Environmental Studies Major Curriculum

The environmental studies major provides students with an academically rigorous course sequence that encompasses introductory through advanced understandings of the interdisciplinary field of environmental studies.

This major includes courses from across campus that expose students to the perspectives and methods used by the physical, biological, social sciences and humanities to tackle environmental questions and solutions.

The environmental studies major requires students to complete an additional major at UW-Madison. As a result, environmental studies major students graduate with both a deep understanding of their disciplinary major and broad interdisciplinary skills.

Requirements

Declare and Complete an Additional Major

Students must have a primary major declared before reaching senior standing (86 credits). Otherwise, the environmental studies major may be canceled.
At a minimum students must show 15 credits that do not overlap between the environmental studies major and each of the students other major(s). Students outside of the College of Letters & Science may have to meet additional overlap requirements.

Foundation Courses (12-Credit Minimum)

Students are required to take one course from each of the following areas
Courses taken in the foundation section cannot also be used in the thematic area

Environmental Humanities (3 Credits)

Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
ENVIR ST	113	Environmental Studies: Environmental Humanities	3	__HEC
ENVIR ST / HIST SCI / HISTORY	125	Green Screen: Environmental Perspectives through Film	3	__ZEC
ART HIST / ENVIR ST / GEOG / HISTORY / LAND ARC	239	Making the American Landscape	3 or 4	_eZEC
ENVIR ST / RELIG ST	270	The Environment: Religion & Ethics	3 or 4	__HIC
ENVIR ST / GEOG / HISTORY	460	American Environmental History	4	__ZIC
ENVIR ST / HISTORY	465	Global Environmental History	3 or 4	__ZIC
CLASSICS / ENVIR ST	488	Greeks, Romans and the Natural Environment	3	__HIC

Environmental Social Science (3 Credits)

Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
ENVIR ST	112	Environmental Studies: Social Science Perspectives	3	__SEC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	139	Global Environmental Issues	3	__SEC
C&E SOC / SOC	140	Introduction to Community and Environmental Sociology	4	__SEC
A A E / ENVIR ST	244	The Environment and the Global Economy	4	__SEC
C&E SOC / F&W ECOL / SOC	248	Environment, Natural Resources, and Society	3	__SEC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	339	Environmental Conservation	4	__SIC

Physical Science (3 Credits)

Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
ATM OCN	100	Weather and Climate	3	__PEC
ATM OCN	101	Weather and Climate	4	__PEC
ENVIR ST / GEOSCI	106	Environmental Geology	3	__PEC
PHYSICS	115	Energy and Climate	3	r_PEC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	120	Introduction to the Earth System	3	__PEC
ENVIR ST / ILS	126	* Principles of Environmental Science	4	__PEC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	127	* Physical Systems of the Environment	4	__PEC
ATM OCN / SOIL SCI	132	Earth's Water: Natural Science and Human Use	3	__PEC
ENVIR ST / GEOG / SOIL SCI	230	Soil: Ecosystem and Resource	3	__PIC
ENVIR ST / ILS	255	* Introduction to Sustainability Science	4	__PEC
SOIL SCI	301	General Soil Science	3	__PIC
ATM OCN / ENVIR ST / GEOG	332	Global Warming: Science and Impacts	3	__PIC
ATM OCN / ENVIR ST / GEOG / GEOSCI	335	Climatic Environments of the Past	3	__PIC

Ecological Science (3 Credits)

Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
GEOSCI	110	Evolution and Extinction	4	__BEC
BOTANY	240	Plants and Humans	3	__BEC
ENVIR ST	251	Ecology and the Global Environment	3	__BEC
BOTANY / ENVIR ST / ZOOLOGY	260	Introductory Ecology	3	__BEC
F&W ECOL	401	Physiological Animal Ecology	3	__BIC
ENVIR ST	413	Preserving Nature	3	__YIC
BOTANY / F&W ECOL / ZOOLOGY	460	* General Ecology	4	r_BIC
F&W ECOL	550	Forest Ecology	3	__BIC

Environmental Theme Courses (15-Credit Minimum)

Students are required to take five courses (15 credits) from the thematic areas listed below
Courses may be concentrated in one area or taken from multiple areas
Courses taken in the thematic areas cannot also be used in the foundation section

Biodiversity

Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
ENVIR ST / F&W ECOL	100	Forests of the World	3	__YEC
F&W ECOL	110	Living with Wildlife - Animals, Habitats, and Human Interactions	3	__BEC
GEOSCI	110	Evolution and Extinction	4	__BEC
BIOCORE	181	Becoming a Scientist: Doing Biology Research	2	__BEC
ENTOM / ENVIR ST	201	Insects and Human Culture-a Survey Course in Entomology	3	__BEC
BOTANY	240	Plants and Humans	3	__BEC
ENVIR ST	251	Ecology and the Global Environment	3	__BEC
BOTANY / ENVIR ST / ZOOLOGY	260	Introductory Ecology	3	__BEC
ENTOM / ZOOLOGY	302	Introduction to Entomology	4	__BIC
BOTANY / GEOG	338	Environmental Biogeography	3	__BIC
ENVIR ST / F&W ECOL / ZOOLOGY	360	Extinction of Species	3	__BIC
ENVIR ST / LAND ARC	361	* Wetlands Ecology	3	__BIC
AGROECOL	370	Grassland Ecology	3	___IC
ENVIR ST	375	* Field Ecology Workshop	3	__BIC
BOTANY	401	Vascular Flora of Wisconsin	4	__BIC
F&W ECOL	401	Physiological Animal Ecology	3	__BIC
BOTANY / F&W ECOL	402	* Dendrology: Woody Plant Identification and Ecology	3	__BIC
ANTHRO / BOTANY / ZOOLOGY	410	Evolutionary Biology	3	__BIC
ENVIR ST	413	Preserving Nature	3	__YIC
BOTANY	422	Plant Geography	3	__BIC
C&E SOC / ENVIR ST / GEOG	434	People, Wildlife and Landscapes	3	__SAC
F&W ECOL	448	Disturbance Ecology	3	__BIC
BOTANY / ZOOLOGY	450	Midwestern Ecological Issues: A Case Study Approach	2	__BIC
BOTANY / F&W ECOL	455	* The Vegetation of Wisconsin	4	__BIC
BOTANY / F&W ECOL / ZOOLOGY	460	* General Ecology	4	r_BIC
ENTOM	490	Biodiversity and Global Change	3	__BIC
BOTANY / ENVIR ST / F&W ECOL / ZOOLOGY	516	Conservation Biology	3	r_BAC
AN SCI / F&W ECOL / ZOOLOGY	520	Ornithology	3	__BIC
AN SCI / F&W ECOL / ZOOLOGY	521	Birds of Southern Wisconsin	3	__BIC
ATM OCN / PLANTSCI	532	Environmental Biophysics	3	__PIC
GEOG	538	The Humid Tropics: Ecology, Subsistence, and Developmen	4	__SAC
F&W ECOL / SURG SCI	548	Diseases of Wildlife	3	__BIC
F&W ECOL	550	Forest Ecology	3	__BIC
F&W ECOL	551	* Forest Ecology Lab	1	__BIC
ENVIR ST	613	Reproducibility Crises and Open Science in Environmental Studies	3	__NAC
F&W ECOL / ZOOLOGY	660	Climate Change Ecology	3	__BAC
BOTANY / F&W ECOL / ZOOLOGY	672	Historical Ecology	2	__BAC

Climate

Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
ATM OCN	100	Weather and Climate	3	__PEC
ATM OCN	101	Weather and Climate	4	__PEC
ATM OCN / ENVIR ST / GEOSCI	102	Climate and Climate Change	3	__PEC
ATM OCN / ENVIR ST	171	Global Change: Atmospheric Issues and Problems	2 or 3	__PEC
SOIL SCI	211	Soils and Climate Change	2	__PEC
A A E	246	Climate Change Economics and Policy	3	__SEC
ED POL	320	Climate Change, Sustainability, and Education	3	__WIC
ATM OCN / ENVIR ST / GEOG	322	Polar Regions and Their Importance in the Global Environment	3	__PIC
ATM OCN / ENVIR ST / GEOG	332	Global Warming: Science and Impacts	3	__PIC
ATM OCN / ENVIR ST / GEOG / GEOSCI	335	Climatic Environments of the Past	3	__PIC
ENVIR ST	349	Climate Change Governance	3	__SIC
ATM OCN / ENVIR ST	355	Introduction to Air Quality	3	__PIC
GEOG / GEOSCI	420	Glacial and Pleistocene Geology	3	__PIC
ATM OCN	425	Global Climate Processes	3	__PAC
ATM OCN / ENVIR ST	520	Bioclimatology	3	__PAC
ATM OCN	522	Tropical Meteorology	3	__PAC
GEOG	523	Advanced Paleoecology: Species Responses to Past Environmental Change	3	__BAC
CIV ENGR	525	Case Studies Exploring Infrastructure Sustainability and Climate Change	3
F&W ECOL / ZOOLOGY	660	Climate Change Ecology	3	__BAC

Energy

Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
PHYSICS	115	Energy and Climate	3	r_PEC
E C E	356	Electric Power Processing for Alternative Energy Systems	3
A A E / ECON	371	Energy, Resources and Economics	3	___IC
BSE / ENVIR ST	367	Renewable Energy Systems	3	__PIC
ENVIR ST / GEOSCI	411	Energy Resources	3	__PIC
BSE	460	Biorefining: Energy and Products from Renewable Resources	3
M E	461	Thermal Systems Modeling	3
CIV ENGR / G L E	535	Wind Energy Balance-of-Plant Design	3
M E / N E	565	Power Plant Technology	3
A A E / CIV ENGR / ENVIR ST / URB R PL	561	Energy Markets	3	__SAC
N E	571	Economic and Environmental Aspects of Nuclear Energy	3	__PIC
A A E / ECON / ENVIR ST / URB R PL	671	Energy Economics	3	__SAC

Food and Agriculture

Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
AGROECOL / C&E SOC / ENTOM / ENVIR ST	103	Agroecology: An Introduction to the Ecology of Food and Agriculture	3	__BEC
INTER-AG	117	GreenHouse Roots Seminar	1	___EC
FOOD SCI	120	Science of Food	3	__BEC
NUTR SCI	132	Nutrition Today	3	__BEC
AN SCI	210	You and Your Food: Farm to Table	2	___EC
SOIL SCI	211	Soils and Climate Change	2	__PEC
C&E SOC / SOC	222	Food, Culture, and Society	3	__SEC
PLANTSCI	300	Cropping Systems	3	__BIC
AGROECOL	303	Agroecological Systems: Working Towards Sustainability	3	__BIC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	309	People, Land and Food: Comparative Study of Agriculture Systems	3	__SIC
PLANTSCI	310	Plant Science and Technology in Cropping Systems	4	__BIC
A A E / C&E SOC / SOC	340	Issues in Food Systems	3 or 4	__SIC
MED HIST / PHILOS	344	Food Ethics	3	__ZIC
A A E / NUTR SCI	350	World Hunger and Malnutrition	3	__BIC
CNSR SCI	360	Sustainable and Socially Just Consumption	3	__SEC
A A E / PL PATH / PLANTSCI	367	Introduction to Organic Agriculture: Production, Markets, and Policy	3	__BEC
PLANTSCI	370	World Vegetable Crops	3	__BIC
PLANTSCI	376	Tropical Horticultural Systems	2	__BIC
AGROECOL	377	Global Food Production and Health	3	__BIC
PLANTSCI	380	Indigenous Foodways: Food and Seed Sovereignty	2	__SIC
FOLKLORE	439	Foodways	3	__HIC
GEN&WS	472	Food for Thought: An Intersectional Approach	3	__SIC
C&E SOC / SOC	650	Sociology of Agriculture	3	__SAC

Health

Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
ENTOM / ENVIR ST	205	Our Planet, Our Health	3	__BEC
ENVIR ST / HIST SCI	213	Global Environmental Health: An Interdisciplinary Introduction	3	__ZEC
A A E / NUTR SCI	350	World Hunger and Malnutrition	3	__BIC
C&E SOC / POP HLTH	370	Introduction to Public Health	3	__WIC
CIV ENGR	422	Elements of Public Health Engineering	3
CIV ENGR	423	Air Pollution Effects, Measurement and Control	3
SOIL SCI	430	Soil Pollution and Human Health	3	__PIC
ENVIR ST / POP HLTH	471	Introduction to Environmental Health	3	__BIC
ENVIR ST / POP HLTH	502	Air Pollution and Human Health	3	__BAC
GEN&WS / INTL ST	535	Women's Global Health and Human Rights	3	__YAC
HIST SCI / MED HIST / POP HLTH	553	International Health and Global Society	3	__ZIC
CIV ENGR / M&ENVTOX / SOIL SCI	631	Toxicants in the Environment: Sources, Distribution, Fate, & Effects	3	__BAC

History, Culture, Society

Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
CLASSICS	103	Nature, Race, and Human Difference	3	__HEC
ENVIR ST	112	Environmental Studies: Social Science Perspectives	3	__SEC
ENVIR ST	113	Environmental Studies: Environmental Humanities	3	__HEC
ENVIR ST / HIST SCI / HISTORY	125	Green Screen: Environmental Perspectives through Film	3	__ZEC
ENVIR ST / ILS	126	* Principles of Environmental Science	4	__PEC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	139	Global Environmental Issues	3	__SEC
C&E SOC / SOC	140	Introduction to Community and Environmental Sociology	4	__SEC
CHICLA / HISTORY	151	The North American West to 1850	3 or 4	_eHEC
ENGL / ENVIR ST	153	Literature and the Environment	3	__LEC
AMER IND / HISTORY	190	Introduction to American Indian History	3 or 4	_eZEC
ENVIR ST / GNS	210	Cultures of Sustainability: Central, Eastern, and North-ern Europe	3	__HEC
ART HIST / ENVIR ST / GEOG / HISTORY / LAND ARC	239	Making the American Landscape	3 or 4	_eZEC
C&E SOC / F&W ECOL / SOC	248	Environment, Natural Resources, and Society	3	__SEC
ENVIR ST / RELIG ST	270	The Environment: Religion & Ethics	3 or 4	__HIC
AGROECOL / HIST SCI	301	(Horti)Cultural Roots: Human Histories of Plants and Science	4	b_HIC
ENGL / ENVIR ST	305	Rhetoric, Science, and Public Engagement	3	__HIC
AMER IND / ENVIR ST	306	Indigenous Peoples and the Environment	3	_eZIC
ENVIR ST	307	Literature of the Environment: Speaking for Nature	3	__LIC
ENVIR ST	308	Outdoors For All: Inequities in Environmentalism	3	_eSIC
ENVIR ST	317	Community Environmental Scholars Program Seminar	1	___IC
ED POL	320	Climate Change, Sustainability, and Education	3	__WIC
ENVIR ST / HISTORY	328	Environmental History of Europe	3	__ZIC
F&W ECOL / ZOOLOGY	335	Human/Animal Relationships: Biological and Philosophical Issues	3	__BIC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	337	Nature, Power and Society	3	__IC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	339	Environmental Conservation	4	__SIC
AMER IND / ENVIR ST	341	Indigenous Environmental Communicators	3	beHIC
LAND ARC	360	* Earth Partnership Restoration Education: Indigenous Arts & Sciences	1	___IC
LAND ARC	363	* Earth Partnership: Restoration Education for Equity and Resilience	3	__ZIC
ENVIR ST / HISTORY	369	Thinking through History with Animals	3 or 4	__ZIC
PLANTSCI	380	Indigenous Foodways: Food and Seed Sovereignty	2	__SIC
AMER IND / GEOG	410	Critical Indigenous Ecological Knowledges	3	__ZAC
ENVIR ST / HISTORY / LEGAL ST	430	Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives	3	b_ZIC
ENVIR ST / PHILOS	441	Environmental Ethics	3 or 4	__ZAC
ENVIR ST / SPANISH	445	Culture and the Environment in the Luso-Hispanic World	3	_HAC
SPANISH	455	Contemporary Mayas: A Culture of Nature	3	__HAC
ENVIR ST / GEOG / HISTORY	460	American Environmental History	4	__ZIC
ENVIR ST / HISTORY	465	Global Environmental History	3 or 4	__ZIC
ANTHRO	477	Anthropology, Environment, and Development	3	__SIC
CLASSICS / ENVIR ST	488	Greeks, Romans and the Natural Environment	3	__HIC
ENGL / ENVIR ST	533	Topic in Literature and the Environment	3	__LAC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	537	Culture and Environment	4	__SAC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	557	Development and Environment in Southeast Asia	3	__SAC
BOTANY / F&W ECOL / ZOOLOGY	672	Historical Ecology	2	__BAC

Justice

wdt_ID	wdt_created_by	wdt_created_at	wdt_last_edited_by	wdt_last_edited_at	Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
1	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	ENVIR ST	112	Environmental Studies: Social Science Perspectives	3	__SEC
2	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	ENVIR ST	113	Environmental Studies: Environmental Humanities	3	__HEC
3	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	AMER IND / HISTORY	190	Introduction to American Indian History	3 or 4	_eZEC
4	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	ENVIR ST / RELIG ST	270	The Environment: Religion & Ethics	3 or 4	__HIC
5	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	AGROECOL / HIST SCI	301	(Horti)Cultural Roots: Human Histories of Plants and Science	4	b_HIC
6	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	AMER IND / ENVIR ST	306	Indigenous Peoples and the Environment	3	_eZIC
7	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	ENVIR ST	308	Outdoors For All: Inequities in Environmentalism	3	_eSIC
8	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	ENVIR ST / GEOG	309	People, Land and Food: Comparative Study of Agriculture Systems	3	__SIC
9	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	ENVIR ST	317	Community Environmental Scholars Program Seminar	1	___IC
10	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	F&W ECOL / ZOOLOGY	335	Human/Animal Relationships: Biological and Philosophical Issues	3	__BIC
11	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	ENVIR ST / GEOG	337	Nature, Power and Society	3	___IC
12	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	ENVIR ST	349	Climate Change Governance	3	__SIC
13	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	CHICLA / CURRIC	354	Race and Language in STEM and Environmental Education	3	_eSIC
14	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	CNSR SCI	360	Sustainable and Socially Just Consumption	3	__SEC
15	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	LAND ARC	360	Earth Partnership Restoration Education: Indigenous Arts & Sciences	1	___IC
16	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	ECON	370	Economics of Poverty and Inequality	3	__SIC
17	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	A A E / INTL ST	373	Globalization, Poverty and Development	3	__SIC
18	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	AMER IND / GEOG	410	Critical Indigenous Ecological Knowledges	3	__ZAC
19	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	ENVIR ST	413	Preserving Nature	3	__YIC
20	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	ENVIR ST / HISTORY / LEGAL ST	430	Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives	3	b_ZIC
21	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	ENVIR ST / PHILOS	441	Environmental Ethics	3 or 4	__ZAC
22	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	GEN&WS	472	Food for Thought: An Intersectional Approach	3	__SIC
23	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	A A E / ECON	474	Economic Problems of Developing Areas	3	__SIC
24	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	ANTHRO	477	Anthropology, Environment, and Development	3	__SIC
25	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	ENVIR ST / GEOG	534	Environmental Governance: Markets, States and Nature	3	___AC
26	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	C&E SOC / ENVIR ST / SOC	540	Sociology of International Development, Environment, and Sustainability	3	__SIC
27	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	C&E SOC / SOC	541	Environmental Stewardship and Social Justice	3	__SAC
28	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	C&E SOC / SOC	573	Community Organization and Change	3	__SAC
29	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 10:52 AM	CIV ENGR / M&ENVTOX / SOIL SCI	631	Toxicants in the Environment: Sources, Distribution, Fate, & Effects	3	__BAC

Land Use

Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
AMER IND / LAND ARC	106	* Earth Partnership Indigenous Arts and Sciences	3	_e_EC
ENVIR ST / GEOSCI	106	Environmental Geology	3	__PEC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	120	Introduction to the Earth System	3	__PEC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	127	* Physical Systems of the Environment	4	__PEC
LAND ARC	211	Shaping the Built Environment	3	__NEC
ENVIR ST / GEOG / SOIL SCI	230	Soil: Ecosystem and Resource	3	__PIC
SOIL SCI	301	General Soil Science	3	__PIC
SOIL SCI	302	* Meet Your Soil: Soil Analysis and Interpretation Laboratory	1	__PIC
GEOG / URB R PL	305	Introduction to the City	3 or 4	_eSIC
A A E / ECON / REAL EST / URB R PL	306	The Real Estate Process	3	__SIC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	309	People, Land and Food: Comparative Study of Agriculture Systems	3	__SIC
LAND ARC	311	Introduction to Design Frameworks and Spatial Technologies	2	___IC
ENVIR ST / SOIL SCI	324	Soils and Environmental Quality	3	__PIC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	333	Green Urbanism	3	__SIC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	337	Nature, Power and Society	3	___IC
BOTANY / GEOG	338	Environmental Biogeography	3	__BIC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	339	Environmental Conservation	4	__SIC
GEOG	344	Changing Landscapes of the American West	3	__WIC
CNSR SCI	360	Sustainable and Socially Just Consumption	3	__SEC
LAND ARC	373	* Mindfulness in Restorative Environments	3	__HIC
LAND ARC	380	Plants for Ecological Design I	2	__NIC
LAND ARC	381	Plants for Ecological Design II	1	__NIC
F&W ECOL	410	Principles of Silviculture	3	__BIC
ECON / REAL EST / URB R PL	420	Urban and Regional Economics	3	__SAC
SOIL SCI	430	Soil Pollution and Human Health	3	__PIC
C&E SOC / ENVIR ST / GEOG	434	People, Wildlife and Landscapes	3	__SAC
ECON / ENVIR ST / POLI SCI / URB R PL	449	Government and Natural Resources	3 or 4	__SIC
F&W ECOL / SOIL SCI	451	Environmental Biogeochemistry	3	__BIC
ENVIR ST / GEOG / HISTORY	460	American Environmental History	4	__ZIC
LAND ARC / URB R PL	463	Evolution of American Planning	3	__SIC
GEOG / URB R PL	505	Urban Spatial Patterns and Theories	3	__SAC
LAND ARC	511	Geodesign Methods and Applications	3	___AC
ENVIR ST / F&W ECOL	515	Natural Resources Policy	3	b_SIC
BOTANY / ENVIR ST / F&W ECOL / ZOOLOGY	516	Conservation Biology	3	r_BAC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	537	Culture and Environment	4	__SAC
GEOG	538	The Humid Tropics: Ecology, Subsistence, and Development	4	__SAC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	557	Development and Environment in Southeast Asia	3	__SAC
ENVIR ST / SOIL SCI	575	Assessment of Environmental Impact	3	__PIC
ENVIR ST / LAND ARC	581	* Prescribed Fire: Ecology and Implementation	3	___AC
URB R PL	601	Site Planning	3	__ZAC
LAND ARC	668	* Restoration Ecology	3	__BAC
LAND ARC	677	Cultural Resource Preservation and Landscape History	3	__HAC
ENVIR ST / LAND ARC / SOIL SCI	695	Applications of Geographic Information Systems in Natural Resources	3	___AC

Policy

Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
URB R PL	215	Welcome to Your Urban Future	3	__HEC
A A E / ENVIR ST	244	The Environment and the Global Economy	4	__SEC
POLI SCI	272	Introduction to Public Policy	3 or 4	__SIC
ENGL / ENVIR ST	305	Rhetoric, Science, and Public Engagement	3	__HIC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	309	People, Land and Food: Comparative Study of Agriculture Systems	3	__SIC
M H R	310	Challenges & Solutions in Business Sustainability	3	__SIC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	339	Environmental Conservation	4	__SIC
PUB AFFR	340	Intermediate Evidence-Based Policymaking and Communication	3	__SIC
A A E / ECON / ENVIR ST	343	Environmental Economics	3 or 4	__SIC
AMER IND / ENVIR ST / GEOG	345	Caring for Nature in Native North America	3	_eSIC
ENVIR ST	349	Climate Change Governance	3	__SIC
CHICLA / CURRIC	354	Race and Language in STEM and Environmental Education	3	_eSIC
PUB AFFR	366	U.S. Environmental Politics and Public Policy	3	__SIC
ECON	370	Economics of Poverty and Inequality	3	__SIC
OTM	370	Sustainable Approaches to System Improvement	3
A A E / INTL ST	373	Globalization, Poverty and Development	3	__SIC
C&E SOC / CURRIC / ENVIR ST	405	Education for Sustainable Communities	3	__SIC
F&W ECOL	410	Principles of Silviculture	3	__BIC
ENVIR ST	417	Sustainability Science, Technology and Policy	1	__NIC
A A E / F&W ECOL	430	Decision Methods for Natural Resource Managers	3	__SIC
ENVIR ST / HISTORY / LEGAL ST	430	Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives	3	b_ZIC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	439	US Environmental Policy and Regulation	3 or 4	__SIC
ECON / ENVIR ST / POLI SCI / URB R PL	449	Government and Natural Resources	3 or 4	__SIC
A A E / ECON	474	Economic Problems of Developing Areas	3	__SIC
CIV ENGR	494	Civil and Environmental Engineering Decision Making	3
ENVIR ST / F&W ECOL	515	Natural Resources Policy	3	b_SIC
CIV ENGR	522	Hazardous Waste Management	3
ENVIR ST / PHILOS	523	Philosophical Problems of the Biological Sciences	3	__ZAC
A A E / ECON / F&W ECOL	531	Natural Resource Economics	3	__SIC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	534	Environmental Governance: Markets, States and Nature	3	___AC
C&E SOC / ENVIR ST / SOC	540	Sociology of International Development, Environment, and Sustainability	3	__SIC
C&E SOC / SOC	541	Environmental Stewardship and Social Justice	3	__SAC
URB R PL	551	Climate Action Planning: Sustainable Transportation	3	___AC
ENVIR ST / GEOG	557	Development and Environment in Southeast Asia	3	__SAC
C&E SOC / SOC	573	Community Organization and Change	3	__SAC
ENVIR ST	613	Reproducibility Crises and Open Science in Environmental Studies	3	__NAC
CIV ENGR / M&ENVTOX / SOIL SCI	631	Toxicants in the Environment: Sources, Distribution, Fate, & Effects	3	__BAC
R M I	650	Sustainability, Environmental and Social Risk Management	2 or 3
REAL EST	651	Green - Sustainable Development	3

Geospatial Analysis

Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
LAND ARC	311	Introduction to Design Frameworks and Spatial Technologies	2	___IC
ENVIR ST / F&W ECOL / G L E / GEOG / GEOSCI / LAND ARC	371	Introduction to Environmental Remote Sensing	3	___IC
CIV ENGR / ENVIR ST / GEOG	377	An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems	4	__PIC
GEOG	379	Geospatial Technologies: Drones, Sensors, and Applications	3	__PIC
F&W ECOL	395	Data and GIS Tools for Ecology	3
CIV ENGR / ENVIR ST / G L E / GEOSCI	444	* Practical Applications of GPS Surveying	2	__PAC
GEOG / URB R PL	505	Urban Spatial Patterns and Theories	3	__SAC
LAND ARC	511	Geodesign Methods and Applications	3	___AC
ENVIR ST / GEOG / LAND ARC / URB R PL	532	Applications of Geographic Information Systems in Planning	3	__SAC
ENVIR ST / LAND ARC / SOIL SCI	695	Applications of Geographic Information Systems in Natural Resources	3	___AC

Sustainability

wdt_ID	wdt_created_by	wdt_created_at	wdt_last_edited_by	wdt_last_edited_at	Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
1	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	CIV ENGR	121	Sustainability Engineering for Non-Engineers	3	r_PEC
2	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	ENVIR ST / ILS	126	Principles of Environmental Science	4	__PEC
3	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	LAND ARC	211	Shaping the Built Environment	3	__NEC
4	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	URB R PL	215	Welcome to Your Urban Future	3	__HEC
5	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	ENVIR ST	215	Sustainability	3	__WEC
6	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	A A E / ENVIR ST	244	The Environment and the Global Economy	4	__SEC
7	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	ENVIR ST / ILS	255	Introduction to Sustainability Science	4	__PEC
8	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	PL PATH / PLANTSCI	261	Sustainable Turfgrass Use and Management	2
9	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	AMER IND / ENVIR ST	306	Indigenous Peoples and the Environment	3	_eZIC
10	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	M H R	310	Challenges & Solutions in Business Sustainability	3	__SIC
11	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	ED POL	320	Climate Change, Sustainability, and Education	3	__WIC
12	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	ENVIR ST	326	Sustainability Tools: Systems Thinking & Life Cycle Assessment	3	__NIC
13	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	ENVIR ST / GEOG	333	Green Urbanism	3	__SIC
14	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	CNSR SCI	360	Sustainable and Socially Just Consumption	3	__SEC
15	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	ENVIR ST	365	Systems Thinking	3	__NIC
16	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	BSE / ENVIR ST	367	Renewable Energy Systems	3	__PIC
17	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	OTM	370	Sustainable Approaches to System Improvement	3
18	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	A A E / INTL ST	373	Globalization, Poverty and Development	3	__SIC
19	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	AGROECOL	377	Global Food Production and Health	3	__BIC
20	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	C&E SOC / CURRIC / ENVIR ST	405	Education for Sustainable Communities	3	__SIC
21	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	ENVIR ST	417	Sustainability Science, Technology and Policy	1	__NIC
22	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	CIV ENGR / G L E	421	Environmental Sustainability Engineering	3
23	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	DY SCI	471	Food Production Systems and Sustainability	3	__YAC
24	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	AN SCI / DY SCI / FOOD SCI / SOIL SCI	472	Animal Agriculture and Global Sustainable Development	1
25	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	A A E / ECON	474	Economic Problems of Developing Areas	3	__SIC
26	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	CIV ENGR	495	Sustainable Building and Materials	3
27	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	CIV ENGR	525	Case Studies Exploring Infrastructure Sustainability and Climate Change	3
28	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	C&E SOC / ENVIR ST / SOC	540	Sociology of International Development, Environment, and Sustainability	3	__SIC
29	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	URB R PL	551	Climate Action Planning: Sustainable Transportation	3	___AC
30	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	eklister@wisc.edu	04/06/2025 01:01 PM	LAND ARC	563	Designing Sustainable and Resilient Regions	4	___AC

Water

Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
ATM OCN / GEOSCI	105	Survey of Oceanography	3 or 4	__PEC
ZOOLOGY	115	Freshwater: Past, Present, and Future	3	__BEC
ATM OCN / SOIL SCI	132	Earth's Water: Natural Science and Human Use	3	__PEC
CIV ENGR	311	Hydroscience	3
ENVIR ST / ZOOLOGY	315	Limnology-Conservation of Aquatic Resources	2	__BIC
ZOOLOGY	316	* Laboratory for Limnology-Conservation of Aquatic Resources	2 or 3	__BIC
CIV ENGR	320	Environmental Engineering	3
CIV ENGR	322	Environmental Engineering Processes	3
ENVIR ST / LAND ARC	361	* Wetlands Ecology	3	__BIC
BSE	473	Water Management Systems	3
ENVIR ST / ZOOLOGY	510	Ecology of Fishes	3	__BIC
ENVIR ST / ZOOLOGY	511	* Ecology of Fishes Lab	2	__BAC
G L E / GEOSCI	627	Hydrogeology	3 or 4	___IC
G L E / GEOSCI	629	Contaminant Hydrogeology	3	___AC

Multi-thematic

Department	Course	Title	Credits	geBLC
ENVIR ST / SOIL SCI	101	Forum on the Environment	1 or 2	__WEC
ENVIR ST	202	Careers in the Environment	2	___EC
ENVIR ST	203	Special Topics in Environmental Studies	1 to 3	___EC
ENVIR ST	215	Sustainability	3	__WEC
ENVIR ST / ILS	255	Introduction to Sustainability Science	4	__PEC
ENVIR ST	326	Sustainability Tools: Systems Thinking & Life Cycle Assessment	3	__NIC
ENVIR ST	365	Systems Thinking	3	__NIC
ENVIR ST	398	* Independent Study: Sustainability Community Engagement	1	___IC
ENVIR ST	400	Special Topics in the Environment: Biological Aspects of Envir St	1 to 4	__BIC
ENVIR ST	401	Special Topics: Environmental Perspectives in the Physical Sciences	1 to 4	__PIC
ENVIR ST	402	Special Topics: Social Perspectives in Environmental Studies	1 to 4	__SIC
ENVIR ST	403	Special Topics in Environmental Studies	1 to 3	___IC
ENVIR ST	404	Special Topics in Environmental Humanities	1 to 3	__HIC
CIV ENGR / G L E	421	Environmental Sustainability Engineering	3

Beyond the Classroom Experience

The Beyond the Classroom experience in the environmental studies major can be met in one of the following ways:

A designated course from the courses listed above, indicated by an asterisk (*). Courses used to meet the Beyond the Classroom experience requirement may also be used in other areas of the curriculum.
Participation in an environmental study abroad program where 50 percent or more of the contact hours are in an out-of-doors situation (see forms page)
Participation in an environmental internship or similar experience where 50 percent or more of the contact hours are in an out-of-doors situation (see forms page)

Beyond the Classroom experiences are expected to include one or more of the following:

Data gathering
Reflective out of-classroom experience
Practical application
Performance/creation related to environment
Outdoor experiences
Community engagement/service

The Beyond the Classroom experience gives students practice in an outward-facing application of environmental studies and sustainability.

Capstone Experience

ENVIR ST 600, Environmental Studies Capstone
In some cases a senior research project, for a minimum of 3 credits, that meets the specific criteria of an environmental studies capstone course may be substituted for this requirement. If you and a faculty member believe you have a suitable project please contact undergrad@nelson.wisc.edu for more information.

Pass/Fail Courses

Courses in the environmental studies major can not be taken on a pass/fail basis.

Double Counting / Course Overlap

With the exception of the field experience, courses listed under more than one category in the curriculum may be used to satisfy only one category. For example, a student who selects ENVIR ST / SOIL SCI 575 as the capstone course cannot also use it to satisfy the thematic area requirement.

School/College Requirements

The Environmental Studies major is always paired with another major. Please refer to the School/College degree requirements of the other major to learn about degree requirements or consult an advisor.