Environmental Studies, B.A.
Admissions
Entrance Requirements
New freshmen who meet University admissions standards are eligible for admission to degree programs offered by the college. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another college on the Columbia campus must be in good standing and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another USC campus must fulfill one of the following requirements:
- Be in good standing, meet the admission requirements for a baccalaureate degree on the Columbia campus, and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.
- Be in good standing and have completed 30 semester hours with a GPA of 2.00 or higher on a USC campus.
Some programs in the College of Arts and Sciences have special admission requirements established by the department or committee that supervises the specific degree program, for example, Cardiovascular Technology, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Economics, Environmental Science, the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. These requirements are listed in the sections of this bulletin that describe department and special degree programs.
Degree Requirements (120 hours)
Program of Study
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| 1. Carolina Core | 32-44 |
| 2. College Requirements | 15-18 |
| 3. Program Requirements | 21-37 |
| 4. Major Requirements | 36-37 |
Founding Documents Requirement
All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade in the subject areas of History, Political Science, or African American Studies that covers the founding documents including the United State Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and one or more documents that are foundational to the African American Freedom struggle, and a minimum of five essays from the Federalist papers. This course may count as a requirement in any part of the program of study including the Carolina Core, the major, minor or cognate, or as a general elective. Courses that meet this requirement are listed here.
1. Carolina Core (32-44 hours)
CMW – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written (6 hours)
must be passed with a grade of C or higher and completed in the first 60 hours
- any CC-CMW courses
ARP – Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving (6-8 hours)
- any CC-ARP courses
SCI – Scientific Literacy (8 hours)
Select two from the following:
- BIOL 101* & BIOL 101L* or MSCI 102*
- BIOL 102* & BIOL 102L*
- CHEM 111* & CHEM 111L*
- GEOL 101*
- GEOL 103*
- MSCI 101*
- MSCI 210* & MSCI 210L
- PHYS 201* & PHYS 201L* or PHYS 211* & PHYS 211L*
GFL – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language (0-6 hours)
Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the minimal passing grade on the exit examination in the 122 course is required. Students can demonstrate this proficiency by successfully completing Phase II of the Proficiency Test or by successfully completing the 122 course, including the exit exam administered as part of that course.
It is strongly recommended that students continuing the study of a foreign language begin college-level study of that language in their first semester and continue in that language until their particular foreign language requirement is completed.
GHS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 hours)
- any CC-GHS course
GSS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (3 hours)
AIU – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (3 hours)
- any CC-AIU course
CMS – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-CMS course
INF – Information Literacy1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-INF course
VSR – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-VSR course
- 1
Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours must add up to a minimum of 31 hours. Some programs may have a higher number of minimum Carolina Core hours due to specified requirements.
2. College Requirements (15-18 hours)
Foreign Language (0-3 hours)
- only if needed to meet 122-level proficiency
History (3 hours)
The College of Arts and Sciences requires one additional GHS course beyond the Carolina Core GHS requirement.
- If the Carolina Core GHS requirement is fulfilled by a U.S. history course, the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement must be fulfilled by a non-U.S. history course.
- If the Carolina Core GHS requirement is fulfilled by a non-U.S. history course, the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement must be fulfilled by a U.S. history course.
Please select the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement from the approved list of U.S. and non-U.S. history courses.
Social Science and Fine Arts or Humanities (12 hours)
- Social Science (3 hours)
- The College of Arts and Science requires one 3- hour Social Science Course
- Fine Arts/Humanities (9 Hours)
- A Bachelor of Arts from the College of Arts and Sciences requires three 3-hour Fine Arts/Humanities Courses
3. Program Requirements (21-37 hours)
Supporting Courses (4 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one additional science from the following: | 4 | |
| Biological Principles I and Biological Principles I Laboratory (*) | ||
or MSCI 102 | The Living Ocean | |
| Biological Principles II and Biological Principles II Laboratory (*) | ||
or MSCI 311 | Biology of Marine Organisms | |
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Lab (*) | ||
| Introduction to the Environment and Introduction to the Environment Lab (*) | ||
| Introduction to the Earth (*) | ||
| Environment of the Earth (*) | ||
| Landform Geography (*) | ||
| The Ocean Environment (*) | ||
| Oceans and Society and Oceans and Society Laboratory (*) | ||
| General Physics I and General Physics Laboratory I (*) | ||
| Essentials of Physics I and Essentials of Physics I Lab | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 4 | |
Note: BIOL 301 is required for MSCI 311
Cognate or Minor (0-18 hours) Optional
This major does not require a cognate or minor.
An optional minor may be added to a student’s program of study. A minor is intended to develop a coherent basic preparation in a second area of study. Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the minor. No course may satisfy both major and minor requirements. All minor courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher. At least half of the courses in the minor must be completed in residence at the University. A list of minor programs of study can be found at Programs A-Z. An optional additional major may also be added to a student’s program of study. Additional majors must include all major courses as well as any prescribed courses noted (*) in the bulletin. Prescribed courses noted in the bulletin may be shared with Carolina Core, College requirements, and Program requirements in the primary program.
A list of minor programs of study can be found at Programs A-Z.
Electives (17-33 hours)
120 (or 128) degree applicable credits are required to complete any degree at USC. After the cognate, minor or second major is complete, any additional credits needed to reach 120 (or 128) total credits can be fulfilled by electives. No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses. Further clarification on inapplicable courses can be obtained from the College of Arts and Sciences.
4. Major Requirements (36-37 hours)
a minimum grade of C is required in all major courses
Major Courses (27 hours)
All majors must complete at least 36-37 hours of approved courses, including the core requirements of 27 hours. Majors must complete enough additional hours from the selected courses to bring them to the required 36-37 hours total. Students are required to develop a program of study in consultation with their advisor. A minimum grade of C is required for all courses used to fulfill major requirements.
Please see current University of South Carolina undergraduate course catalog for information about prerequisites required to enroll in many of these courses.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVR 201 | Environmental Science and Policy I | 4 |
| ENVR 202 | Environmental Science and Policy II | 4 |
| ENVR 480 | Capstone Seminar in Environmental Science and Environmental Studies | 3 |
| Environmental and Society- Select two from the following: | 6 | |
| Environmental Pollution and Health | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Integrating Sustainability | ||
| Environmental Anthropology: Cross-cultural Perspectives on Environmental Change | ||
| Environmental Racism and Justice | ||
| Energy, Society and Sustainability | ||
| Decolonizing the Environment: Race, Nature, Power | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Global Food Politics | ||
| Into the Wild: Global Conservation since 1800 | ||
| American Environmental History | ||
| Environmental Policy | ||
| Policy and Marine Science | ||
| Environmental Literature | ||
| Sustainable Cities | ||
| Environment and Society | ||
| Water as a Resource | ||
| Earth Resource Management | ||
| Ethnoecology | ||
| Laboratory Science-Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Ecology and Evolution and Ecology and Evolution Laboratory (Advising note: BIOL/MSCI prerequisites) | ||
| Processes of Global Environmental Change | ||
| Surface and Near Surface Processes (Advising note: PHYS prerequisite) | ||
| Weather and Climate | ||
| Skills-Select one of the following | 3-4 | |
| Congaree National Park: Field Investigations in Environmental Science | ||
| Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Remote Sensing of the Environment | ||
| Health Communication: The Science and Practice | ||
| The Moving Image (Advising note: this course has prerequisites which should be taken as AIU classes) | ||
| Survey Research | ||
| HNRS: Interdisciplinary Proseminar | ||
| Sociological Research Methods | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 24-25 | |
Major Electives (minimum 12 hours)
Students, in consultation with their advisor, will develop a program of study to meet their educational goals in environmental studies courses.
- Students should select four courses from the list of major courses.
- At least six hours must be at 400-level or above.
- At least six hours must have an ENVR designator above ENVR 230.
Note: The six hours of 400-level or above credit and the six hours of ENVR 230+ credit may overlap, as long as a total of 12 credit hours are completed.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select four courses from the following (in consultation with advisor): | 12 | |
| Introduction to Sustainability Management and Leadership | ||
| Green Technology in Germany | ||
| Environmental Pollution and Health | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Global Environmental Health | ||
| Integrating Sustainability | ||
| Environmental Anthropology: Cross-cultural Perspectives on Environmental Change | ||
| Environmental Racism and Justice | ||
| Energy, Society and Sustainability | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Congaree National Park: Field Investigations in Environmental Science | ||
| Special Topics in Sustainability and the Environment | ||
| Research in Environmental Science | ||
| Environmental Practicum | ||
| Special Topics in the Environment | ||
| Sustainability Projects Course | ||
| Global Food Politics | ||
| Decolonizing the Environment: Race, Nature, Power | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Freshwater Ecology | ||
| Environmental Racism and Justice | ||
| Anthropology of Globalization and Development | ||
| Food and Culture | ||
| Ethnobotany: Plants and Peoples | ||
| Anthropological Ethnobotany | ||
| Ethnoecology | ||
| International Development and the Environment | ||
| Ecology and Evolution | ||
| Marine Plants | ||
| The Fall Flora | ||
| The Spring Flora | ||
| The Summer Flora | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Principles of Ecology | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Freshwater Ecology | ||
| Next Energy | ||
| Urban Economics | ||
| Law and Economics | ||
| Economics of Sustainable Development | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Advanced Econometrics | ||
| Environmental Literature | ||
| Technical Writing | ||
| Environmental Pollution and Health | ||
| Advanced Special Topics in Environmental Health | ||
| Concepts of Environmental Health Science | ||
| Biofilms in Environmental Health and Disease | ||
| Environmental Pollutants and Human Health | ||
| Weather and Climate | ||
| Economic Geography | ||
| Sustainable Cities | ||
| The Geography of Disasters | ||
| Environment and Society | ||
| Introduction to Remote Sensing | ||
| Climate and Society | ||
| Water as a Resource | ||
| Biogeography | ||
| Geography of Wind | ||
| Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Hurricanes and Tropical Climatology | ||
| America’s National Parks | ||
| Air Pollution Fundamentals | ||
| Special Topics in Geographic Research | ||
| Coastal Zone Management | ||
| Environmental Hazards | ||
| Weather Analysis and Forecasting | ||
| Applied Climatology | ||
| Fluvial Geomorphology | ||
| Water and Watersheds | ||
| Remote Sensing of the Environment | ||
| LiDARgrammetric and Photogrammetric Digital Surface Mapping | ||
| Advanced Geographic Information Systems | ||
| GIS-Based Modeling | ||
| Climate Adaptation and Community Resilience Planning | ||
| Long-Term Environmental Change | ||
| Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change | ||
| International Development and the Environment | ||
| Geography of Public Land and Water Policy | ||
| Microclimatology | ||
| Climatic Change and Variability | ||
| Rocks and Minerals | ||
| Surface and Near Surface Processes | ||
| Processes of Global Environmental Change | ||
| A View of the River | ||
| Principles of Geomorphology | ||
| Isotope Geology and Geochronology | ||
| Earth Resource Management | ||
| Environmental Hydrogeology | ||
| Green Technology in Germany | ||
| Into the Wild: Global Conservation since 1800 | ||
| Sustainability in World History from Early Times to the Anthropocene | ||
| American Environmental History | ||
| Ecotourism | ||
| Sustainable Foodservice Systems | ||
| Sustainable Tourism Planning and Policy | ||
| Sustainable Tourism | ||
| History and Philosophy of the Mass Media | ||
| Law and Ethics of Mass Communications | ||
| Theories of Mass Communications | ||
| Minorities, Women, and the Mass Media | ||
| Freedom, Responsibility, and Ethics of the Mass Media | ||
| Public Opinion and Persuasion | ||
| Health Communication: The Science and Practice | ||
or JOUR 509 | Environmental Communication: The Science and Practice | |
| Media Writing | ||
| The Moving Image | ||
| New Media Art | ||
| Biology of Marine Organisms | ||
| Processes of Global Environmental Change | ||
| Policy and Marine Science | ||
| Ethics | ||
| Medical Ethics | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Ethics of Science and Technology | ||
| Business Ethics | ||
| Engineering Ethics | ||
| Ecofeminism | ||
| State Government | ||
| Interest Groups and Social Movements | ||
| Introduction to Public Administration | ||
| Regulatory Policies | ||
| Public Policy | ||
| Science, Technology, and Public Policy | ||
| Psychology and Politics | ||
| Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations | ||
| Green Politics | ||
| Environmental Policy | ||
| Community Psychology | ||
| Community Organization | ||
| Social Demography | ||
| Ecology of Human Social Systems | ||
| Global Population Issues | ||
| Urbanization | ||
| Organizational Communication | ||
| Speechwriting | ||
| HNRS: Interdisciplinary Proseminar (Note: Only the Field and Laboratory Research Methods course counts towards the major.) | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 12 | |
Major Map
A major map is a layout of required courses in a given program of study, including critical courses and suggested course sequences to ensure a clear path to graduation.
Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters.