Courses of Study 2024-2025 
    
    Nov 23, 2024  
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Courses of Study 2024-2025

Environment & Sustainability

In the College of Arts and Sciences .

Course Offerings  

Environment & Sustainability Major

The Environment & Sustainability (E&S) major is available in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences. The E&S major spans perspectives needed to build a world with more socially just and sustainable conditions for human prosperity and biodiversity. E&S provides students with a basis for understanding the structure and functioning of the earth’s environment, and critically analyzing the sustainability of social-ecological systems. How do we as humans value, use, benefit from, and protect the environment? What is sustainability and how should it be measured? Students take courses in environmental natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, examining how sustainability challenges are multidisciplinary and require integrative solutions. 

The E&S curriculum relies upon a core foundation in biology, physical and social science, humanities, economics, and statistics, supplemented by coursework and experiences integrating these topics of study. In addition, E&S concentrations allow students to pursue greater depth in specific disciplines encompassing environment and sustainability issues, taking advantage of a diverse range of courses in two colleges.

Requirements for the E&S major are the same in both colleges, but distinct college requirements will result in students taking different overall courses to complete their degrees. All students complete a set of foundation courses (core curriculum) after which students tailor their upper-division courses by selecting one of six concentrations: Environmental Biology and Applied Ecology (EBAE), Environmental Humanities (EH), Environmental Policy and Governance (EPG), Land, Air and Water Resources (LAWR), Sustainable Business and Environmental Economics (SBEE), or a Student-Designed Concentration (SD).

E&S requirements leave room for students to study abroad, engage in research and pursue other opportunities offered by Cornell. More information on the E&S Research Honors Program  can be found in the CALS Special Academic Options  section of the catalog and on the E&S program page.  Prospective students are encouraged to explore the learning outcomes, curriculum requirements, and career paths pursued by recent graduates.

The E&S Program Office is located in 117 Kennedy Hall on the Cornell Ithaca campus. Instruction mode is in-person for courses in the E&S curriculum unless otherwise noted.

Environment & Sustainability Faculty

G. Aching, A. Agrawal, C. Ahmann, G. Allington, C. L. Anderson, A. Banerjee, C. Barrett, T. Bauerle, S. Besky, R. Bezner Kerr, B. Blossey, D. Bonter, C. Buckler, J. Cerra, E. Cooch, P. Curtis, A. Davidson, A. DeGaetano, A. DiTommaso, L. Drinkwater, J. Elliott, G. Evans, A. Flecker, C. Fornoff, C. Frazier, T. Gerarden, M. Goebel, C. Goodale, M. Greischar, K. Haines-Eitzen, M. Hare, P. Hess, I. Hewson, M. Holgerson, R. Howarth, G. Hutchinson, S. M. Johnson, H. Kaiser, K. A. Kassam, C. Kling, C. Kraft, M. Krasny, B. Lauber, J. M. Law, J. Lehmann, L. Leonard, C. Levine, B. Lewenstein, S. Li, A. López Sepulcre, I. Lovette, N. Mahowald, C. E. Martinez, N. Mattson, S. McArt, P. McIntyre, W. Miller, S. Morreale, P. Nadasdy, A. Ortiz-Bobea, T. Pendergast, K. Pinkus, V. Platt, K. Presutti, S. Pritchard, A. Rice, K. Roberts, F. Rossi, I. Rudik, L. Rudstam, N. Russell, A. Sachs, R. Schneider, L. Shi, P. Smallidge, J. Sparks, J. R. St. Juliana, R. Stedman, Y. Sun, N. O. Therkildsen, J. Thies, J. Tobin, J. Vanucchi, M. Vitousek, K. Waldman, J. Wallace, T. Walter, S. Wolf, E. Won, X. Xu, J. Yavitt, J. Zinda

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  1. Compare and contrast multiple perspectives on the sustainability of social-ecological relationships, including implications for food, land, air, water, energy, climate, and biodiversity.
  2. Evaluate claims about sustainability using approaches and perspectives from the natural sciences, humanities and social sciences.
  3. Apply diverse scholarly approaches to critically evaluate information and build deeper disciplinary knowledge in one of six concentrations. 
  4. Work collaboratively and across disciplines to formulate approaches to environmental challenges that could help build sustainable human-ecological systems.
  5. Communicate across disciplines, and demonstrate the capacity to enter the public dialogue regarding complex environmental issues using a variety of communication strategies.

Environment & Sustainability Curriculum Requirements

 

  • Prerequisite courses are necessary before declaring the E&S major.
  • Letter or S/U grade options will meet major requirements.
  • A grade of D- or better must be earned to meet major requirements.
  • Core requirements minimum is 29 credits.
  • Concentration requirements minimum is 21 credits.

In addition to the major requirements outlined below, all students must meet their college graduation requirements:

Foundation course:

Choose one course:

Social Science:

Biology:

Choose one course:

Chemistry/Physics:

Choose one course:

Statistics:

Choose one course:

Humanities:

Choose one course:

Economics:

Choose one course:

Field/Engaged Experience:

Choose one course:

Sustainability Science Colloquium:

Choose one course:

Capstone Course:

Choose one from the following courses:

Concentration:

The E&S major compromises an interdisciplinary core curriculum coupled with the completion courses in a thematic concentration of your choice. All students must select one of six concentrations, consisting of six concentrations, consisting of six to nine additional courses beyond the core. All students should familiarize themselves with the requirements of concentrations in which they may be interested. Several concentrations require students to complete specific courses as part of their core requirements.

7-9 additional courses.

Students declare their concentration by the end of their sophomore year (of for sophmore matriculants, end of first junior semester). 

Concentrations (Acronyms)

Environmental Biology & Applied Ecology (EBAE)

Environmental Humanities (EH)

Environmental Policy & Governance (EPG)

Land, Air & Water Resources (LAWR)

Sustainable Business & Environmental Economics (SBEE)

Student-Designed Concentration (SD)

Environmental Biology & Applied Ecology Concentration

The Environmental Biology and Applied Ecology (EBAE) concentration provides students with the scientific basis for understanding the sustainability of various ecological systems. Students will learn advanced principles of biology and ecology and their application to problems of environmental management. Students with interests in many topics will undertake this concentration, for example, wildlife and fisheries management; forest, wetland and aquatic ecology; environmental microbiology; conservation science; endangered and invasive species management; biological and ecological consequences of pollutants in the environment.

Note: Some courses in the concentration require more than the minimum core curriculum requirements, i.e., biology, math and physics. Always check course prerequisites. 

 

Core Curriculum Required courses:

Biological Science (choose one)

Chemistry (choose one)

Recommended:

Other chemistry options include:

Calculus (choose one)

Note: It is recommended (but not required) that students take a second semester of calculus, MATH 1120 .

Quantitative (one course - advisor approval required)

  • Choose from any quantitative field that aligns with your career goals. Some fields/courses from which to choose are an additional calculus or statistics beyond the core and concentration requirements, population modeling (BIOEE or NTRES) and/or applied analytical courses, computer programming, or Geographical Information Systems (GIS). See EBAE webpage for suggestions.

Genetics (choose one)

Ecology (choose one)​

Elective Courses:

Choose one course from List 1, one course from List 2 and one more course from either list that must be at the 4000 level or above.

List 1 - Ecosystems: The physical and biological environment

List 2 - Organisms: plants, animals, microbes

Environmental Humanities Concentration

The Environmental Humanities (EH) concentration emphasizes the important role the humanities, arts, and interpretive social sciences can play not just in producing solutions to environmental problems but in understanding how those problems arose and reframing them to improve environmental outcomes. All humans, including environmental scientists, engage in the arts of imagination, narration, reflection, and persuasion that lie at the core of humanistic fields of study. The environmental humanities explore how the environment is constructed and represented in relation to humans, and how these divergent visions impact both knowledge and action. Courses exploring subjects such as art, culture, ethics, history, and literature can help students appreciate the underlying values and belief systems that drive much of human behavior vis-à-vis the biological and geo-physical systems that we inhabit and transform.
The Environmental Humanities concentration is designed for students who wonder why so many innovative, promising scientific and technical solutions to environmental problems have foundered in particular social, cultural, and political contexts—and are interested in learning how to mobilize humanistic knowledges and skills to ensure more sustainable and livable futures.
Career options available to students who complete the EH course of study include policy, media, corporate sustainability, education, law, and the non-profit sector.

 

  • Minimum of 24 credits (8 courses) selected from the following categories.
  • Additional courses may be considered including the Society for the Humanities (SHUM) and other one-time course offerings.
  • (*) marks courses common to both the humanities core requirement and the concentration. The same course may not fill both requirements.
  • [] denotes course not being offered or offered in alternate years

Anthropology

Africana Studies

Asian Studies

Biology & Society

Classics 

Comparative Literature

English

Environment and sustainability

History

History of art and visual studies

Natural Resources 

Science & technology studies

Society for the Humanities

Philosophy

Environmental Policy & Governance Concentration

Students with a concentration in Environmental Policy and Governance (EPG) will examine social dimensions of environmental issues and related policy options and mechanisms for addressing those issues.  Foundational and methods courses in environmental social sciences relating to human behavior, different ways of knowing, institutions, law, and policy acquaint students with different approaches to studying human-environment relationships and enable students to take action toward improving environmental policy and governance processes.  Students also learn about the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of environmental stewardship and policy.  Career paths for EPG students are varied, including work in areas such as:  government agencies and legislatures at local, state, national, or international levels; consulting firms focusing on social-environmental analysis; non-governmental organizations addressing human and societal aspects of conservation and environmental stewardship or economic development; environmental lobbying for commercial or non-profit organizations; environmental education; environmental planning; environmental justice; and environmental law.  Many EPG graduates go on to earn a graduate or professional degree.

Seven courses beyond the E&S core requirements consisting of the following:

Foundational Themes (4 courses)

The four foundational themes provide a grounding in key concepts of environmental action and management. Environment and Law introduces legal tools relevant to environmental issues. Environment and Human Behavior gives students approaches to understanding varying ways that people and human communities create, understand, struggle over, and resolve environmental concerns. Environment and Institutions acquaints students with key institutions through which people use or interact with environmental resources and equips students to analyze variation and change in environmental management. Environment and Policy provides insight about how people construct and implement policies and regulations concerning natural resources and the environment.

Environment and Law (choose one)

Environment and Human Behavior (choose one)

Environment and Institutions (choose one)

AND

AND

Environment and Policy (choose one)

Methods/tools course

Choose one of the following methods/tools courses to acquire tools that will enhance your ability to do research and analysis on the social dimensions of environments. Students may not use the same course to fulfill both a core and concentration requirement. (*) denotes courses that may be used to fulfill core requirements.

Additional Environmental Courses (choose two)

Students may not use the same course to fulfill both a core and concentration requirement. For example, if you took HIST 2581  to fulfill the Humanities core requirement, you could not also count it toward this requirement, but you could additionally take NTRES 3330   for this requirement. Courses not in this list that are relevant to social and policy dimensions of environmental issues can be considered for this requirement with approval of your advisor and the E&S Program. (*) denotes courses that may be used to fulfill core requirements.

Land, Air & Water Resources Concentration

The Land, Air, and Water Resources (LAWR) concentration is especially good for students interested in climate change, soil, air, and water pollution, and environmental consequences of food production. The concentration in LAWR provides a sound foundation in the diversity and integration of Earth’s environments, as well as data science needed for environmental studies. Coursework includes atmospheric sciences, ecosystem ecology, soil science, water systems, and ways to compare among each.

Note: Some of the courses in this concentration require more than the minimum math and physics requirements for the E&S major. Upon selecting the LAWR concentration, students should identify the set of concentration courses that best satisfies their goals, to assure they can meet any additional calculus and physics prerequisites.

Required Courses:

Biological Science (choose one)

Quantitative (choose one)

Biogeochemistry (choose one)

LAWR Elective Courses:

Choose five additional courses from the LAWR elective lists:

  • One course from LAWR List 1: Chemical/Physical environmental science
  • One course from LAWR List 2: Environmental informatics
  • One course from LAWR List 3: Integrated ecosystems/ecology
  • One additional elective from LAWR List 1, 2, or 3
  • One additional elective from LAWR List 1, 2, or 3

Other Cornell University courses similar in content and level (3000-level or above), but not on these lists, may be chosen in consultation with your advisor.

LAWR List 1 – Chemical/Physical environmental science

Atmosphere/climate

Terrestrial/soil science/geology

Water management/hydrology

LAWR List 2 – Environmental informatics

LAWR List 3 – Integrated ecosystems/ecology

Sustainable Business & Environmental Economics Concentration

E&S students with a concentration in Sustainable Business and Environmental Economics will use economic principles to understand the interrelation between society and the environment and study how environmental policies should be structured to address the environmental challenges by understanding behavioral responses of economic agents to these policies.

Required Courses:

Elective Courses:

Resource/Environmental economics (choose a minimum of 5.5 credits, 2-3 courses)

Data analysis/econometrics (choose one)

Student-Designed Concentration

The Student-Designed (SD) Concentration within the E&S major allows students to pursue a specific intellectual/professional goal not encompassed by the structured concentrations (EBAE, EH, EPG, LAWR and SBEE). These structured concentrations were carefully designed by E&S faculty to serve the breadth of interests for most students in the major, and they are organized around learning goals that position students to develop expertise and professional success in core environmental fields.
If a student finds that the 5 existing structured concentrations do not match their educational objectives, they can work with their advisor to propose an alternative course of study comprised of a minimum of 8 courses (24 credits) focused around a specified intellectual/professional goal.

Course Requirements

  • Minimum of eight courses (24 credits) beyond the E&S core requirements.
  • At least 18 credits (six of the eight courses) must be 3000-level or above.
  • A course may only be used once to meet either a core or concentration requirement.
  • Courses should reflect an environment or sustainability theme.
  • Independent study courses, internship credits, and research credits are not eligible for the SD concentration.

Students interested in designing their own concentration must submit an application by the end of their sophomore year. See the E&S Student-Designed web page for more details.

Eligibility

To be eligible to submit a SD proposal, students must have completed or be enrolled in

Objectives and Rationale

Approval of a student-designed concentration is contingent upon a proposal explaining in detail the educational and career goals that motivate your plan and why these goals are better met by a student-designed concentration than by any of the E&S structured concentrations.
The ~500 word, double-spaced proposal should include:

  • Student Name
  • Title /Theme for the plan of study
  • Identify your educational and career goals that motivate the proposed plan of study, and why these goals are better met by a student-designed plan over any of the structured concentrations.
  • How each proposed course, by consulting course learning outcomes (provide link to course in the Class Roster or Courses of Study), contributes to a coherent curriculum that advances your educational AND professional goals in the Environment and Sustainability major. Emphasize how the classes build your depth of understanding and relate to each other rather than reiterating course descriptions.

Proposal Submission Timeline

For students who entered Cornell as a first-year E&S major in Fall 2022, new SD plans will not be accepted after sophomore year.

Starting in Fall 2023, external and internal transfers and Arts & Sciences students declaring their major in sophomore year will be required to submit a SD plan in the first semester of their junior year.

To apply to the SD concentration, visit the E&S Student-Designed web page for more information and the application link.

Environment & Sustainability Minor

Students enrolled in any major may pursue a minor in Environment & Sustainability (E&S). Students will customize a course of study (minimum 16 credits) that will allow them to develop a basic knowledge of the environmental sciences and humanities. The minor allows students with a wide diversity of interests to gain confidence in their understanding of sustainability, as well as the complex interactions and interdependencies that characterize ecosystems and relationships between society and environment. Building literacy and comprehension across key disciplines is a fundamental step toward effective engagement with sustainability and can provide students with highly desirable skills for the job market.

In order to apply for the minor, students should have their  minor course plan ready (including what semester and year they intend to complete the courses). To learn more and access application link, visit the E&S minor webpage.

General Requirements:

  • Five courses plus one colloquium (details below).
  • Any undergraduate student at Cornell may enroll in the minor (except E&S majors).
  • All courses except ENVS 2000  must be taken for a letter grade, and a grade of “C” or better must be recorded.
  • At least two courses must be at the 3000-level or higher.
  • AP credit will not be accepted.
  • Overlap of no more than two courses between the E&S minor and a student’s other major(s) and/or minors will be accepted.
  • No course substitutions are allowed with two exceptions: 1) external transfer students using one course from a prior institution, and 2) a course for the minor has a forbidden overlap with a course taken for a student’s major.

Course Requirements:

Environment & Sustainability (choose 1):

  1. NTRES 1101 - Understanding Environment and Sustainability  (crosslisted)
  2. NTRES 1201 - Global Water Sustainability  (crosslisted)
  3. NTRES 2010 - Environmental Conservation  

Environmental Biology (choose 1):

  1. BIOEE 1610  / BIOSM 1610  - Ecology & the Environment
  2. Any course from EBAE Elective Lists

Environmental Physical Sciences (choose 1):

  1. EAS 1600 - Environmental Physics 
  2. Any course from LAWR Elective Lists

Environmental Humanities & Social Sciences (choose 2):

  1. NTRES 2201 - Society and Natural Resources  (crosslisted)
  2. NTRES 3311 - Environmental Governance  (crosslisted)
  3. AEM 1500 - An Introduction to the Economics of Environmental and Natural Resources  (crosslisted)
  4. AEM 2500 - Environmental and Resource Economics  (crosslisted)
  5. Any course from the Environmental Humanities Concentration
  6. Any course from Additional Environmental Courses in the Environmental Policy and Governance Concentration

Environment & Sustainability Colloquium (choose 1):

  1. ENVS 2000  / ENVS 2010  - Environment and Sustainability Colloquium (crosslisted)
  2. BEE 2000  /ENVS 2001  / BEE 2010  - Perspectives on the Climate Change Challenge

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