COURSE CATALOGUE

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Environmental Science
404 Altschul Hall
854-5618
www.barnard.edu/envsci

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE MAJOR

Part A.             The following four courses with labs:
                        EESC V 2100              Earth's Environmental Systems: Climate
                        EESC V 2200              Earth's Environmental Systems: Solid Earth
                        CHEM BC 2001          General Chemistry I
                        BIOL BC 1500            Physiology, Ecology, and Evolutionary Biology
                        BIOL BC 1501            Biodiversity Laboratory

Part B. Two other courses in chemistry, physics, and/or biology (see department web site for a list of approved courses).

Part C. Two courses in calculus, statistics, data analysis, and/or microeconomics (see department web site for a list of approved courses).

Part D. Four courses in environmental science and decision-making (see department web site for a list of approved courses).

Part E. A senior thesis completed by the following course sequences:
EESC BC 3800x and 3801y Senior Research Seminar

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE MINOR

Students wishing to minor in Environmental Science should have a plan approved by the Environmental Science Department chair. Five courses are required, including 2 laboratory science courses (such as EESC BC 1001, BC 1002, V 2100, V 2200, V 2300) and 3 electives that form a coherent program in conjunction with the student's major field. In some cases, courses in other sciences can be substituted with approval of the chair.

Students wishing to minor in Environmental Science who are interested in field programs and seek minor credit must contact the department Chair, Stephanie Pfirman. The only current field program within Columbia University is SEE-U. There is no minor in Environmental Biology or Environmental Policy.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

Advisers: Stephanie Pfirman (Environmental Science Department), Richard Pious (Political Science), Rajiv Sethi (Economics), Paige West (Anthropology), TBA (Urban Studies)

Environmental Policy is a growing field at the intersection of science and society. It focuses on political institutions, societal processes, and individual choices that lead to environmental stress, as well as the impact of environmental stress on institutions, processes, and individuals, and the development of approaches to reduce environmental impact.

The Environmental Policy major is designed to equip students to play effective roles as citizens or career professionals who can actively engage in environmental decision-making and policy. Majors learn to analyze and evaluate environmental, political, and economic systems and public policies in the context of environmental concerns. The major begins with foundations in the natural sciences, social sciences, and quantitative analysis, followed by upper level electives in both the natural and social sciences. Student research at the junior level is required in Political Science, Anthropology or History, and at the senior level in Environmental Science. Many exciting opportunities for student research exist on this campus and in the greater metropolitan community. Majors have their primary affiliation with the Environmental Science Department (Stephanie Pfirman) and a second advisor chosen from Political Science (Dick Pious), Economics (Rajiv Sethi), Anthropology (Paige West), or Urban Studies (TBA).

Environmental Policy graduates go on to a variety of careers, including national and international environmental policy, law, economics, journalism, business, public administration, government agencies, corporations, multilateral institutions, nongovernmental organizations, academia, and consulting firms.

There is no minor in Environmental Policy.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY MAJOR

1. Natural Science Foundation (three courses with labs):
            EESC V 2100              Earth's Environmental Systems: Climate with lab
            CHEM BC 2001          General Chemistry I with lab
            BIOL BC 1500, 1501 Physiology, Ecology, and Evolutionary Biology with Biodiversity                                                     Lab
            BIOL W 2002, EESC V 2300, or Columbia SEE-U Summer Program

2. Second semester of one of the three natural science foundation courses, Biology, Chemistry, or Environmental Science (see department web site for a list of approved classes).

3. Quantitative Assessment (two courses):
EESC BC 3017 Data Analysis
and either EESC BC 3016, EAEE E 4009, EESC W 4050, or URBS V 3200

4. Decision-making Foundation(three courses):
            ECON BC1002           Introduction to Economics
            or ECON W1105        Principles of Economics
            POLS V 1601              International Politics
            ANTH V 3004             Introduction to Environmental Anthropology
            or ANTH V 1010        Human Species-Place in Nature

5. Natural Science Elective in an upper level course in natural science (see department web site for a list of approved classes).

6. Social Science Elective in an upper level course in social science (see department web site for a list of approved classes).

7. Junior research colloquium or other research experience in the social sciences or psychology (see department web site for a list of approved classes).

8. Senior Thesis

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