The University of Montana

• Special Degree Requirements
• Suggested Course of Study
• Courses
• Faculty

U 390 Supervised Internship PEAS 2 cr.  (R-8) Offered every term. Summer intensive, 6 cr.  Students learn small scale sustainable vegetable farming in a hands-on work environment at the PEAS farm (15 minute bike ride from campus).  Lectures, readings and reflection inform the work.  Summer students also visit local farms on once-a-week field trips.  PEAS is repeatable, as the curriculum changes across the season, and students can attend any semester, though the 6 credit summer intensive course is the heart of the program.
 U 395 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently.  Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
 U 398 Internship  Variable cr.  Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., six credits in EVST and consent of instr. Practical application of classroom learning through internship with governments, organizations or industry.  A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.
UG 410 Environmental Justice in Latin America 3cr. Offered summer.  Two week travel seminar to one or more Latin American countries to examine Latin American perspectives on environmental justice and efforts toward sustainable development within the context of the global economy and U. S. foreign policy.  Required one-credit seminar offered spring semester to provide background readings. 
UG 420 The U.S. Environmental Movement 3 cr.  Offered autumn.  Study of the environmental movement as a social movement.  Examination of different approaches to environmental protection and restoration in view of the movement’s historical roots and contemporary debates.
UG 427E Environmental Ethics II 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq., PHIL 200, 202, or 300. Same as PHIL 427E. Critical exploration of selected philosophical and literary texts pertinent to the ethics of human relationships with the natural environment.  Issues parallel to those in EVST 327E, but considered from a more philosophically sophisticated perspective.  Credit not allowed for both EVST/PHIL 327E and EVST/PHIL 427E.
U 430 Culture and Agriculture 2 cr.  Offered spring, from start of semester to mid-April.  Surveys treatment of farmers and farming in the humanities.  Course covers specific agricultural crops and their effect on social and environmental history, artistic commentary on agricultural life and farmer philosophy.  Themes range from the tea and opium wars, to Wendell Berry’s poetry to David Orr’s philosophy.
 UG 432 The Human Role in Environmental Change. 3 cr. Offered autumn even-numbered years. Prereq., upper-division standing or graduate standing. Same as GEOG 432. A systematic examination of the ways in which the major physical systems and ecosystems of the earth have been modified by human activity, and approaches to the rehabilitation of these systems.
UG 440 Environmental Economics 3 cr. Offered autumn.  Prereq., ECON 111S, 112S or consent of instr. Same as ECON 440.  Outlines a theoretical framework for the analysis of environmental problems, including concepts of market failure and externalities, materials balance and property rights.  The policy implications of this analytical model are explored for a range of topics including pollution and the preservation of natural environments and species.
UG 450 Food, Agriculture, and Environment 3 cr.  Offered spring.  Exploration of the premise that agricultural sustainability requires practices, policies, and social arrangements that balance concerns of environmental soundness, economic viability, and social justice among all sectors of society.
UG 460 Introduction to Alternative Energy 1 cr. Offered autumn, odd-numbered years.  Survey of alternative technologies currently available to address energy problems and their environmental and economic impacts.
UG 465 Restoration Ecology 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  Prereq., senior standing and a course in ecology.  Same as FOR 465. Philosophy and practice of restoring damaged ecosystems.  Restoration planning including improvement of degraded soils, site preparation for revegetation, and case studies.
UG 470 Appropriate Technology 1 cr (R-2) Offered autumn even-numbered years/spring odd-numbered years.  Problem assessment, project design, fund-raising and implementation of technical resource issues at the PEAS farm to gain practical skills in small scale community development projects, creative problem solving, and working in groups.
UG 477S Environmental Justice Issues and Solutions 3 cr.  Offered autumn.  Examination of social inequality in the distribution of environmental risks and in access to natural resources and environmental amenities.
U 484 Senior Capstone Project 3 cr.  Offered intermittently. Prereq., senior standing in EVST.  For seniors who want to design and perform a significant capstone project involving research and/or service.  Students have responsibility for designing their projects which are subject to faculty approval.  A final report and public presentation are required.  Honors credit available.
 UG 494 Seminar 3 cr. (R-6) Prereq., EVST 101N or consent of instr.  A seminar on a current environmental topic.
 UG 495 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-9) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
 U 496 Independent Study 1-6 cr. (R-6)   Offered autumn and spring.  
G 501 Scientific Approaches to Environmental Problems 3 cr.  Offered autumn. Prereq., graduate standing in EVST or consent of instr. The strength and limitations of the scientific approach to investigating and solving selected environmental problems with an emphasis on the natural sciences.
G 502 Environmental Law for Non-Lawyers 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., graduate standing. Review of major substantive environmental laws with an emphasis on areas of citizen involvement in the legal process.
 G 504 Colloquium in the Philosophy of Ecology 3 cr. (R-6) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., graduate student in EVST or consent of instr.  Same as PHIL 504.  Documents of ecology studied in the context of social and political philosophy, meta-physics and ethics, philosophy of science, and technology.
G 505 The Literature of Nature Writing 3 cr. Offered spring.  Study of nature, environmental, and place-based writing, from classical times to the present, with emphasis on the American tradition and its relationship to twenty-first century environmental concerns, challenges, and opportunities, and to the current practice of nature writing and natural history.
G 513 Natural Resource Dispute Resolution  3 cr.  Offered spring.  Same as LAW 613 and FOR 513.  Provides a conceptual framework for understanding the history of ideas that have shaped the policies, institutions, and strategies used to resolve natural resource and other public policy conflicts in the American West. Focus on natural resource and environmental dispute resolution.
G 520 Environmental Organizing 3 cr.  Offered spring.  Developing understanding of and skills in community and environmental organizing.  Emphasis on theory and practice of civic engagement and social change with a focus on developing and running campaigns and working in a group.  Team projects.
G 521 Foundations in Environmental Education 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., graduate standing in environmental studies. Same as C&I 521. Problem-solving approaches to environmental education; problem identification, research and design and implementation of an educational approach to selected environmental issues.
G 525 Teaching Environmental Science 1-3 cr. (R-6) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., consent of instr. Same as C&I 525. Identification and examination of potential solutions to environmental problems and their impact on society. Major emphasis on teaching methods as they apply to environmental science.
G 531 Citizen Participation in Environmental Decision Making 3 cr.  Offered spring.  Review of the modes and methods of citizen participation in governmental and corporate decision making.  Review of the National and Montana Environmental Policy Act; administrative rule making and appeals, strategic planning, lobbying and corporate governance.  Students complete a project with an outside group.
G 537 Building Effective Environmental Organizations 3 cr.  Offered spring.  Prereq., graduate standing. Focus on the tasks and skills necessary to building and managing effective environmental organizations, particularly non-profit. Budgeting, fund-raising, grant-writing, attracting and utilizing volunteers, working with the media. Strategic approaches and how they are shaped by issue, context, and structure.
G 540 Watershed Conservation Ecology 3 cr. Offered autumn.  Prereq., college ecology course or consent of instr. Integrates watershed science, policy, planning, action and organizing.  The science component develops an understanding of watershed connections, how to evaluate change and assess the condition of watersheds.  The policy component explains the scientific basis of national, state and local laws, programs and agencies that affect watersheds.  The planning and action component discusses how to develop a CPR (conservation/preservation/restoration) plan for a watershed and how to select actions likely to address problems without creating other problems.  The organizing component covers how to help watershed communities make choices, resolve conflicts and build commitment for watershed conservation and find funding.  Students work individually or in teams to assist Montana groups in developing watershed CPR plans, initiating monitoring projects, and/or conducting education projects.  Students write two papers in connection with the class–one academic and suitable for publication; one aimed at a non-academic audience.
G 542 Transboundary Environmental Issues 3 cr.  Offered intermittently in autumn.  Prereq., graduate standing in environmental studies program.  Review of the political systems and administrative systems of each country relevant to natural resource policy decision-making and ecological systems. Review pertinent literature, interact with stakeholders, and produce group reports.
G 548 Supervision and Teaching in Environmental Education 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., EVST 521 or C&I 521. Design, selection and evaluation of materials for the teaching of environmental education.
 G 550 Pollution Ecology 3 cr. Offered spring even-numbered years. Prereq., college ecology course or consent of instr. Same as BIOL 550. Examines sources, fate, and effects of pollutants on organisms and ecosystems; methods of measuring and predicting pollutant fate and effects, assessing and reducing risks, estimating ecosystem assimilation capacity; setting standards and restoring ecosystems damaged by pollution.  Briefly examines some relevant laws and policies at the federal, state and local level.  Students write 2 papers, one academic, one applied, and present one orally.  Students also provide a peer review of another student’s paper.
 G 551 Environmental Field Study 1-3 cr. (R-3) Offered autumn. Prereq. or coreq., EVST 540 or 550 or 560.  Same as BIOL 551.  Designing, executing and  interpreting environmental studies.  Project oriented.
G 555 Research Methods for Social Change 3 cr.  Offered spring.  Introduction to qualitative methods of research design, data collection, and analysis.  Emphasis on research that facilitates and documents social change processes.  Hands-on research experience through fieldwork projects.  Includes instruction on writing social science and on research ethics.
 G 560 Environmental Impact Analysis 3 cr. Offered spring odd-numbered years. Prereq., graduate standing in EVST or consent of instr.  Covers legal and scientific aspects of the Environmental Impact Analysis (EIA) process.  Students write two papers, one academic, one applied, on some aspect of EIA and give at least one presentation.
G 561 Land Use Planning Law 3 cr. Offered autumn.  Same as GEOG 561 and LAW 687.  Basic overview of the law of land use planning including background in the traditional governmental regulatory, proprietary, and fiscal land use tools. Examination of modern techniques for land use planning; consideration of constitutional limits of authority of state and local governments.  Focus on skills in interpreting, drafting and applying state legislation and local ordinances.
G 562 Land Use Planning Clinic 2 cr.  Offered every term.  Prereq. or coreq., EVST 561.  Same as GEOG 562.  Students assist local communities in long-range planning efforts and development of growth management plans as required by Montana law; ordinance drafting, development proposals, and land use issues. 
 G 563 Environmental Law I 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., graduate standing in EVST. Same as LAW 650. Philosophy and values underlying environmental regulation, basic introduction to administrative law, in-depth study of air and water pollution and the environmental policy acts. 
 G 564 Environmental Law II 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., graduate standing in EVST. Same as LAW 649. In-depth study of the laws addressing toxic substances and solid and hazardous waste, and the Endangered Species Act.  Exploration of interaction between land use regulation and environmental law.
 G 565 Public Land and Resources Law 3 cr.  Offered spring. Prereq., graduate standing in EVST and consent of instr. Same as LAW 654. Historical development of United States public land law, state-federal relations, and the roles of Congress, the executive and the courts; the law applying to specific public land resources:  water, minerals, timber, range, and preservation.
 G 566 Advanced Problems in Public Land and Resources Law 2 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., graduate standing in EVST and consent of instr. Same as LAW 619. Collaborative work on practical problems arising in public land and resources law and individual research and writing projects.
 G 567 Water Law 2 cr. Offered spring. Same as LAW 663. Interstate water problems; federal/state powers; federal/Indian water rights; Montana water law.
G 573 Environmental Writing 3 cr.  Offered autumn.  Prereq., graduate standing.  Writing workshop designed to improve skills in writing on environmental topics for general audiences. Approaches include personal narrative, natural history, science interpretation, advocacy/argument, place-based essays.  Includes analysis of published work from the perspective of technique and craft.
G 575 Seminar in Rhetoric and Environmental Controversy 3 cr.  Offered intermittently.  Same as COMM 575.  The study of how advocates use symbols to influence meaning and action in environmental controversies.  Rhetorical concepts used to examine recurring strategies and tactics in specific controversies.
G 579 Advanced Natural Resources Conflict Resolution 3 cr.  (R-4) Offered autumn.  Same as FOR 579 and LAW 679.  Prereq., EVST 513 or consent of instr.  Current topics in theory and practice. Development and discussion of research topics.  Topics vary.
G 590 Supervised Internship PEAS Variable cr.  (R-8) Spring and autumn, 2 cr.; Summer intensive, 3 cr. Students learn small scale sustainable vegetable farming in a hands-on work environment at the PEAS farm (15 minute bike ride from campus).  Lectures, readings and reflection inform the work.  Summer students also visit local farms on a once-a week filed trips.  PEAS is repeatable, as the curriculum changes across the season, and students can attend any semester, though the 3 credit (grad level) summer intensive course is the heart of the program.
 G 593 Professional Paper Variable cr. (R-6) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., graduate standing in EVST.
 G 594 Graduate Seminar 3 cr. (R-15) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., graduate standing in EVST or consent of instr.  In-depth analysis of a current environmental topic.  Different topics offered each semester.
 G 595 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-9) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., graduate standing in EVST or consent of instr. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.  G 596 Independent Study Variable cr. (R-12) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., graduate standing in EVST. Work on selected problems by individual students under direct faculty supervision.
 G 597 Research Variable cr. (R-12) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., graduate standing in EVST. Directed individual graduate research and study appropriate to background and objectives of the student.
 G 598 Internship Variable cr. (R-8) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., graduate standing in EVST.  Practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus.
 G 599 Thesis Variable cr. (R-6) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., graduate standing in EVST.