Environmental Studies

What Is Environmental Studies ?

Environmental Studies (EVST) is the systematic study of the natural world and the interaction of humans with their own environment. The environmental issues and conflicts of this century are highly complex and transcend traditional academic disciplines. The goal of the Center for Environmental Studies at UC is to provide the interdisciplinary training and conceptual framework required to analyze and respond to the complex and dynamic environmental problems of the modern world.

The solutions to environmental issues and conflicts will continue to require expertise from the natural and social sciences such as biology, economics, engineering and political sciences, but the real-world solutions will also require a more interdisciplinary perspective. They require professionals who take a systems approach: an approach that addresses the complex interrelationships within and among components of natural, built and social environments.

The goal of our environmental studies curriculum is to produce professionals with a strong foundation in the key sciences who also "speak the languages" of the multiple disciplines involved in environmental problem solving and who have learned to interact in interdisciplinary teams. The curriculum includes courses that examine the biological environment (e.g., biology and ecology), the physical environment (e.g., chemistry, geology and geography), and the social-human environment (e.g., policy, ethics and economics). The curriculum also emphasizes the acquisition of "tools of the trade," such as field and lab skills, data analysis, the identification of plants and animals, and computer-based approaches such as satellite remote sensing and geographic information systems.

Success Factors

The keys to success in environmental studies are both a curiosity about and a passion for the natural world. The complex nature of environmental issues and solutions also requires creativity in problem-solving, flexibility, imagination and a talent for both written and oral communication. Successful students have strong analytical and critical thinking skills and an interest in the sciences that form the foundation of UC’s approach to environmental studies.

Career Possibilities

Graduates of environmental studies may choose to pursue professional careers after the BS or to continue their studies in either graduate schools (masters or PhDs in fields such as biology, ecology or environmental science/studies) or professional schools (e.g., law school, education, or medicine). Career opportunities include positions in federal, state and local agencies, corporations, nonprofit organizations, consulting firms and academic institutions. Examples of potential careers include:

• Air or water pollution analyst
• Aquatic ecologist 
• Resource, land or lake management 
• Ecologist or biological researcher 
• Environmental agency or nonprofit official
• Environmental consultant 
• Environmental risk assessor
• Environmental attorney 
• Environmental compliance analyst
• Hydrologist/limnologist
• Park naturalist or ranger
• Environmental mediator/negotiator
• Hazardous waste manager
• Satellite remote sensing

• Geographic information systems specialist 
• Conservation biologist 
• Natural resource specialist
• Environmental protection specialist
• Wetlands/grasslands restoration specialist 
• Zoologist/wildlife biologist
• Waterway restoration specialist
• Policy analyst

Additional career options are listed on the Career Development Center's Web site.

Major Details

One of the key advantages of the environmental studies curriculum is its diversity and flexibility. Students start with a unified core of courses but can specialize in areas of concentration by selecting upper-level electives, research opportunities and internships that reflect their interests and long-term goals. Although much of the curriculum draws on courses offered from across the colleges of the university, it unifies students in the program through two unique sequences. Both are team taught by environmental studies faculty and cover the diverse areas and skills of the various disciplines that make up this uniquely interdisciplinary field.

The introductory sequence integrates lectures, case studies, videos and Web exploration. The second, the two-quarter environmental studies capstone sequence, is a projects-based course that provides opportunities for seniors to apply what they have learned to real-world situations, sites and problems.

Students work with the environmental studies advisor to design an elective track suited to their long-term goals. Program electives are available from environmental studies, numerous other A&S departments, the College of Engineering, and the College of Design, Art, and Architecture. The approved list of electives is frequently updated and can be obtained from the environmental studies Web site or the environmental studies office (612 Rieveschl). Other curricular aspects of the program include seminar series, a student environmental organization (LEAP), professional development workshops and internships. The degree program is 180 total credits.

McMicken College's flexible degree requirements allow for and highly encourage students to pursue multiple areas of study. Free electives allow for enough credits for students to pursue a minor, certificate program or even complete a second major. Some of the most common pairings are listed below.

• Anthropology
• Biochemistry
• Biology 
• Chemistry
• Economics
• Geography
• Geology
• Journalism
• Political science
• Spanish

Minor Details

Curriculum

This curriculum information is intended as a general information guide for students considering enrollment in this major. These online tools are designed to assist you, but are not a substitute for planning with an academic or faculty advisor.

If you are currently enrolled at UC, you can audit your degree online. If you are considering transferring to this major from another school use the course applicability system (CAS) to see how credits you have earned will apply to this major at UC. For course descriptions by college, click here.

Majors should see the departmental advisor early in their program to discuss their interests and departmental requirements and to plan their schedule. After the sophomore year, students may be considered for an environmental internship, which counts toward their upper-level elective requirements. Environmental studies student internships have ranged from the EPA and the National Park Service to local and national nonprofits, such as the Cincinnati Zoo and the Wilderness Society.

*Needed to fulfill A&S college requirements as outlined in the A&S checklist. Approved course lists are available at the A&S Office of Student Affairs and Advising (102 McMicken Hall) or on the A&S Web site (www.artsci.uc.edu).

**Fulfills both A&S and environmental studies program requirements for graduation

Special Opportunities

Students in the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences enjoy many benefits afforded through study at a research-intensive institution ranked among the nation's top 25 public research universities. UC's urban, Tri-state location offers exciting opportunities for global education, research and service learning, while its student-centered focus includes an 11:1 student-faculty ratio, a nationally recognized Center for Exploratory Studies and a highly successful First Year Experience program that teaches critical skills for first-year students and provides connections with important campus resources.

Special Programs

The Center for Environmental Studies and UC present an ideal physical and intellectual location in which to study environmental issues and solutions, and it is the only local four-year program at a research university that produces broadly trained, interdisciplinary environmental professionals. Cincinnati is an urban area surrounded by rural communities; this urban-to-wild land gradient provides an array of diverse ecosystems for academic study and research. As such, the local environment is challenged by both the municipal and industrial needs of a city, and the broad impact of activities such as farming and land management.

Fortunately, the University of Cincinnati is home to a diverse faculty and a rich curriculum that actively address environmental issues and problems. Faculty in the center have many interests and are drawn from several departments of the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences (e.g., the center, biological sciences, geography, geology, economics and communication), the Colleges of Engineering and Design, Art, Architecture & Planning, and from professional scientists of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The expertise within the university is supplemented by the presence of three major research divisions of the EPA: the National Center for Environmental Assessment, the National Environmental Research Laboratory and the National Risk Management Research Laboratory. The close proximity (across the street!) of the EPA facility markedly expands the resources available to environmental research and education, and many UC students have held positions and internships at the EPA. Additional opportunities include affiliated student environmental groups such as LEAP (Leaders for Environmental Awareness and Protection -- named student group of the year for 2005-2006), undergraduate research opportunities, and internships with local or national agencies and organizations.

Admission Requirements

Admission criteria for this program vary based on the relative strength of test scores, class rank and GPA. Please see the Freshman Class Profile for this major in the Quick Facts sidebar on this page for the range of academic credentials typically accepted into this program. Test scores in the lower range may be acceptable with higher class rank and/or GPA. Freshmen applying to this program should also have completed the following state of Ohio articulation requirements with no more than two units missing:

• English (4 units)*
• College-preparatory mathematics (3 units)*
• Science (2 units)
• Social science (2 units)
• Foreign language (2 units)*
• Fine arts (1 unit)
• Additional college-prep subjects (2 units)

*McMicken College of Arts & Sciences does not allow units missing from these areas.

Transfer Requirements

Applicants to A&S whose most recent enrollment was not in any of the UC colleges must apply to the Office of Admissions. Applicants in this category must submit transcripts for all secondary school and college-level work. A cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all college-level work is required for admission consideration. Admission to A&S is generally available for any off-campus applicants who have received the associate degree from an accredited college or university and whose cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher.

Although midyear off-campus transfer students are not able to participate in priority registration in the quarter prior to their enrollment, they are included in the summer registration period prior to their fall quarter enrollment.

Changing Major Requirements

Applicants to A&S whose most recent enrollment was as a degree student in one of UC’s other colleges can apply directly to the A&S college office. Admission to A&S is generally available for any on-campus students who have:

• at least a 2.0 GPA in all college-level courses (both at UC and at other institutions),
• successfully completed two quarters of English Composition or its equivalent, and
• gained credit for a college-level mathematics course.

Further details on individual programs are available online or in the A&S Office of Undergraduate Affairs and Advising (102 McMicken Hall).

Graduation Requirements

In addition to meeting the university's General Education requirements, the requirements listed in the McMicken College Core Requirements are common to all potential graduates of the college, whether they are pursuing the bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, or bachelor of interdisciplinary studies degree.

Application Deadlines

UC operates on a quarter system, with 10-week grading periods beginning in late September, early January, late March and mid-June. While midyear admission is possible, the fall is generally the best time to enter the college, since many course sequences begin in that quarter. Applicants to Arts & Sciences who are enrolled or who were previously enrolled as degree students in A&S or in other UC colleges should apply for admission directly to A&S (in McMicken 102). All other applicants who wish to earn an undergraduate degree from A&S should apply through the Office of Admissions (3rd Floor, University Pavilion).