Majoring in Environmental Science

Breadcrumb

What You'll Learn, See, and Do as an Environmental Science Major

  • Understand the implications of global climate change
  • Think creatively to imagine and propose sustainable energy strategies
  • Explore the challenges of maintaining biodiversity
  • Learn to manage the risks associated with large-scale natural phenomena such as earthquakes, floods, and fires.

Sample Courses in Environmental Science

Urban Ecosystem Ecology

Urban ecosystems represent approximately 2% of all available land, yet they house more than 50% of the world’s population. The ecology of urban ecosystems, therefore, is shaped by the interaction between human activity and the natural system. Cities are in part responsible for the environmental burden of air pollution, water waste, and land use change that can take place both within and outside the urban center. This course explores spatial and temporal connotations of both the physical components of urban areas, their functions and processes, as well as the social fabric of cities, with particular focus on environmental justice and social inequities. Cities are essential for a sustainable future and the study of urban ecology is critical to offer solutions to pressing socio-environmental issues.

Climate Change and Society

This course focuses on climate change and how it influences and is caused by human societies. Topics include current climate issues and brief science behind it, human use of resources, energy, and food, globalization and the inequality in sustainability/impact of climate change. 

Polymers and Plastics

This course covers the chemistry and origins of plastics and the relationship to the oil industry, the sources of pollution, the fate of plastics upon exposure to sun and salt, the current state of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and environmental concerns with persistent plastic pollution. Students also learn about the synthesis and decomposition products of biodegradable plastics, thermal stability, recycling, and mitigation. In the laboratory portion of the course, students make and explore the properties of various plastics as well as test and develop methods for detection of micro and nanoplastics via collection of soil and sand from Whittier's local water sources.

The information provided on this page is meant to provide an overview of the required courses. 

Please see the Program Coordinators for in-depth information and guidance. Similarly, refer to the College Catalog for detailed information about course prerequisites, course frequency, and additional course requirements. 

Six Required Environmental Science Courses 

  • ENVS 100 |Introduction to Environmental Science
  • ENVS 230 | The Chemical Nature of Our Environment
  • ENVS 251 | Ecology and Evolution of Organisms
  • ENVS 301| Environmental Analysis and Law
  • ENVS 496 A and ENVS 496B | Senior Seminar

One Math Course

  • MATH 085 | Precalculus Mathematics or above

One Statistics Course

  • MATH 80 | Elementary Statistics | 3 credits 
  • PSYC/SOC 214 | Statistics | 4 credits 

At least five additional Environmental Science Courses from the list below

  • ENVS 050 | Practicing Urban Agriculture
  • ENVS 070 | Environmental Science Colloquium
  • ENVS 200 | Biological Anthropology
  • ENVS 210 | Climate Change and Society
  • ENVS 218 | Insects and People
  • ENVS 220 | Agricultural Supply Chains: Coffee
  • ENVS 230 | The Actual Cost of Energy
  • ENVS 242 | Urban Ecosystem Ecology
  • ENVS 255 | Spatial analysis in Environmental Science
  • ENVS 330 | Soils and Environmental Geomorphology
  • ENVS 340 | Polymers and Plastics
  • ENVS 352 | Long-Term Environmental Change
  • ENVS 355 | Plant Biology
  • ENVS 360 | World Views (taught abroad in different countries)
  • ENVS 384 | Marine Biology

One Environmental Studies Course

The information provided on this page is meant to provide an overview of the required courses. 

Please see the Program Coordinators for in-depth information and guidance. Similarly, refer to the College Catalog for detailed information about course prerequisites, course frequency, and additional course requirements. 

Required Courses

ENVS 100 Introduction to Environmental Science
ENST 301 Environmental Analysis, Policy and Law
ENST 323 Environmental Anthropology
Two additional ENVS courses at the 300-level or above
 

One Statistics Course

MATH 080 Elementary Statistics
PSYC 214 Statistics + PSYC 214L Statistics - SPSS
SOC 214 Statistics + SOC 214L Statistics - SPSS