
- PHS 101
Social Sciences
Select at least one course from the following:- AIS 290, AIS 390*, AIS 395*
- ANT 102, ANT 351*, ANT 370*
- CENE 440
- CCJ 312
- ECO 324, ECO 328*
- FOR 230*, FOR 360W, FOR 434, FOR 445, FOR 447, FOR 493*
- GSP 148*, GSP 201, GSP 220*, GSP 240, GSP 241, GSP 272, GSP 276, GSP 303, GSP 371, GSP 376, GSP 402, GSP 421, GSP 470
- POS 210*, POS 320*, POS 344, POS 357*, POS 361, POS 455
- PRM 300, PRM 411
- PSY 411
- SOC 301*, SOC 315*, SOC 319, SOC 333, SOC 334, SOC 414, SOC 415
- SUS 101, SUS 220, SUS 230, SUS 320
Humanities
Select at least one course from the following:- CM 120
- COM 250
- ENG 364W*
- HIS 293, HIS 368, HIS 369*, HIS 381, HIS 397*, HIS 405*, HIS 413*
- HUM 130*, HUM 373
- WGS 410
*Courses related to Southwest Environments and Biocultural Diversity.
Topics courses must be environmentally focused. Please Consult with your advisor.
- Foreign Language Requirement
You must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to four terms of university coursework in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or through credit by exam. (16 units)
General Electives
Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.
You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.
We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.
Additional Information
Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.
Bachelor/Juris Doctor 3+3 Program
This plan is eligible for NAU’s 3+3 program offered in conjunction with the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law. This program allows outstanding students to substitute their final year of undergraduate studies with their first year of law school and earn an undergraduate (BS or BA) and law (JD) degree in six years instead of seven years. Please refer to the Bachelor/Juris Doctor 3+3 Program for more information.