Environmental Studies Courses
This page includes all the core courses and electives included in the Environmental Studies program. Not every course is offered every semester. Majors should take the core sequence in order. Go to our BA and Minor Requirements page to learn more.
Core Courses
The Cornerstone is like “boot camp” for the program. The course is designed for students who have declared the major or minor and are ready to dive into interdisciplinary work. It offers an overview of environmental teaching and research at OU; emphasizes the importance of integrating disciplinary perspectives on environmental topics; and gives students experience working on teams and interacting with faculty and professionals in environmental fields. Most importantly, it trains students to plan an independent research project on an environmental topic - that plan is like the term paper for the course. (Fall)
The Research Project is an independent study of an environmental issue with one or more faculty members. Students will carry out the plan they developed in the Cornerstone and gain experience conducting in-depth academic research. Under faculty supervision, students will mostly work independently, gaining experience with methods appropriate to the topic they are investigating, and also with ways to organize and present their findings. Note: students can fulfill this requirement by taking some other “high impact” experience—e.g. an internship, a service learning class, or a study abroad program. (Fall, Spring, Summer)
The Seminar involves intensive study of models of interdisciplinary scholarship—major academic works that integrate multiple disciplines. It furthers students’ training in taking an interdisciplinary approach to the environment. By presenting exemplary scholarship, the course aims to help students recognize rigorous standards for interdisciplinary work, which they can then apply to their work in other courses or projects. (Fall)
The Capstone is the culmination of the Environmental Studies major. Earlier classes help students integrate knowledge about environmental issues gained from a range of disciplines. In the Capstone, they apply that skill in a service learning experience that addresses a local commuinty's environmental concern. Sutdents work in teams to synthesize an interdisciplinary understanding of the issue at hand, and then propose a scientifically and socially informed, and ethically justified, policy response. (Spring)
The Learning Community deepens students’ immersion in the Environmental Studies culture of interdisciplinary interaction. Majors must take this one-hour class at least three times; minors must take it at least once. Students engage in a variety of activities including workshops on career planning; visits from environmental professionals; environmentally related service projects; and presentations on academic and policy topics (among others). Majors should take the Learning Community concurrently with the Cornerstone class; as they carry out their Research in Environmental Studies; and one additional semester. (Fall, Spring)
Electives
Majors must take 15 elective hours:
- two interdisciplinary electives
- three single-disciplinary electives
Minors must take 9 elective hours:
- two interdisciplinary electives
- one single-disciplinary elective outside the area of their major
List of all Environmental Studies electives:
There may be some discrepancies between the course lists available here and the lists found on the OU Catalog. If you have questions, please contact Environmental Studies (environmentalstudies@ou.edu).
Category Key:
- #ID: Interdisciplinary
- #NS: Natural Sciences
- #SS: Social Sciences
- #HU: Humanities
- #AD: Applied Disciplines
| Category | Course Title | GenEd Type | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|---|
| #ID | ENST 1013: Consumption and the Environment | III. Social Science | None |
| #ID | ENST 3303: Food, Agriculture & Environment | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #ID | ENST 3263: Ecotourism | None | ENST 1013 or ENST 2623, junior standing, or permission of instructor |
| #ID | ENST 3463: Water and Ecological Sustainability | II. Natural Science | Junior standing and English 1213 or Expository Writing 1213, Biology 1114 or Biology 1124 or Biology 1134, or permission of instructor |
| #ID | ENST 3503: Energy Use, Climate Change and The Environment | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #ID | ENST 3633: Wilderness Philosophy | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #ID | ENST 3653: Community Conservation | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #ID | ENST 3713: Nature in the City | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #ID | GEOG 3043: Living with Nature | None | Junior standing or department permission |
| #NS | BIOL 1005: Concepts in Biology | II. Natural Science w/lab | None, but high school or college chemistry is recommended |
| #NS | BIOL 1013: Introduction to Biology | II. Natural Science | None |
| #NS | BIOL 1134: Introductory Biology: Evolution, Ecology and Diversity | II. Natural Science w/lab | Life science majors only |
| #NS | BIOL 2103: Everyday Evolution | II. Natural Science | Sophomore standing |
| #NS | BIOL/PBIO 2404: Ecology/Environmental Quality | II. Natural Science w/lab | Sophomore standing |
| #NS | BIOL 3083: Animal Behavior | None | 2013 or permission of instructor |
| #NS | BIOL 3403: Principles of Ecology | None | BIOL 1114 and BIOL 1121, or BIOL 1134, or PBIO 1114 |
| #NS | BIOL 3463: Water and Ecological Sustainability | II. Natural Science | Junior standing and English 1213 or Expository Writing 1213, BIOL 1114 or BIOL 1124 or BIOL 1134, or permission of instructor |
| #NS | BIOL 3563: Biological Conservation | None | BIOL 1114 and BIOL 1121, or BIOL 1134, or BOT/PBIO 1114 |
| #NS | BIOL 4423: Stream Ecology | None | ZOO/BIOL 1124, or ZOO/BIOL 1114 and ZOO/BIOL 1121; and Biology 1134; junior or senior standing, or permission of instructor |
| #NS | BIOL 4433: Freshwater Fish Ecology | None | Two college science courses that include a laboratory, one of which should be in biological sciences or permission of UOBS Director |
| #NS | BIOL 4463: Lake Ecology | None | CHEM 1315, PHYS 1205 or 2414, and BIOL 3403, or permission of instructor |
| #NS | BIOL 4553: Wetlands Ecology | None | Two college science courses that include a laboratory, one of which should be in biological sciences or permission of UOBS Director |
| #NS | BIOL 4573: Conservation Genetics | None | 3333 or permission of the instructor |
| #NS | ENST 2203: Ecosystem Impacts of Climate Change | II. Natural Science | None |
| #NS | ENST 3603: Global Perspectives of Wildlife Conservation | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #NS | ENST 3663: Hot Topics in Wildlife Conservation | None | ENST 2623 or ENST 3613 or permission of adviser or instructor |
| #NS | ENST 3743: Biological Invasion and Society | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #NS | GEOG 1114: Physical Geography | II. Natural Science w/lab | None |
| #NS | GEOG 3023: Principles of Physical Geography | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #NS | GEOG 4283: Biogeography | None | Junior or senior standing |
| #NS | GEOL 1024: The History of the Earth and Life | II. Natural Science w/lab | None |
| #NS | GEOL/METR 1034: Native Science and Earth Systems of North America | II. Natural Science w/lab | None |
| #NS | GEOL 1104: The Dynamic Earth (Geology for non-Science Majors) | II. Natural Science w/lab | None |
| #NS | GEOL 1114: Physical Geology for Science and Engineering Majors | II. Natural Science w/lab | Equivalent knowledge of high school chemistry, algebra and trigonometry |
| #NS | GEOL/AGSC 2014: The Earth System | II. Natural Science w/lab | None |
| #NS | GEOL 3013: Geology of Oklahoma | II. Natural Science | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #NS | GEOL 3033: Earth Resources & the Environment | II. Natural Science | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #NS | GEOL/METR 4533: Earth’s Past Climate | None | Senior or graduate standing, or permission of instructor |
| #NS | MBIO/METR/PBIO 4693: Environmental Sampling Methods | None | Diverse STEM background; permission of instructor; senior standing |
| #NS | METR 1014: Introduction to Weather and Climate | II. Natural Science w/lab | None |
| #NS | METR 4543: Global Climate Change | None | See course catalog |
| #NS | METR 4553: Climate and Renewable Energy | None | Junior standing |
| #NS | PBIO 3453: Principles of Plant Ecology | None | PBIO 1114 or Biology 1134 or permission of instructor |
| #SS | ANTH 1913: Plagues and People: Health and Disease in Human Society | III. Social Science | None |
| #SS | ANTH 3203: Introduction to Biological Anthropology | None | Sophomore standing or 3 credit hours in ANTH or concurrent enrollment in 3 credit hours of ANTH or permission of the instructor |
| #SS | ANTH 4783: Landscape Archaeology | IV. World Culture | Junior standing or 3 hours of ANTH |
| #SS | COMM 3563: Risk and Crisis Communication | None | COMM 1113 and junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #SS | ECON 3213: Environmental Economics | None | A grade of C or better in ECON 1123 |
| #SS | ENST 3023: Environmental Psychology | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor. |
| #SS | ENST 3223: Environmental Justice | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #SS | GEOG 1103: Human Geography | IV. Western Culture | None |
| #SS | GEOG 1203: Global Environmental Issues | III. Social Science | None |
| #SS | GEOG 3213: Principles of Human Geography | None | Upper-division standing or permission of instructor |
| #SS | GEOG 3233: Principles of Sustainability | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #SS | GEOG 3243: Principles of Economic Geography | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #SS | GEOG 3253: Environmental Conservation | III. Social Science | None |
| #SS | GEOG 3443: Environment and Society | III. Social Science | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #SS | GEOG 4343: Climate, History, and Society | II. Natural Science | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #SS | GEOG 4583: Energy Systems and Sustainability | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #SS | GEOG 4943: Natural Hazards | III. Social Science | Junior or senior standing |
| #SS | IAS 3863: Global Environment | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #SS | P SC 3233: Environmental Policy and Administration | None | 1113 |
| #SS | SOC 3893: Environment, Ecology and Society | None | SOC 1113 or permission of instructor |
| #HU | A HI 2803: Introduction to Native American Art | IV. World Culture | None |
| #HU | ENGL 3113: Nature/Environment/Science Writing | IV. Western Culture | ENGL 1213 or EXPO 1213 |
| #HU | GEOG 3843: Gender and Environment | III. Social Science | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #HU | GEOG 4143: History of Geography and Sustainability | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #HU | HIST 2063: History of Activism | IV. Western Culture | None |
| #HU | HIST 3383: The American West | IV. Western Culture | None |
| #HU | HIST 3493: American Environmental History | IV. Western Culture | None |
| #HU | HIST 4553: Environmental History of Latin America | IV. Non Western Culture | ENGL 1213 or EXPO 1213 |
| #HU | HSCI 1113: Science, Nature and Society: Historical Perspectives | IV. Western Culture | None |
| #HU | HSCI 2423: Social and Ethical Issues in Science, Technology, Environment and Medicine | IV. Western Culture | None |
| #HU | HSCI 3473: History of Ecology and Environmentalism | IV. Western Culture | Junior standing, or completion of one History of Science lower-division course, or permission of instructor |
| #HU | IAS 3193: Environment and Disease Crises in China | IV. Non Western Culture | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #HU | NAS 3313: Introduction to Native Peoples and Sustainability | None | Junior standing |
| #HU | PHIL 3293: Environmental Ethics | IV. Western Culture | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #AD | CEES 2313: Water Quality Fundamentals | None | CHEM 1415, MATH 2423 or MATH 2924 |
| #AD | CEES 3213: Water Resources Engineering | None | 2223 or permission of instructor |
| #AD | ENST 3243: Introduction to Water Law | None | English 1213/Expository Writing 1213, junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #AD | ENST 3213: Law and the Environment | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #AD | ENST 3313: Gardening, Community & Environment | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #AD | ENST 3723: Issues in Ecological Restoration | None | English 1213/Expository Writing 1213, junior standing or permission of instructor |
| #AD | GEOG/METR 3523: Managing for a Changing Climate | II. Natural Science | Junior or Senior standing |
| #AD | GEOG/RCPL 4003: The Global City and Planning Issues | None | English 1213 and junior standing |
| #AD | GEOG 4713: Dynamic Modeling of Socio-Environmental Systems | None | Senior standing or permission of instructor |
| #AD | GIS 4733: Environmental Remote Sensing | None | Either a course or hands-on experience in remote sensing, GIS, statistical analysis, computer programming, or permission of the instructor and adviser |
| #AD | L A 4103: Introduction to Landscape Architecture | IV. Artistic Forms | Junior standing and permission of instructor |
| #AD | L A 4423: Human Experience of the Environment | III. Social Science | Junior standing |
| #AD | L A 4743: Garden History from Ancient to Contemporary | IV. Western Culture | Junior standing |
| #AD | L A 4943: History and Theory of Landscape Architecture | None | Junior standing or permission of instructor |
Alternative Electives
If you have taken, or plan to take, a course—at OU, or elsewhere—that you think is appropriate as an elective, please contact Environmental Studies to submit it for approval (environmentalstudies@ou.edu). Please provide a course syllabus, including topics covered, readings, and descriptions of assignments, for the semester you took the class.
