Ecology Concentration
The Ecology concentration is a course of natural science study for students interested in investigating and preserving the Earth's biodiversity. This concentration provides the necessary foundation for students to work as a field or research technician or pursue graduate degrees in such fields as ecology, conservation biology, and restoration ecology. Students with this major generally aspire to careers working as a research scientist for state and federal governments, non-governmental organizations, and environmental consulting firms, or for a career as a middle school or high school science teacher or university professor.
Requirements (click here for downloadable checklist)
Students must take a minimum of 11 courses, at least four of which are at the 300-level or above including the following (*check prerequisites):
Required Core Courses (8 total)
- ENST 100 - Environment and Society
- ENST 230 - Earth Systems Science
- BIOL 324* - Principles of Ecology
- ENST 200 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- BIOL 323* (formerly 209) - Biostatistics and Experimental Design
- ENST/BIOL 321* - Conservation Biology and Restoration Ecology
- Ethics requirement - either PHIL 301 (formerly 302) Ethics and the Environment or ENST/PSCI 365 - Ethical Dilemmas in Environmental Politics
-
ENST 480* - Senior Seminar: Creating a Sustainable Society
Elective Courses (3 total)
- Two elective Ecology courses from the approved list (see below).
- One elective Humanities and Social Science course from the approved list (see below)
Depending on their career interests, and in consultation with the concentration advisor, students should also consider taking CHEM 201, 202, 311, 312 and PHYSICS 105 and 106.
No more than one internship (ENST 397) may count toward the major.
Ecology (approved elective courses - 2 required)
- BIOL 216 - Introduction to Evolution
- ENST/CHEM 234 - Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology
- BIOL 306* - Plant and Fungal Diversity
- BIOL 314* - Microbiology
- ENST/BIOL 318* (formerly 218) - Field Ornithology
- ENST/BIOL 329 Stream Ecology
- BIOL 319* (formerly 219) - Biology of Invertebrates
- BIOL 322* - Herpetology
- BIOL 327* - Experimental Ecology
- BIOL 345* - Behavioral Ecology
- ENST/BIOL 350* - Tropical Ecology
Common Substitutions
- ENST 250 - Directed Readings in Environmental Studies, with approval of concentration advisor
- ENST 270 - Special Topics, when approved by the ES Program director
- ENST 370 - Special Topics, when approved by the ES Program director
- ENST 397* - Internship, with approval of ES advisor
- ENST 450* - Independent Study, with approval of supervising faculty member and ES advisor
- ENST 451* - Independent Research and Writing, with approval of supervising faculty member and ES advisor
- MATH 300* - Mathematical Modeling, with approval of ES advisor
Humanities and Social Science (approved elective courses - 1 required)
- ENST 300 - Applied Geographic Information Systems
- ENST/HIST 248 - American Environmental History
- ENST/PSCI 260 - American Environmental Politics
- ENST/PSCI 262 - Global Sustainability and Asian Development
- ENST/ANTH 274 - Peoples and Cultures of East Africa
- ENST/ANTH 276 - Native Americans and the Environment
- ENST/ANTH 288 - Consuming Passions: The Anthropology of Food
- ENST/PSYC 355* - Psychology and the Environment
- ENGL 320 - Fiction and Field Study
- HIST 360 - Modern Brazil
- ENST/PSCI 360 - Comparative Environmental Politics
- ENST/PSCI 361 - Globalization and the Environment
- ENST/PSCI 362 - Global Sustainability and Asian Development
- ENST/PSCI 363 - Global Responses to Climate Change
- ENST/SOC 367 - Environmental Sociology
- ENST/ECON 370 - Environmental and Natural Resources Economics
Common Substitutions
- ENST 250 - Directed Readings in Environmental Studies, with approval of supervising faculty member and ES advisor
- ENST 270 - Special Topics, when approved as a humanities and social science course
- ENST 370 - Special Topics, when approved as a humanities and social science course
- ENST 397* - Internship, with approval of ES advisor
- ENST 450* - Independent Study, with approval of supervising faculty member and ES advisor
- ENST 451* - Independent Research and Writing, with approval of supervising faculty member and ES advisor
Aaron Wilson - Chair and Associate Professor of Environmental Studies
Department - Environmental Studies