Undergraduate Degrees
Common Core Experience for All Undergraduate Degrees
| Required core courses (48 units) | Units |
|---|
| BISC 103Lx | General Biology for the Environment and Life | 4 |
| CHEM 103Lx | General Chemistry for the Environment and Life | 4 |
| ENST 100 | Introduction to Environmental Studies | 4 |
| ENST 320ab | Water and Soil Sustainability; Energy and Air Sustainability | 4-4 |
| ENST 387x | Economics for Natural Resources and the Environment | 4 |
| ENST 495 | Senior Seminar in Environmental Studies | 4 |
| GEOL 160L | Introduction to Geosystems | 4 |
| IR 323 | Politics of Global Environment | 4 |
| MATH 125 | Calculus I | 4 |
| POSC 270 | Introduction to Environmental Law and Politics | 4 |
| PSYC 274 | Statistics I | 4 |
Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies
Concentration in Sustainability, Energy and Society (56 units)
In addition to the 48-unit core:
| TWO OF THE FOLLOWING COURSES | UNITS |
|---|
| ENST 370 | Marine and Coastal Environmental Policy | 4 |
| ENST 450 | Case Studies of Green Business | 4 |
| ENST 485 | Role of the Environment in the Collapse of Human Societies | 4 |
| GEOG 401 | Sustainable Cities and Regions | 4 |
Concentration in Oceans, Life and People (56 units)
In addition to the 48-unit core:
| REQUIRED COURSES | UNITS |
|---|
| BISC 427 | The Global Environment | 4 |
| ENST 370 | Marine and Coastal Environmental Policy | 4 |
Concentration in Climate, Earth and Environment (56 Units)
In addition to the 48-unit core:
| REQUIRED COURSES | UNITS |
|---|
| ENST 445 | Earth Climate: Past, Present, and Future | 4 |
| GEOL 412 | Oceans, Climate and the Environment | 4 |
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies
Concentration in Sustainability, Energy and Society (72 units)
In addition to the 48-unit core:
| TWO OF THE FOLLOWING COURSES | UNITS |
|---|
| ENST 370 | Marine and Coastal Environmental Policy | 4 |
| ENST 450 | Case Studies of Green Business | 4 |
| GEOG 401 | Sustainable Cities and Regions | 4 |
| FOUR OF THE FOLLOWING ELECTIVE COURSES | UNITS |
|---|
| BISC 427 | The Global Environment | 4 |
| ENST 445 | Earth Climate: Past, Present, and Future | 4 |
| ENST 485 | Role of the Environment in the Collapse of Human Societies | 4 |
| GEOG 255 | American Environmentalism | 4 |
| GEOG 350 | Race and Environmentalism | 4 |
| GEOG 360 | Environmental Disasters | 4 |
| GEOG 482L | Principles of Geographic Information Science | 4 |
| GEOL 450L | Geosystems | 4 |
| IR 422 | Ecological Security and Global Politics | 4 |
| POSC 436 | Environmental Politics | 4 |
| PPD 461 | Sustainability Planning | 4 |
Concentration in Oceans, Life and People (72 units)
In addition to the 48-unit core:
| REQUIRED COURSES | UNITS |
|---|
| BISC 427 | The Global Environment | 4 |
| ENST 370 | Marine and Coastal Environmental Policy | 4 |
| FOUR OF THE FOLLOWING ELECTIVE COURSES | UNITS |
|---|
| BISC 315L | Introduction to Ecology | 4 |
| BISC 320L | Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BISC 447L | Island Biogeography and Field Ecology | 4 |
| BISC 456L | Conservation Genetics | 4 |
| BISC 469L | Marine Biology | 4 |
| ENST 485 | Role of the Environment in the Collapse of Human Societies | 4 |
| GEOL 320L | Surficial Processes and Stratigraphic Systems | 4 |
| GEOL 412 | Oceans, Climate, and the Environment | 4 |
| GEOL 450L | Geosystems | 4 |
Concentration in Climate, Earth and Environment (72 units)
In addition to the 48-unit core:
| REQUIRED COURSES | UNITS |
|---|
| ENST 445 | Earth Climate: Past, Present, and Future | 4 |
| GEOL 412 | Oceans, Climate and the Environment | 4 |
| MATH 126 | Calculus II | 4 |
| PHYS 151L | Fundamentals of Physics I: Mechanics and Thermodynamics | 4 |
| TWO OF THE FOLLOWING ELECTIVE COURSES | UNITS |
|---|
| BISC 427 | The Global Environment | 4 |
| ENST 485 | Role of the Environment in the Collapse of Human Societies | 4 |
| GEOL 315 | Minerals and Earth Systems | 4 |
| GEOL 425 | Data Analysis in the Earth and Environmental Sciences | 4 |
| GEOL 450L | Geosystems | 4 |
Progressive Master of Arts Program and Traditional Master of Science Program
In the junior year of the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science program, a student has the option of applying for a progressive Master of Arts degree. Requirements for admission to this program include an overall grade point average of 3.2 or better and completion of at least 32 units of the environmental studies core curriculum prior to attaining senior status. Once accepted, the progressive degree student begins taking a mix of graduate and undergraduate course work in the fourth year, followed by a fifth year of graduate course work. Full-time registration in this program provides a path to the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies at the end of four years followed by the Master of Arts in Environmental Studies after only one year of additional study. Course work in the Master of Arts program includes professional training in the preparation and review of environmental planning documents. A traditional two-year Master of Science in Environmental Studies is also offered for students applying directly to graduate studies at USC.
Requirements for the Minor in Environmental Social Sciences
| Required core courses | Units |
|---|
| ENST 100 | Introduction to Environmental Studies | 4 |
| and two of the following: | units |
|---|
| BISC 120L | General Biology: Organismal Biology and Evolution | 4 |
| BISC 315L | Introduction to Ecology | 4 |
| CHEM 105aL | General Chemistry | 4 |
| CHEM 105bL | General Chemistry | 4 |
| GEOL 105L | Planet Earth | 4 |
| One elective statistics course chosen from: | Units |
|---|
| ECON 317 | Introduction to Statistics for Economists | 4 |
| GEOG 392 | Geographical Analysis | 4 |
| PSYC 274 | Statistics I | 4 |
| SOCI 314 | Sociological Statistics | 4 |
| Four elective social sciences courses chosen from (no more than one in a single department, excluding the internship): | Units |
|---|
| ECON 487 | Resource and Environmental Economics | 4 |
| ENE 400* | Environmental Engineering Principles | 3 |
| ENST 320ab | Water and Soil Sustainability; Energy and Air Sustainability | 4-4 |
| ENST 440 | Environmental Risk Assessment | 4 |
| GEOG 345 | Conservation of Natural Resources | 4 |
| GEOG 350 | Race and Environmentalism | 4 |
| GEOG 360 | Environmental Disasters | 4 |
| GEOG 397 | Applied Geography Internship, or | |
| POSC 395 | Directed Governmental and Political Leadership Internship | 4 |
| GEOG 477 | Water Resources | 4 |
| IR 323 | Politics of Global Environment | 4 |
| IR 422 | Ecological Security and Global Politics | 4 |
| POSC 347 | Environmental Law | 4 |
| POSC 436 | Environmental Politics | 4 |
| SWMS 415 | Ecofeminism | 4 |
| SWMS 420 | Women, Nature, Culture: The Behavioral Ecology of Women | 4 |
Requirements for the Minor in Environmental Natural Sciences
| Required core courses | Units |
|---|
| ENST 100 | Introduction to Environmental Studies | 4 |
| three of the following: | units |
|---|
| BISC 120L | General Biology: Organismal Biology and Evolution | 4 |
| BISC 315L | Introduction to Ecology | 4 |
| CHEM 105aL | General Chemistry | 4 |
| CHEM 105bL | General Chemistry | 4 |
| ENE 400* | Environmental Engineering Principles | 3 |
| GEOL 105L | Planet Earth | 4 |
| One elective course outside student’s major from among: | Units |
|---|
| CHEM 300L | Analytical Chemistry | 4 |
| CHEM 322aL | Organic Chemistry | 4 |
| ENE 428 | Air Pollution Fundamentals | 3 |
| ENE 429 | Air Pollution Control | 3 |
| GEOL 412 | Oceans, Climate, and the Environment | 4 |
| GEOL 460L | Geochemistry and Hydrogeology | 4 |
| Three elective social sciences courses chosen from (no more than one from a single department): | Units |
|---|
| ECON 487 | Resource and Environmental Economics | 4 |
| ENST 320ab | Water and Soil Sustainability; Energy and Air Sustainability | 4-4 |
| ENST 440 | Environmental Risk Assessment | 4 |
| GEOG 345 | Conservation of Natural Resources | 4 |
| GEOG 350 | Race and Environs | 4 |
| GEOG 360 | Environmental Disasters | 4 |
| GEOG 477 | Water Resources | 4 |
| IR 323 | Politics of Global Environment | 4 |
| IR 422 | Ecological Security and Global Politics | 4 |
| POSC 347 | Environmental Law | 4 |
| POSC 436 | Environmental Politics | 4 |
| SWMS 415 | Ecofeminism | 4 |
| SWMS 420 | Women, Nature, Culture: The Behavioral Ecology of Women | 4 |
Requirements for the Minor in Environmental Planning and Development
| Required courses | Units |
|---|
| ENST 100 | Introduction to Environmental Studies | 4 |
| PPD 304 | Property Rights, Governance and the Environment | 4 |
| Two courses chosen from: | units |
|---|
| BISC 120L | General Biology: Organismal Biology and Evolution | 4 |
| BISC 315L | Introduction to Ecology | 4 |
| CHEM 105aL | General Chemistry | 4 |
| GEOL 105L | Planet Earth | 4 |
| One methods course chosen from: | units |
|---|
| GEOG 281L | Environmental Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| PPD 404x | Statistics for Policy, Planning, and Development | 4 |
| PPD 429 | Urban Design Practicum | 4 |
| Two planning and development process and politics courses chosen from: | units |
|---|
| PPD 227 | Urban Planning and Development | 4 |
| PPD 302 | Urban Sleuths: Exploring People and Places in Cities | 4 |
| PPD 443 | Sustainability Planning | 4 |
| One elective course chosen from: | units |
|---|
| ECON 487 | Resource and Environmental Economics | 4 |
| ENE 400* | Environmental Engineering Principles | 3 |
| ENST 320ab | Water and Soil Sustainability; Energy and Air Sustainability | 4-4 |
| ENST 440 | Environmental Risk Assessment | 4 |
| GEOG 345 | Conservation of Natural Resources | 4 |
| GEOG 350 | Race and Environmentalism | 4 |
| GEOG 360 | Environmental Disasters | 4 |
| GEOG 397 | Applied Geography Internship | 4 |
| GEOG 410 | Urban Geography | 4 |
| GEOG 477 | Water Resources | 4 |
| IR 323 | Politics of Global Environment | 4 |
| IR 422 | Ecological Security and Global Politics | 4 |
| POSC 347 | Environmental Law | 4 |
| POSC 395 | Directed Governmental and Political Leadership Internship | 4 |
| POSC 436 | Environmental Politics | 4 |
| SWMS 415 | Ecofeminism | 4 |
| SWMS 420 | Women, Nature, Culture: The Behavioral Ecology of Women | 4 |
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