Environmental Studies, BS

The BS degree, offered by the School of Planning, Policy and Environmental Studies , is designed to prepare students for career opportunities in energy or water resources management, biological resource protection, aquatic environments, sustainable agriculture, energy resources, environmental health and safety, environmental impact assessment, environmental restoration, and wilderness open space resource management.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Students must satisfy the specific degree requirements for their undergraduate major and fulfill the following University degree requirements:

Academic (program total units with an average 2.0 GPA - “C” or better)
General Education (GE) (34 Lower Division + 9 Upper Division)
American Institutions (AI) (0-6 units) (may be satisfied in GE Areas 3A, 3B, 4, UD 3, or UD 4)
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) 3 units (see Writing in the Disciplines)
Physical Education (PE) (0-2 units)
Units in Residence (30 units, including 24 upper division and 12 in major)
Upper Division Units (40 units, including 12 upper div in major for BA, 18 upper div in major for BS)
Undergraduate Policies & Procedures

Apply for Graduation
Information about the Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of the Degree

Summary of Degree Units

Core Lower Division General Education: 15 (13 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

American Institutions/ US123 Requirements: 6 (Note: may be satisfied by GE coursework)

Upper Division General Education: 0 (9 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

Physical Education: 2

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR): 0 (3 units may be satisfied by ENVS 100W)

Major Preparation: 24

Major Requirements: 73

Total: 120

2. Major Preparation (24 units)

BIOL 30 - Principles of Biology I 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5B and 5C / Formerly Area B2 and B3)
CHEM 1A - General Chemistry 5 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)
ENVS 10 - Life on a Changing Planet 3 unit(s) (GE Area 5B / Formerly Area B2)
MATH 19 - Precalculus 5 unit(s) (GE Area 2 / Formerly Area B4)
PHYS 2A - Fundamentals of Physics 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)
STAT 95 - Elementary Statistics 3 unit(s) (GE Area 2 / Formerly Area B4)

3. Major Requirements (73 units)

Core Courses (28 units)

ENVS 1 - Introduction to Environmental Issues 3 unit(s) (GE Area 1B / Formerly Area A3)
ENVS 100W - Environmental Research and Writing 3 unit(s) (WID)
ENVS 107 - Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy 4 unit(s)
ENVS 110 - Resource Analysis 4 unit(s)
ENVS 117 - Human Ecology 3 unit(s)
ENVS 124 - Introduction to Environmental Law 3 unit(s)
ENVS 185 - Environmental Impact Analysis 4 unit(s)
ENVS 198 - Senior Seminar 4 unit(s)

Major Electives (27 units)

Field Courses (8 units)

Complete two courses:

ENVS 144 - California Wetland Controversies 4 unit(s)
ENVS 148 - Sustainable Materials Management 4 unit(s)
ENVS 154 - Sustainable Agriculture 4 unit(s)
ENVS 161 - California Wildlands 4 unit(s)
ENVS 166 - Nature and Conservation Photography 4 unit(s)
ENVS 173 - Forest Ecology and Conservation 4 unit(s)
ENVS 187 - Environmental Restoration 4 unit(s)
ENVS 189 - Coastal Field Studies 4 unit(s)
ENVS 190 - Advanced Environmental Impact Assessment 4 unit(s)
ENVS 191 - Advanced Environmental Restoration 4 unit(s)
ENVS 270 - Field Studies in Water Resource Management 4 unit(s)

Complete SJSU Studies (9 units)

ENVS 150 - Introduction to Environmental Thought 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
GLST 143 - Gender, Power, Intnl Dev 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)

Complete One ‘R’ Course From:

ENVS 111 - Geology and the Environment 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 2/5 / Formerly Area R)
ENVS 113 - Atmospheric Pollution 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 2/5 / Formerly Area R)
ENVS 119 - Energy and the Environment 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 2/5 / Formerly Area R)
ENVS 152 - Globalization and the Environment 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 2/5 / Formerly Area R)

Advisor Approved Electives (10 units)

Additional units of advisor approved electives.

Recommended that students take 1-3 units of ENVS 194 - Environmental Internship .

Advisor Approved Minor (18 units)

If the minor is fewer than 18 units, students must complete additional advisor approved electives.

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