Environmental Studies Major - pre 2008

NOTE: The requirements listed below only apply to students in the class of 2009, 2010, and 2011, having enrolled at St. Olaf College prior to 1 Jun 2008.

Overview of the Department

Environmental Studies combines the strengths of disciplinary work in the contributing departments together with interdisciplinary studies, giving both broad and focused perspectives on environmental problems and issues. The Environmental Studies Department offers a Major in Environmental Studies with three tracks in which students may choose to focus their work: Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Arts and Humanities. In many cases work in these tracks overlaps with traditional departmental curricula, and students may choose to complete a second major there.

All students majoring in Environmental Studies will take four courses from a common set of core offerings which emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of environmental problems and issues. Students then choose one of the three tracks in which to focus their work. Courses required from two cognate groups outside of the selected track provide essential knowledge, methods and perspectives to complement the focus. All majors complete an experiential component during their studies, and take a capstone course for a total of 12 required courses. Students wishing to count courses not specifically designated as satisfying requirements for the major may petition the ES Advisory Board prior to enrollment. Worksheets detailing the requirements for the natural sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities are available as PDF documents.

A set of guidelines for students designing a contract in the social sciences track is also available. Please note that Nov. 3 and March 15 are the semester deadlines for submission of contract proposals. Contracts must be submitted prior to the start of the Senior year unless prior arrangements are made with ES Chair.

The Department also offers a Concentration in Environmental Studies for students wishing to complement a disciplinary major with a smaller core of courses and electives focused on the environment.

The Environmental Studies Faculty awards  Distinction at Graduation to senior majors who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship and creativity in ES courses during their years at St. Olaf and who have participated in a significant project outside the required curriculum.  A set of guidelines for seniors (note March 15 deadline) wishing to apply is available as a PDF document.

Requirements for the Major

  1. CORE COURSES

    2. Core courses are listed in the academic catalog.
     
  2. COGNATE COURSES

    3. Each of the tracks requires selections of cognate courses from Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Humanities Cognate Groups. Those cognate groups are also listed in the academic catalog.
     
  3. SENIOR CAPSTONE

    4. Environmental Studies 399.  All students majoring in Environmental Studies and many ES Concentrators take the senior seminar in their final semester on campus.  The course generally focuses on local or regional environmental themes and issues.
     
  4. EXPERIENTIAL COMPONENT

    5. All students majoring in Environmental Studies will participate in an experience that applies basic knowledge in a setting beyond the classroom. This may be one of the off-campus environmental studies courses/programs, or an internship, or a research project approved by the Chair. Guidelines and a set of approved courses are available from the chair and are posted here.

Tracks in the Environmental Studies Major