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Environmental Studies

This guide points to selected resources in the area of Environmental Studies. Information about Washington University and its libraries is also found here.

Environmental Policy Major

Students who major in Environmental Policy will be required to complete 40 graded units (13 classes) distributed as follows. Sixteen units come from required foundation courses. Nine units come from research methods requirements. Twelve units will come from the 300-400 level, and three units from a substantive distribution requirement. At least 24 of those total units will be at the 300-400 level. We also strongly recommend that students do a capstone experience. Possible options include a senior honor thesis, the environmental law clinic, or an appropriate internship. We intend to develop more capstone possibilities in the future.  Students interested in doing a senior honor thesis for the Environmental Policy major must follow the Political Science department guidelines.

Environmental Policy Courses

Foundation Courses:

All students take the following 5 foundation courses (16 credits)

  1. EPSc 201: Earth and Environment(4 credits) 
  2. Bio 2950: Intro to Environmental Biology(3 credits) 
  3. Pol Sci 2010: Intro to Environmental Policy(3 credits) 
  4. Pol Sci 331: Topics in Politics: Theories of Justice (3 credits)
  5. Anth 361: Culture and Environment (3 credits) 

*Note: Students may also substitute PS 4070: Global Justice for the Theories of Justice course.

Research Methods Requirements:

Students take 3 methods courses (9 credits)

  1. Pol Sci 363: Quantitative Political Methodology* *(3 credits)
  2. Econ 1011: Microeconomics (3 credits)
  3. Pol Sci 4043: Policy Evaluation (3 credits) OR Pol Sci 3002: Research Design for the Social Sciences (3 credits)

**Note: You may place out of this requirement if you complete any of the approved courses below.  Additionally, students who place out of this requirement and do not take PS 363 must take another upper level class to complete the 40 credits.

Pol Sci – Quantitative Political Methods (OPM) - L32-363
Ucollege – Intro to Quantitative Methods – U25-323
Business School – Managerial Statistics II (QBA II) - B59-121
Math – Elem to Interm Statistics – L24 3200
Engineering – Probability & Statistics for Engineers E35-326

Math 2200, Psych 300, and QBA I are no longer acceptable substitutes.  However, students who declared the major before July 1, 2013 may follow the former standards.  

Upper Division Requirements:

Students need 12 additional credits of upper level course work (300-400 level) distributed in the following way:

(1) 9 credits (3 courses) must come from the following Political Science courses ***:

***Students who completed “Intro to Applied Statistics” but not taken 363 will need to complete 4 courses.

(2) Social Science breadth requirement. At least one (3 credits) from the following:

(3) Substantive Distribution Requirement

The environmental policy major provides students with the social scientific tools to address policy problems related to the environment. To supplement this social scientific knowledge, it is also important that students have substantive knowledge of the natural science of the environment itself and/or practical experience in the policy area. All students are therefore required to complete 1 substantive area course (3 units) with a passing grade***.