Environmental Sustainability

Women's College

Overview
Major
Minor
Course Descriptions

John T. Cookson, Jr. Ph.D., Program Director

The environmental sustainability major provides a multi-disciplinary approach to understanding the complex interrelationships between environmental concerns and social, political and economic institutions. Students who specialize in this discipline focus on protections for human health, the environment and the biosphere. Students gain the knowledge, skills and perspectives that will enable them to become leaders in a wide range of environmentally-oriented fields and professions. The scope of professional expertise needed in this field for the future opens opportunities for generalists and specialists in science, public policy, and management. The major also relates well to study in engineering.

The program curriculum includes a strong emphasis on gender. Globally, women are disproportionately affected by environmental injustice. The major addresses the interconnected issues of women and the environment, poverty, health, quality of family life, and the economy.

The major may be tailored to student interests though course work in many disciplines, including biology, chemistry business, and the social sciences. Upon completing the core requirements, students elect an emphasis in science, public policy or sustainable entrepreneurship. Each emphasis provides students with the specialized knowledge to pursue graduate study or employment within the chosen area. The program also stresses experiential learning, including such options as internship placements in a “green business” corporate environment or a dedicated research project . Students frequently connect their environmental studies coursework with Notre Dame's international programs, including Alternative Spring Break, Service Abroad, and study abroad.

A curriculum for a minor program of study is also available.

The general education requirement in the natural sciences may be fulfilled by ENV-120 and ENV-121. The general education requirement in the social sciences may be fulfilled by ENV-210 and ENV-220.

Environmental studies majors and minors must complete all required courses for the major or minor with a grade of C or higher.

Program of Study

Required Courses for a Major in Environmental Sustainability

ENV-120 Earth's Biosphere (4)
ENV-121 Earth's Physical Spheres (4)
ENV-210 Economics for a Sustainable Environment (3)
ENV-220 Environmental Politics and Policy (3)
ENV-410 Experiential Learning in Environmental Sustainability (3)
ENV-430 Environmental Sustainability Capstone (3)
PHL-336 Environmental Ethics (3)

In addition, all majors will select an area of emphasis and complete its requirements.

Emphasis in Science

BIO-111 Fundamentals of Biology (4)
BIO-307 Ecology (4)
CHM-106 Introduction to Organic Chemistry (3)
CHM-110/111 General Chemistry I, II (8)
CHM-303 Analytical Chemistry (4)
One additional upper-level biology course, as approved by the program coordinator (4)

Emphasis in Public Policy

POL-102 Introduction to American Politics (3)
POL/HIS-390 Environmental Policy at the U.S. State and National Level (3)
Two of the following
POL-401 Political and Economic Globalization (3)
POL-430 International Organizations (3)
POL-440 Issues in Global Affairs (3)
Three of the following
BUS-418 Government Relations to Business (3)
PHL-334 Business Ethics (3)
POL-351 Problems of Developing Nations (3)
RST-345 Justice and Peace (3)
RST-424 Ecology and Theology (3)
SOC-301 Social Justice (3)

Emphasis in Sustainable Entrepreneurship

BUS-303 Principles of Marketing (3)
BUS-416 Managing Financial Resources (3)
BUS-436 Socially Responsible and Sustainable Business Practices (3)
Choose one of the following courses:
BUS-302 Principles of Management (3)
BUS-334 Teamwork and Negotiation (3)
BUS-350 International Business (3)
BUS-418 Government Relations to Business (3)
ECO-211 Introduction to Macroeconomics (3)
ECO-212 Introduction to Microeconomics (3)
PHL -334 Business Ethics (3)
POL-351 Problems of Developing Nations (3)
POL-401 Political and Economic Globalization (3)
POL- 440 Global Issues (3)
RST-345 Justice and Peace (3)
RST-424 Ecology and Theology (3)
SOC-301 Social Justice (3)

Choose one of the following areas of specialization (all courses required):

Business/Economics

ECO-230 The End of Food (3)
ECO-404 International Economics (3)
ECO-440 Economics of Environment and Natural Resources (3)
Social Entrepreneurship Credits
BUS-401 Entrepreneurship I (3)
BUS-402 Entrepreneurship II (3)
NPM-411 Topics in Nonprofit Management (3)

Leadership

BUS-400 Leadership and Empowerment (3)
POL-317 Civic Participation and Leadership (3)
BUS-406 Leading Innovation and Change (3)

Required Courses for a Minor in Environmental Sustainability

Note: Descriptions for courses in other disciplines can be found in their respective departmental catalog sections.

Courses

ENV-120 Earth's Biosphere

Studies the interactions between organisms-the biosphere-and their environments. The course investigates the nature of ecosystems, energy flow, biogeochemical cycles, and characteristics of populations and communities of organisms, and it considers imbalances in various areas of human concern. Fulfills general education requirement in natural sciences. [4 credits]

ENV-121 Earth's Physical Spheres

Studies the spheres that comprise Earth: the lithosphere, which contains both the crust and underlying material; the hydrosphere, which contains all of the planet's solid, liquid, and gaseous water; and the atmosphere, which contains all of the planet's air. Students also study events that cause changes to occur in one or more of the spheres, and the results of interactions within and among the Earth's physical spheres. Fulfills general education requirement in natural sciences. [4 credits]

ENV-210 Economics for a Sustainable Environment

Incorporates laws of natural science to examine how environmental carrying capacity ultimately limits economic activity, beginning with the fundamental problem of scarcity. The course examines the economic activities of consumption and production as a subset of a broader ecosystem, particularly investigating how these activities impact and are impacted by women. The unintentional consequences, externalities, and benefits of economic activity are considered with a focus on ideas for internalizing the externalities and for providing incentives to consider such things as aesthetics, ethics and biodiversity in our valuation of economic choices. Fulfills general education requirement in social sciences. [3 credits]

ENV-220 Environmental Politics and Policy

Addresses global ecological system dynamics as well as policy alternatives at the local, state, national and international level. The course focuses on fiscal, regulatory and trade policies at the national level as well as green international efforts, and investigates how environmental injustice disproportionately affects women. It analyzes policy alternatives that would move the U.S. from an economy reliant on fossil fuels to a country based on green energy sources. In Kenneth Boulding's terms, the course analyzes how to move from a "cowboy economy" to a "spaceman economy." And in the Iroquois tradition, it asks the question, "How will it affect the seventh generation?" Fulfills general education requirement in social sciences. [3 credits]

ENV-336 Environmental Ethics

Addresses a variety of challenging issues in environmental ethics. Topics considered may include the status of non-human animals, farming and the environment, global climate change, inter-generational justice, issues of land use, the preservation of forests and wilderness, and the use and development of energy resources. Through an examination of some of these issues, the course also introduces students to a variety of moral theories, from both philosophical and religious perspectives.The social, gender and environmental justice implications of ecological issues are a major concern of the course. Fulfills general education requirement in upper-level Philosophy and Values. Cross-listed with PHL-336. [3 credits]

ENV-410 Experiential Learning in Environmental Sustainability

Provides a practicum, internship or study abroad experience focused on environmental issues, including such possibilities as the PLEN seminar in Washington, D.C.; participation in the biology partnerships in Florida; study abroad trip to Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, New Zealand, Australia, or at SSND sites worldwide; or internship at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Herring Run Watershed Association, the National Aquarium or the Maryland Zoo. [3 credits]

ENV-430 Environmental Sustainability Seminar

Seeks to replicate the historical context of a particular event, such as Hurricane Katrina, with its causal forces: environmental, sociological, political and others. Students will investigate and debate case studies in the area of environmental sustainability, considering the science, policy and business aspects. This course, though set in the past, is constructed as a game. The game will unfold in ways that are not predetermined; what students do affects what will happen. Serves as the capstone for the environmental sustainability program; course is restricted to majors only. [3 credits]