Information for First-Year Students

  1. Office & Department Directory
  2. Environmental Studies Department
  3. Information for First-Year Students

Environmental Studies First Year Program Contact: Dr. Sara Ashpole

Phone: 315.229.5890

Campus Address: 101 Memorial Hall

Email: sashpole@stlawu.edu

Students interested in environmental studies can pursue a stand alone major, a combined major, or use environmental studies as one field in a multi-field major. The core course ENVS 101: Introduction to Environmental Studies, may be used to fulfill the Environmental Literacy (EL) general education requirements regardless of pursuing environmental studies as a major. Students wishing to be a major need to obtain a minimum of 2.25 in ENVS 101 before declaration.

Credit for ENVS 101 will be granted to students who earn a minimum score of 4 on the Advanced Placement Examinations in environmental studies. We recommend students interested in an environmental studies discuss taking ENVS 101 if a score of 4 in the Advanced Placement is achieved. Students need to have the score officially submitted to the Registrar before getting credit for ENVS 101, both as a unit and as the pre-requisite for upper level Environmental Science & Policy (ESP) courses. ESP courses are upper level courses that can be taken beginning in your sophomore year.

Potential environmental studies majors should consider taking the required core course ENVS 101: Introduction to Environmental Studies in their first year. Students intending to pursue a major in environmental studies must take ENVS 101 by the end of their fourth semester. Courses taken for the major may not be taken pass/fail.

The following dual-listed courses are offered in most fall semesters and are appropriate for first-year students interested in an environmental studies major:

  • ENVS-PHYS 105/107: Energy (107 includes a physics lab and counts as a natural science with lab distribution credit)
  • ENVS-GEOL 110: Environmental Geology
  • ENVS-SOC 187: Environment and Society

Students interested in one of the ten environmental studies combined majors should consult with the department for course recommendations. Some suggestions include:

  • BIO 101: General Biology with Lab (1.25 credits counts as natural science with lab distribution credit)
  • CHEM 103: General Chemistry with Lab (1.25 credits counts as natural science with lab distribution credit)
  • ECON 100: Introduction to Economics
  • GEOL 103: Dynamic Earth
  • GOVT 103: Introduction to American Politics
  • GOVT 105: Introduction to Comparative Politics
  • GOVT 108: International Politics
  • MATH 135: Calculus (counts as a quantitative reasoning and logic distribution course)
  • MATH 113: Statistics (counts as a quantitative reasoning and logic distribution course)
  • PHIL 100: Introduction to Philosophy
  • PSYC 100: Introduction to Psychology (with or without lab)

For questions contact Sara Ashpole (sashpole@stlawu.edu)