2013-2014 Course Catalog

Environmental Studies

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

Phil Condon, Director

The Environmental Studies Program (EVST) seeks to provide students with the literacy, skills and commitment needed to foster a healthy natural environment and to create a more sustainable, equitable, and peaceful world.  To these ends, the EVST program educates and challenges students to become knowledgeable, motivated, and engaged in environmental affairs.  We want our students to acquire the skills and awareness that will enable them to promote positive social change and to improve the environment and communities of Montana and thereby the lives of all Montanans.  Our program is organized upon the following principles:

• -Environmental studies require an interdisciplinary approach that integrates the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
• -Creating solutions to environmental problems requires enterprise and performance as well as reflection; therefore, an effective environmental education generates thinkers who can do as well as doers who can think.
• -It is important to provide both classroom and experiential learning opportunities in the arts and responsibilities of democratic citizenship, including communication, collaboration, and committed civic participation.
• -Students should be co-creators of their educational experience.

High School Preparation: Students in high school who are planning to major in environmental studies should take their schools’ college preparatory curriculum.  Courses in biology, chemistry, math through pre-calculus, and writing are recommended.

Special Degree Requirements

Refer to graduation requirements listed previously in the catalog (see index).  For the Bachelor of Arts degree, every major in environmental studies will complete the following requirements:
Environmental Studies: ENSC 105N (EVST 101N), ENST 230H, 201, 225, ENSC 360, ENST 398 (EVST 167H, 201, 225, 360, 398), one of the following two courses: ENST 382 or 367 (EVST 302 or 367), one of the following two courses: ENST 335 L or 430 (EVST 305L or 430), one of the following two courses: ENST 489S or 487 (EVST 477S or 487), and at least 9 credits selected from 300 and/or 400 level courses offered by Environmental Studies (of which no more than 3 credits may be from EVST 382, 383 or  PTRM 418 (EVST 418) or ENST 395 in the current catalog).
Required courses outside Environmental Studies: BIOB 101N or BIOB 160N or BIOB 170N (BIOL 100N or 110N or 108N); CHMY 121N (CHEM 151N); STAT 216 (MATH 241), and one, 3 credit NAS course from among the following: NASX 105H, 231X, 303E, 304E, 354X, 340, 306X, or 488 (NAS 100H, 231, 303E, 301E, 324X, 329, 341, or 410) or NASX 201X, 235X (NASL 201X, 202L (NAS 201H, 202)), a two semester foreign language sequence, and one additional environmental science course from among the following: ERTH 303N/GPHY 322N, GEO 108N (GEOS 108N) (provided it was not used to satisfy the first requirement listed above), BIOB 170N, BIOO 335 (BIOL 108N, BIOL 350), NRSM 265 or 385 (FOR 265 or FOR 385).
The Upper-division Writing Expectation must be met by successfully completing an upper-division writing course from the approved list in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of this catalog.  See index.

Focus Areas of Study for Undergraduates

All Focus Areas of Study require the completion of the general requirements of the EVST major.  In addition, each Focus Area has additional special requirements below.

Sustainability Studies:

Sustainability is a major organizing theme within Environmental Studies. Students focusing on this area will increase their understanding of our earth's limited capacity to support all forms of life and to provide for the needs of human society.

Students will learn how to reduce our demands on the earth through increased resource efficiency and choosing simpler but more joyful lifestyles. Students have the opportunity to identify and develop more sustainable means of providing food, shelter, mobility and other necessities by working and innovating in the local community. Students complete 20 credits of advisor-approved courses and/or internships and may further focus their studies in these areas.

Sustainable Business: Students focus on creating and maintaining enterprises that meet social needs sustainably. Students should take ENST 291 (EVST 210) or TASK 160S (BUS 160S); ACTG 201 & 202 (ACCT 201 & 202); MIS 257 (IS 257); ENST 476 or 487 (EVST 485 or 487); COMX 349 (COMM 379); BMGT 357 (MGMT 457). Students should also intern with a local sustainable business or the Sustainable Business Council. Students interested in this focus area are encouraged to double major in Business Management and in addition to the core Business courses take some of these courses: BMGT 430, 426, 458 (MGMT 430, 446, 458). Faculty Advisor - Vicki Watson

Sustainable Energy: Students interested in sustainable energy should take ENST 204, 291, 480, and 494, (EVST 204, 210, 450, 460 and 470) and the energy related courses offered by the College of Technology. Students should arrange an energy related internship. Also recommended are ECNS 201S, 433 (ECON 111S, 440). Faculty advisors - Len Broberg and Josh Slotnick

Sustainable Food and Farming: Students focus on creating and maintaining sustainable food systems. Students must complete 6 supervised internship credits in the Program in Ecological Agriculture and Society (PEAS, ENST 396 (EVST 390)); ENST 430 and 480 (EVST 430 and 450). In addition, students must complete 9 more credits of advisor-approved courses or internships. These could include courses such as: ENSC 245N,  (FOR 210N), ANSC 262 (FOR 362), NRSM 424 (FOR 424); NUTR 221N (HHP 236N); PHAR 324; ANTY 133H (ANTH 103H); GPHY 434 (GEOG 434). Faculty advisors Neva Hassanein and Josh Slotnick.

Sustaining Water Resources & Watersheds: Students focus on sustainable use of water resources and watersheds. Students must complete 20 credits of advisor-approved courses or internships. These could include courses such as BIOO 340, BIOE 428, BIOO 409,  (BIOL 308, 366, 408)BIOL 415, BIOL 453, 454; CHMY 442 (CHEM 442); GPHY 335 (GEOG 335); GEO 260, 301, 320, 327, 460, 420 (GEOS 260, 301, 320, 327, 460, 480); ENSC 245N (FOR 210N), NRSM 385 & 386, 415, 455, 485 (FOR 385 & 386, 415, 455, 485). (Note: Some of these courses require prerequisites not in the environmental studies core requirements.) Students can also work with the UM Watershed Health Clinic. Faculty advisor - Vicki Watson

Environmental Justice: With this focus area students will develop the capacity for thoughtful active participation in the quest for environmental and social justice. Students gain in-depth understandings of a wide range of environmental injustices and the role of race, class, and gender in shaping quality of life, enjoyment of environmental amenities and access to natural resources both domestically and internationally. Students learn about the ways that business, government, financial institutions, and the labor and environmental movements can work toward a more just and sustainable society. Students must complete 21 credits including the following: ENST 489S, 487 (EVST 477S, 487), a 3 credit internship ENST 398 (EVST 398) and 12 credits of advisor-approved electives (contact Robin Saha for a list of recommended courses). Faculty advisors - Robin Saha and Dan Spencer.

Environmental Science: Students will develop sufficient science literacy to qualify as environmental scientists. Students should double major or minor in one of the scientific disciplines on campus and/or consult with the EVST science advisor to design a course of study that includes at least 40 credits in science & math. Faculty advisor - Vicki Watson.

Environmental Writing and Literature: Students focus on the careful reading of American Nature & Environmental Nonfiction Writing and the creative writing of their own work in the field.  Students must complete ENST 335L and 373A (EVST 305L, 373A); at least one 3 credit course at the 200-level or above in CRWR (ENCR) or LIT or JRNL (JOUR); at least either one internship credit (Camas magazine, the Environmental Writing Institute, Wild Mercy Reading Series, or some other environmental publication); or one independent study credit ENST 492 (EVST 496), arranged with instructor in either original nature writing or in nature literature study.  Faculty advisor - Phil Condon

Environmental Pre-Law: The Pre-Law focus area of study is designed to prepare students for law school and a career in environmentally oriented legal and policy matters. Students focusing on environmental law must consult with the pre-law faculty advisor within environmental studies (Len Broberg) to design a suitable pre-law program. The pre-law focus area is a flexible program that allows students to strengthen their background within their area of interest. Faculty advisor - Len Broberg

Suggested Course of Study

Requirements for a Minor

To earn a minor the student must complete 25 credits. The following courses must be completed: ENSC 105N (EVST 101N), ENST 230H, 225, (EVST 167H, 225) and one of these ecology courses: BIOE 172N (BIOL 121N), ENSC 360 (EVST 360), FORS 330 (FOR 330), or BIOE 370 (BIOL 340). The remaining credits can be from any other upper-division Environmental Science or Studies courses.

Courses

R- before the course description indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R. Credits beyond this maximum do not count toward a degree.

Environmental Studies (ENST) - Course Descriptions

201, 204, 225, 230H, 291, 294, 295, 335L, 367, 373A, 377, 382, 391, 395, 396, 398, 420, 430, 476, 480, 487, 489S, 491, 492, 493, 494, 499, 502, 204, 505, 513, 515, 520, 521, 525, 531, 537, 542, 548, 555, 560, 561, 562, 563, 564, 565, 566, 567, 573, 575, 579, 590, 593, 594, 595, 596, 597, 598, 599

Environmental Sciences (ENSC) - Course Descriptions

105N, 191, 245N, 360, 398, 491, 492, 495, 501, 540, 550, 551, 594, 596, 598

Faculty

Professors

Len Broberg, Ph.D., University of Oregon, 1995

Phil Condon, M.F.A., M.S., The University of Montana, 1989, 2000 (Director)

Neva Hassanein, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1997

Vicki Watson, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1981

Associate Professors

Fletcher Brown, Ph.D., Miami University, 1994

Robin Saha, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2002

Daniel Spencer, Ph.D., Master of Divinity, Union Theological Seminary, New York, 1994, 1983

Emeritus Professor

Thomas M. Roy, M.A., University of Chicago, 1966

Lecturer

Joshua Slotnick, MPS, Cornell University, 1995; Certificate in Ecological Horticulture, University of California Santa Cruz, 1991

Instructor

Rosalyn LaPier, M.A., DePaul University, 2000