Environmental Studies, B.A.

The Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary program that prepares students for careers dedicated to solving environmental challenges and building a sustainable, just, and climate-resilient future.

About the Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies

After nearly two decades of offering an Environmental Studies minor, the College of Liberal Arts now offers the interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies. Students evaluate vital environmental issues of today and learn how to become part of the range of innovative responses to current and future environmental challenges.

Program Information

• Degree: B.A. in Environmental Studies
• Required Credit Hours: 120
• Program Type: Major
• Program Location: Oxford
• School: College of Liberal Arts

Academic Requirements

Students in the College of Liberal Arts earning the B.A. degree have a common set of 48-50 hours of general education. The specific courses taken to complete the categories of general education may differ between majors.

Categories of General Education:

• First Year Writing I, II
• English Literature Survey
• Modern or Ancient Language
• History
• Additional Humanities
• Fine or Performing Arts Appreciation
• Mathematics
• Social Sciences
• Natural Sciences

Major in Environmental Studies

Students majoring in Environmental Studies complete 38 hours of coursework. At least 16 of these credit hours can also be counted toward completion of the College of Liberal Arts general education requirements in humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

Required Introductory Courses:

• Envs 101: Introduction to the Environmental Humanities
• Anth 105: Introduction to Environment and Society
• Natural Sciences: students select one of the following introductory biology courses:
  • Bisc 111: The Environment: Integrated Exploration (lab included)
  • Bisc 104 & 105: Inquiring into Life: The Environment (and lab)
  • Bisc 162 & 163: Biological Sciences II (and lab)

Core Electives

One course from each category:

• Humanities core electives:
  • Phil 245/PPL 345: Environmental Ethics
  • Env 405: Nature Writing
• Social science core electives:
  • Anth 330: Environmental Anthropology
  • Anth 360/Geog 360: Political Ecology
  • Anth 417: Environmentalism: Society, Politics, Law
  • Anth 420: Environmental Archaeology
  • PPL 381: Global Environmental Issues
  • Psy 365: Environmental Psychology
• Natural Science core electives:
  • Envs 333/Bisc 322: General Ecology
  • Envs 333/Bisc 413: Conservation Biology
  • Chem 210: Environmental Chemistry I
  • Chem 202: Environmental Chemistry II
  • Geol 104: Environmental Geology: Hazards
  • Geol 105: Environmental Geology: Resources

Additional Requirements

• Envs 385: Internship in Environmental Studies
• Environmental Studies Capstone Colloquium (1 credit hour)

Approved List of Electives (15 hours)

A list of approved electives is provided, including courses from various departments such as Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, English, and more.

Minor in Environmental Studies

Students minoring in Environmental Studies complete 18 hours of courses.

• Envs 101: Humanities and the Environment or Envs 301: Advanced Humanities and the Environment
• 15 credit hours of approved electives, with a minimum of 3 hours in the social sciences and a minimum of 3 hours in the natural sciences.

Humanities Category

• Eng 388: Studies in British Environmental Lit
• Eng 389: Studies in American Environmental Lit
• Eng 391: Environmental Genres and Forms
• Eng 405: Nature Writing
• Eng 458: Southern Environmental Literature Writing
• Eng 494: Special Topics in Environmental Studies
• Eng 495: Literature and the Nonhuman
• Envs 311: Study Abroad - Environment & Humanities
• Envs 321: Special Topics in Humanities
• G St 391: Women, Gender, and the Environment
• Hst 355: Water in the Middle East
• Hst 453: Environmental History of the South
• Phil 345: Environmental Ethics
• Rel 390/Phil 348: Nature and Environment in Asian Religion
• S St 536: The Southern Environment

Natural Sciences Category

• Bisc 104: Inquiry into Life: The Environment
• Bisc 162: Biological Sciences II
• Envs 313: Study Abroad: Environment & Natural Science
• Envs 323: Special Topics in Natural Sciences
• Envs 333: Natural Sciences for Envs Minors
• Bisc 220: Natural Resource Management
• Bisc 318: Botany
• Bisc 320: Introductory Marine Biology
• Bisc 321: Introduction to Aquatic Biology
• Bisc 322: General Ecology
• Bisc 329: Biology of Fishes
• Bisc 334: Ornithology
• Bisc 337: Introductory Entomology
• Bisc 342: Plant Diversity
• Bisc 345: Symbiosis
• Bisc 349: Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives
• Bisc 350: Mammalogy
• Bisc 413: Conservation Biology
• Bisc 443: Ecology of Plant Communities of MS
• Bisc 502: Mycology
• Bisc 510: Theoretical Ecology
• Bisc 512: Animal Behavior
• Bisc 522: Microbial Ecology
• Bisc 524: Aquatic Botany
• Bisc 525: Conservation and Restoration Ecology
• CE 471: Environmental Engineering
• Chem 103: Chemistry for Non Majors
• Chem 105: Chemistry for Majors
• Chem 201: Environmental Chemistry I
• Chem 202: Environmental Chemistry II
• Geol 104: Environmental Geology - Hazards
• Geol 105: Environmental Geology - Resources
• Geol 107: Introduction to Oceanography
• Phcl 347/547: Intro to Environmental Toxicology
• Phcl 349: Specialized Topics in Environmental Health
• Phcl 381/581: Introduction to Toxicology

Social Sciences Category

• Anth 104/Geog 101: Intro to Human Geography
• Anth 105/Geog 105: Intro to Environment and Society
• Anth 319: Environmental History of the South
• Anth 320: Archaeozoology: Animal Use in History
• Anth 330: Environmental Anthropology
• Anth 331: American Indians and the Natural World
• Anth 338: Food, Place, and Power
• Anth 360: Political Ecology
• Anth/Geog/Soc 362: Sustainable Development
• Anth 417: Environmentalism: Society, Politics, Law
• Econ 406: Environmental Economics
• Envs 312: Study Abroad - Environment & Social Science
• Envs 322: Special Topics in Social Sciences
• PPL 381: Global Environmental Issues
• Psy 350: Ecopsychology and International Youth
• Psy 365: Environmental Psychology
• Soc 411: Environment, Technology, and Society

ENVS 385: Internship in Environmental Studies

The Internship in Environmental Studies (ENVS 385) provides a unique opportunity to gain valuable pre-professional training through hands-on experience in environment-related work outside of the traditional classroom.

Internship Overview

ENVS 385 is a Z-graded, three-credit-hour course that may be repeated with approval. Envs majors are required to complete at least one internship during their studies. Envs minors are encouraged but not required to complete an internship for elective credit.

Requirements and Process for Enrolling in and Receiving Credit for an ENVS Internship

1. Before you begin the internship: You and the outfit youre interning for will fill out the internship agreement form and submit it to Envs for approval prior to the start of the internship.
2. During your internship: You and the outfit youre interning for must ensure that your work fulfills the terms of the internship outlined in the internship agreement form.
3. At the conclusion of the internship: Your supervisor at the interning site must complete the Final Intern Evaluation Form.
4. Within a year of completing your internship: Enroll in ENVS 385 and complete two independent projects during the semester in which you are enrolled.
5. Upon successful completion of the requirements for ENVS 385: You will receive Envs credit for your internship.

Affiliated Faculty

Meet the faculty members teaching Environmental Studies courses, including their names, titles, and departments.

Where are our Environmental Studies graduates working?

A sample of positions held by alumni of the Environmental Studies minor, categorized by field (Law, Policy, and Government; Environmental Research; Environmental Education and Advocacy; Private Sector Work).

Alumni Spotlight

Meet some of the alumni of the minor in Environmental Studies, including their stories, career paths, and achievements.

Choosing a Minor

Combine your study of the environment with many other subjects based on your interests and career goals. Explore various minors offered by the College of Liberal Arts.

University of Mississippi

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