The Environmental Studies degree prepares students for a number of interesting and challenging careers. Its interdisciplinary nature provides students with tools that can be applied across a spectrum of science, social behavior, and humanities, using the strengths of the various areas. Students seeking journalistic or artistic careers will gain a scientific background by which to understand environmental science, while students going into the sciences will appreciate the social, political, and ethical dimensions of environmental actions and policy decisions.
Degree Requirements
- Students who change degree programs and select this major must adopt the most current catalog.
- Students must have declared an Environmental Studies major at least two semesters before graduation.
- Research, Internship, and Independent study credit cannot be used in this major without approval from the Interdisciplinary Studies Advising Office and Program Director.
- Co-op credit cannot be used in the major.
- Students must earn at least a "C" (2.0) grade in each course required for the major.
- Students must consult with an academic advisor when entering the program.
- Courses designated in 1 (General Education Program) and 2 (Common Program Prerequisites) are usually completed in the first 60 hours.
- Students wishing to earn an Environmental Studies degree as a double degree, double major, or second degree, must complete all advanced level core requirements and restricted electives exclusive of credits done for the other degree(s) and/or major(s), including any minors associated with that degree.
- Courses taken to satisfy basic and advanced core requirements cannot be used as in the Sciences or Communication and Planning track electives.
Degree Requirements
Environmental Studies Core: Basic Level
4 Total Credits
Life Sciences- Complete the following:
- PCB3044 - Principles of Ecology (3)
- PCB3044L - Principles of Ecology Laboratory (1)
Environmental Studies Core: Advanced Level
25 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Complete the following:
- EVR3008 - Foundations of Environmental Studies (3)
- GIS3043C - GIS for Environmental Studies (3)
- GIS4301C - Advanced GIS Applications in Environmental Studies (4)
- EVR3085 - Interdisciplinary Research Methods for Environmental Studies (3)
- EVR3021 - The Science of Sustainability (3)
- Complete at least 2 of the following:
- ECP3302 - Economics and the Environment (3)
- PUP3203 - Environmental Politics (3)
- SYD4510 - Environment and Society (3)
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- PHI3640 - Environmental Ethics (3)
- PHI3033 - Philosophy, Religion, and the Environment (3)
- PHI4633 - Ethics and Biological Science (3)
- WST4349 - Ecofeminism (3)
Restricted Electives
18 Total Credits
- Complete 1 of the following
Communication and Planning Track- Complete all of the following
- Earn at least 18 credits from the following:
- ANT3541 - Biobehavioral Anthropology (3)
- ANT4051 - Environmental Anthropology (3)
- ECP4303 - Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (3)
- ENC3241 - Writing for the Technical Professional (3)
- ENC4360 - Nature Writing (3)
- INR4351 - International Environmental Law (3)
- PAD3330 - Urban and Regional Planning (3)
- PAD4351 - Issues in Environmental Program Management (3)
- PHI3033 - Philosophy, Religion, and the Environment (3)
- PHI3640 - Environmental Ethics (3)
- PHI4400 - Philosophy of Science (3)
- PHM4031 - Environmental Philosophy (3)
- PLA4554 - Environmental Law (3)
- PUP3204 - Sustainability (3)
- PUP4209 - Urban Environmental Policy (3)
- ANT3290 - Anthropology of Plants and People (3)
- ANT3550C - Primatology (3)
- ANT3701 - Engagement & Social Change: Public Anthropology (3)
- ANT4123 - Archaeology of Coastal Societies (3)
- ANT4187 - Paleoethnobotany (3)
- ANT4467 - Nutritional Anthropology (3)
- ANT4480 - Global Health in Anthropological Perspective (3)
- BSC4861L - Urban Ecological Field Studies (3)
- CPO4794 - Indigenous Politics and the Environment (3)
- ENV3001 - Environmental Engineering (3)
- ENV4341 - Sustainable Resource Management (3)
- HSC4500 - Epidemiology (3)
- INR3016 - Global Political Issues (3)
- INR4054 - Global Politics of Energy (3)
- INR4350 - Global Environmental Politics (3)
- LIT3437 - Global Literature of Environmental Justice (3)
- PAD4331 - Land Use and Planning (3)
- PHH3701 - Native American Philosophy (3)
- PHI3638 - Ethical Issues in the 21st Century (3)
- PHI3672 - Animal Ethics (3)
- PHI4633 - Ethics and Biological Science (3)
- PSY3630 - Psychology of Human-Animal Interaction (3)
- PUR3210 - Communication Approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (3)
- REE3614 - Environmental Issues for Real Estate (3)
- SYO3408 - Animals and Health (3)
- WST4349 - Ecofeminism (3)
Skilled Based Courses- Complete all of the following
- The following courses can count a maximum of 6 hours toward the 18 hours of required electives for the Communcation and Planning Track.
- COM 4462 - Conflict Management Credit Hours: 3 COM 4550 - Public Communication Campaigns Credit Hours: 3 COM 4563 - Principles of Social Innovation and Activism Credit Hours: 3 ENC 3455 - Writing about Science and Technology Credit Hours: 3 EXP 3304 - Motivation and Emotion Credit Hours: 3 EXP 3404 - Basic Learning Processes Credit Hours: 3 MAN 4240 - Organizations: Theory and Behavior Credit Hours: 3 MMC 3630 - Social Media as Mass Communication Credit Hours: 3 POS 4206 - Political Psychology Credit Hours: 3 SPC 4540 - Persuasion and Communication Credit Hours: 3 SYA 4650C - Community Action and Involvement Credit Hours: 3 SYP 3400 - Social Change Credit Hours: 3
Science Track- Earn at least 18 credits from the following:
- BCH4053 - Biochemistry I (3)
- BCH4054 - Biochemistry II (3)
- BOT3802 - Ethnobotany (3)
- BOT4713C - Plant Taxonomy (5)
- BSC4312C - Advanced Marine Biology (4)
- CHM3120 - Analytical Chemistry (3)
- OCE3008 - Oceanography (3)
- PCB3063 - Genetics (3)
- PCB3442 - Aquatic Ecology (3)
- PCB4683 - Evolutionary Biology (4)
- PCB4723 - Animal Physiology (4)
- ZOO4910L - Research Experience in Animal Behavior in a Zoo Environment (3)
- BOT3015 - Principles of Plant Science (3)
- BOT4223C - Plant Anatomy (4)
- BOT4282C - Plant Microtechniques (4)
- BOT4434C - General Mycology (4)
- BOT4503C - Plant Physiology (4)
- BOT4850 - Medical Botany (3)
- BSC3052 - Conservation Biology (3)
- BSC3312 - Principles of Marine Biology (3)
- BSC4330 - Invasion Biology (3)
- BSC4821 - Biogeography (4)
- BSC4861L - Urban Ecological Field Studies (3)
- CHS4615 - Environmental Chemistry (3)
- ENY3571 - Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping (3)
- ENY4004C - General Entomology (4)
- GLY4730 - Marine Geology (3)
- GLY4734 - Coastal Processes (3)
- MCB4603 - Environmental Microbiology (3)
- PAZ4234 - Zoo and Aquarium Management (3)
- PCB3023 - Molecular Cell Biology (3)
- PCB3343L - Principles of Field Ecology (5)
- PCB3354 - Tropical Ecology and Conservation (3)
- PCB3355L - Tropical Marine Biology (2)
- PCB4353 - Florida Ecology, Natural History and Conservation (3)
- PCB4408 - Urban Ecology (3)
- PCB4514 - Epigenetics (3)
- PCB4684 - Population Genetics (3)
- PCB4722 - Comparative Animal Nutrition (4)
- PCB4802 - Comparative Endocrinology (3)
- ZOO3454 - Ichthyology (3)
- ZOO3713 - Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (4)
- ZOO4205C - Invertebrate Biodiversity (4)
- ZOO4310C - Vertebrate Evolution & Ecology (4)
- ZOO4462C - Herpetology (4)
- ZOO4480 - Mammalogy (4)
- ZOO4480L - Mammalogy Lab (1)
- ZOO4462C - Herpetology (4)
- ZOO4603C - Embryology/Development (5)
- ZOO4205C - Invertebrate Biodiversity (4)
High Impact Experience
3 Total Credits
- Earn at least 3 credits from the following types of courses: Three (3) credit hours in undergraduate research, internship, study abroad and/or service-learning exclusive of courses in the major. Students may substitute demonstrated proficiency or instruction in a foreign language equivalent to the second college semester for this requirement. Standardized examinations for foreign languages may be used to meet the requirement if the students opts for foreign language.
Capstone
3 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- EVR4940 - Capstone Environmental Studies (3)
Grand Total Credits: 53
Electives
- As needed to satisfy university graduation requirements. Consult with Interdisciplinary Studies Advising Office.
Foreign Language Requirements
Admissions
- Two years of high school, or one year college language (or equivalent proficiency exam) prior to graduation
Required Minors
Departmental Exit Requirements
- It is recommended that students meet with an academic advisor at least once per semester.
- Students must earn at least a "C" (2.0) grade in each course required for the major.
University Minimum Exit Requirements
- A 2.0 UCF GPA
- 42 semester hours of upper division credit completed
- 60 semester hours earned after CLEP awarded
- 30 of the last 39 hours of course work must be completed in residency at UCF.
- A maximum of 45 hours of extension, correspondence, CLEP, Credit by Exam, and Armed Forces credits permitted.
- Complete the General Education Program, the Gordon Rule, and nine hours of Summer credit.
Total Undergraduate Credit Hours Required: 120
Additional Information
Honors In Major
Related Programs
- Biology (B.S.)
- Chemistry (B.S.)
- Environmental Engineering (B.S.Env.E)
- Political Science (B.A.)
- Economics (B.S.)
Certificates
- Geographic Information Systems
Related Minors
- Biology
- Environmental Studies
- Genomics and Bioinformatics
- Political Science
- Sociology
Advising Notes
Transfer Notes
- Lower division courses do not substitute for upper division courses.
- Courses transferred must be formally evaluated for equivalency credit. See Interdisciplinary Studies Advising Office. The student must provide all supporting information.
Acceptable Substitutes for Transfer Courses
Program Academic Learning Compacts
- Program Academic Learning Compacts (student learning outcomes) for undergraduate programs are located at: http://www.oeas.ucf.edu/alc/academic_learning_compacts.htm
Plan of Study
