2021-2022 Humboldt State University Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2021-2022 Humboldt State University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Environmental Studies, B.A.


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Degrees & Academic Programs A-Z Listing

Do you love the natural world but also love thinking about culture, people, politics, media, economics, history, literature, art, and identity? Do you want to save the planet and also make the world a more equitable place for all its inhabitants? Do you want to develop a wide range of skills to address the world’s most pressing environmental and social dilemmas? Consider an interdisciplinary Environmental Studies degree at HSU.

Environmental studies provides students with tools for understanding the complex relationships between human communities and both “natural” and built environments. The program cultivates critical analysis of environmental problems using tools from a variety of disciplines, helps students analyze  environmental messages and communicate them effectively, and enables them to act as informed citizens and professionals. This requires knowledge of earth systems science as well as human systems, informed by careful reflection upon ethical concerns and societal values. Students tailor their focus in the degree by choosing a suite of applied courses in one of the “emphasis area” options: Ecology and Conservation Science, Geospatial Analysis, Media Production, Community Organizing, or Appropriate Technology.

A bachelor’s degree requires a total of 120 units. For a description of degree requirements to be fulfilled in addition to those listed below for the major, please see “Bachelor’s Degree Requirements ”.

Requirements for the Major (55-62 units)

Complete all courses in the major with a C- or better.

Core Courses (31 Units)


The following core courses are required for all majors.

Emphases (9-11 Units)


Complete one emphasis to fulfill the requirements of the major.

The emphasis areas are designed to provide students with skills that complement the core Environmental Studies curriculum. Emphases are not listed on your diploma or transcripts, but you can highlight this additional skill-set on your resume and elsewhere.

Appropriate Technology Emphasis (10 Units)


Ecology and Conservation Science Emphasis (9-11 Units)


Complete one of the following:

Geospatial Analysis Emphasis (6-7 Units)


Complete one of the following options.

Media Production Emphasis (9 Units)


Complete 6 units from the following:

Environmental Studies Program Learning Outcomes


Students completing this program will be able to:

  • demonstrate understanding of how environmental challenges involve multiple perspectives and social contexts, and recognize the role of power and privilege in shaping them
  • demonstrate literacy with earth systems
  • use humanistic, creative, and social scientific approaches to understand environmental challenges
  • understand how different research methods lead to diverse environmental knowledges
  • critically evaluate normative claims about and representations of the environment.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Degrees & Academic Programs A-Z Listing