Environmental Studies Course Offerings
Course offerings may be subject to change. Please be sure to check the grid schedule of classes on BU Brain for up-to-date course information.
Spring 2025
ENVI 101 - Humans & Ecological Environment
The first 40 percent of course covers major principles of ecology, including food-chain relationships, material cycling, community structure, population regulation and ecological succession. Following this are population, agriculture, nutrition, forestry and wildlife. Concludes with a consideration of policy, economic and ethical concerns. Required of all environmental studies majors. Format: Lecture with discussions and a few field trips in nature preserve to illustrate facets of course material; grade based on three examinations, a final and discussion grade. Offered regularly. 4 credits. No seniors.
Counts towards the 'Environment & Man/Woman: Ecological Perspective' requirement for all majors
ENVI 201 - Humans & Physical Environment
Interdisciplinary approach to the study of how humans interact with their environment, emphasizing environmental geology and environmental chemistry. Topics include human use of energy: sources, environmental consequences (including air pollution), socio-economic aspects; use of water, including its contamination and disposal of wastes; natural hazards and their impact on human activities; introduction to land use; and environmental planning.
Counts towards the 'Environment & Man/Woman: Physical Aspects' requirement for all majors
ENVI 220 - Researching Sust & the Environ
To solve sustainability and environmental problems, you must first understand them. In this course, you will be explore and gain hands-on experience with a range of research methods used by natural and social scientists as well as professional to explore our planet and its challenges. You will learn to form research questions, gather real data around campus and the community, organize and analyze that data in a variety of ways, and present it. This course helps you build a research foundation for future natural and social science courses in the Environmental Studies major.
Counts towards the 'introductory methods course' requirement for all majors
ENVI 239 - Enviornmental Planning/Policy
Introduction to environmental management and planning processes as they are addressed in public policy, with an emphasis on factors that influence decision-making, including politics, economics, public interest and legal requirements. Focus on difficulties associated with defining goals, with uncertainty in environmental impacts and with the balance between qualitative and quantitative factors in decision-making. Role playing simulation throughout semester used to illustrate issues and alternatives.
Counts towards the 'lower-level environmental policy course' requirement for all majors
ENVI 280A - Living in the Anthropocene!
Globalization is commonly used to characterize processes in which the lives of people and states around the world are increasingly interconnected in economic, political, social, cultural and environmental terms. While much literature and many courses on globalization focus on these processes and how they affect class structures, states, and financial institutions at the macro-level, this course examines how globalization affects communities and people at the micro-level, and how they respond to its threats and opportunities. We will discuss peasant farmers; investment bankers and other financial experts; fair-traders; people who are victims of forced human trafficking; scientists who work at multinational pharmaceutical companies; communities under environmental threat; and anti-globalization activists, whose lives intersect in unprecedented ways due to sweeping effects of global capitalism and technological advancement. Central questions concern those of power, identity, inequality, ethics and accountability.
ENVI 280F - Denial, Distortion & Disaster
"Now I am become death, destroyer of worlds." After the first atomic bomb was detonated in 1945, Oppenheimer uttered these words, quoting the Bhagavad Gita. As the world entered the nuclear age, new questions of scientific, environmental, and social ethics emerged. This course explores these questions through a variety of text types and genres from across Central and Eastern Europe. Focusing largely on the Cold War era, we will examine how man-made disasters of the 20th century have changed our world both politically and culturally as well as how they have impacted our environment. This course explores the transnational ripple effects of man-made disasters and the ecological, political and cultural boundaries that man-kind has transcended in the last century. Course instructed in English.
ENVI 280J - Research in Climate Justice
This course explores the fraught politics of the climate crisis with an emphasis on issues of justice. Course materials weave together the past, present, and future of life on earth, highlighting the connections between climate justice and the regeneration of democratic institutions, the repair of historical injustices, the rebuilding of international solidarity, and the reimagination of global governance.
Counts towards the 'Introductory Environmental Policy Course' requirement for all majors
ENVI 303 - Environmental Health
This course introduces students to environmental and occupational health, one of the five core areas of global public health (biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, health systems & policy, and social & behavioral sciences). Students will learn how humans' relationship to their environment and the characteristics and hazards present in that environment, affect disease risk, and how the field of public health works to prevent injury and illness from exposures to hazards in our environments. Offered regularly. 4 credits.
Counts as an Upper-level credit towards the Ecosystems BA (363), Ecosystems BS (865), or Sustainable Systems BA (565) majors
ENVI 304 - Intro to Envi Geochemistry
Examination of important environmental issues through geochemical
investigation of Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere. Discussion of
past and present control on the chemical composition of the atmosphere,
freshwater, oceans and groundwater. Learning activities include internet-based
homework assignments as well as scientific literature searches resulting in
individual written and group based oral presentations on geochemical emission
and deposition processes. Prerequisites: A 100 level Chemistry course and
either GEOL311 or ENVI 201. Spring, 4 credits.
Counts as an Upper-level credit towards the Ecosystems BA (363), Earth Systems BA (465), Ecosystems BS (865), Sustainable Systems BA (565), or Earth Systems BS (868) majors
ENVI 312 - Environmental Law & Policy
Primary focus is on environmental law as fashioned by opinions in the Federal Courts of Appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court. Both common law (nuisance and toxic torts) and statutory laws such as the Clean Air Act, National Environmental Policy Act, CERCLA (Superfund Act) and RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) receive attention. Public policy implications of environmental laws and regulations are discussed. Does not count for Environmental Studies science requirements.
Counts as either an 'Upper-level Environmental Policy' or an Upper-level elective credit for the Sustainable Systems BA (565) major
ENVI 336 - Sweet Harvest: Bees and Maple
Beekeeping and maple syrup production are two forms of specialized agricultural production that are growing in popularity across the U.S., and particularly in the Northeast. Building upon primary research conducted in the state of Maine, this course will explore these two practices across the Northeast, with particular focus in New York State. We will take an interdisciplinary approach, studying the history of production, the biological and ecological components, the embedded social and cultural meanings, and specifically climate change's impacts on the present and future for beekeeping and maple syrup production. Course will include guest lectures and field trips. There is a $25 fee associated with this course.
Counts as an Upper-level credit towards the Ecosystems BA (363), Ecosystems BS (865), or Sustainable Systems BA (565) majors
ENVI 338 - Food Policy: Health & Security
What types of policies oversee the complexity of our food system? What are the effects? This course will explore the political debates, policy tools and agencies addressing issues of food safety, public health and food security across different scales with particular focus in the U.S. We will discuss problems that arise in our modern agricultural system and if/how U.S. policies attempt to address and alleviate these problems, including food-borne disease outbreaks, the "My Plate" dietary guidelines, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Students will work with food security organizations in ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ to understand these issues at the local scale.
Counts as an Upper-level credit towards the Ecosystems BA (363), Ecosystems BS (865), or Sustainable Systems BA (565) majors
ENVI 348 - Ruins: Abandoned Remembered
Every place has ruins: falling down houses, overgrown parks, crumbling pasts. Rust belt cities like ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ become defined by empty factories and warehouses that reflect US deindustrialization and local economic hardship. Ruins remind of community history and individual joys or hardships. Ruins also often have toxic legacies that poison land and water. They serve as anchors for community identity and yet present challenges for local decision makers: Demolish these sites? Repurpose them? This class examines ruins culturally and environmentally in the classroom as well as through interviews with Broome County residents about local industrial ruins.
Counts as either an Upper-level elective or as an Upper-level applied course in Sustainable Systems BA (565) major
ENVI 381T - Plants and People II - 2 credit
Plants and People I was a survey on how humans and plants interact. In Plants and People II, the focus will largely be on 4 major areas of interest; Agriculture, Bio-pharmacology, plant products (i.e. plant dyes and fragrances), and Biomimicry. This course will include multiple projects and as many hands-on activities as possible/applicable.
Counts as an Upper-level credit towards the Ecosystems BA (363), Ecosystems BS (865), or Sustainable Systems BA (565) majors
ENVI 382B - Animals and Other Lives
Aristotle famously defined the human being as an “animal that has logos [word, speech,
reason]. So, what happens when we human animals use our logos to write narratives,
poems, and philosophy that foreground the non-human inhabitants of our world? What
can texts help us learn about that world and our place within it? And, conversely,
what can the aspects of nature that escape (or even resist) language teach us?
This class pursues such questions by exploring the role of animals, plants, and further
forms of other-than-human life in German literature from 1800 to the present. We will
sample a variety of genres and writers from key epochs in the German tradition, including
Romanticism, Realism, Modernism, and contemporary fiction, accompanied by selections
from philosophy and environmental thought. Taught in German.
Counts as an Upper-level credit towards the Sustainable Systems BA (565) major
ENVI 382F - Environment and Empire
This course looks at the relationship between imperial expansion and its conjoined impact on the natural and human worlds. Issues discussed will include 'green imperialism,' colonial commerce, resource extraction, landscape transformations, mass resistance and social movements, and ideas of conservation from the late colonial period to the present. Drawing on case studies from Egypt, Latin America, Europe, Africa, New Zealand, India, and the United States, this class foregrounds the environmental costs of three centuries of colonization and beyond. It is hoped that a historical understanding of these issues will lead to a better appreciation of contemporary debates on environmental policy and practice, and climate change among others.
This course is not open to first-year undergraduate students.
Counts as an Upper-level credit towards the Sustainable Systems BA (565) major
ENVI 382H - Road Rail Air: Sust Transport
What can we do to become a less car-dependent nation? Why does air travel remain so carbon-intensive? This course will familiarize students with the challenges of introducing sustainable transportation to US communities. We will cover a broad range of options for moving people and cargo, including walking, cycling, cars, trains, and boats. For each of these transportation options, we will consider issues of environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Students will become familiar with the transportation policy landscape in the US and how change to our transportation system can occur on a variety of governmental levels.
Counts as an Upper-level credit towards the Sustainable Systems BA (565) major
ENVI 382J - Climate Change and Conflict
Conflict is worsened by climate change, and conflict contributes to climate change. Yet, there is no simple “climate wars†explanation for these connections. This interdisciplinary course facilitates students’ investigation of the intersection between climate change and conflict and introduces the multiple types of violence. Students are introduced to various topics at this intersection such as human rights, mass violence and genocide, forced migration, natural resource conflicts, climate change denial, environmental activism, indigeneity, environmental justice, and development. Students engage in comparative and interdisciplinary analysis that culminates in a final project that helps students think about how they wish to respond to such a challenge.
Counts as an Upper-level credit towards the Sustainable Systems BA (565) major
ENVI 397 - Independent Study - variable credits
Independent study under guidance of faculty member. Prior to registration, student must consult with the faculty supervisor and receive approval of problem to be studied and amount of credit to be received.
Counts towards the 'Upper-level research, teaching, and/or applied courses' requirement for all majors
ENVI 413 - Environmental Studies Capstone
Senior capstone course for Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies majors. Students work in teams to design and implement local development projects that consider the practical and regulatory requirements of environmental impact assessment. Students will generate information and plans to guide local agents/agencies and assist in the development of sustainable communities. Students will work with organizations across the campus and throughout the greater ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ area to identify needs and communicate outcomes. Through these projects students gain real-world experience in the application of environmental analysis.
Counts towards the 'Upper-level Capstone Course' requirement for all majors
ENVI 416/516 - Disaster Planning & Resilience
Disaster Planning & Resilience provides an overview of the types of disasters, both natural and manmade, and examines response efforts along with techniques to reduce impact, vulnerability, and risk. Community recovery involves assessing vulnerabilities, disaster preparation, and identifying those most at risk including community members with no or very limited resources. The course will review strategies following a disaster to reduce future vulnerability from hazards including differing storm types, other natural disasters, pandemics, environmental pollution, and civil unrest. Using the Disaster Impacts Model, we will review the process of determining levels of hazard exposure, physical vulnerability, and social vulnerability for the City of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½.
Counts as either an Upper-level elective or as an Upper-level applied course in Sustainable Systems BA (565) major
ENVI 470 - Indigenous Knowledge & Environ
The course will compare Indigenous and western scientific knowledge systems, how they interact, and their relationship to environmental conservation, preservation, sustainability, and justice policies. Indigenous peoples' knowledge systems and diverse worldviews provide deep counter-narratives to mainstream political-economic and environmental assessments of planetary climate change. A key course theme is to understand how Indigenous community knowledge and livelihoods continue to be resilient in the face of ongoing colonialism, racism, discrimination, and intergenerational trauma. Approaches to integrating Indigenous research methods and epistemologies for documenting, managing, and maintaining sustainable ownership and control of Indigenous knowledge and lands through participatory community engagement are reviewed
Counts as an Upper-level credit towards the Ecosystems BA (363), Ecosystems BS (865), or Sustainable Systems BA (565) majors
ENVI 481G - Archaeology of Domestication
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offer powerful tools for analyzing and manipulating data central to the environmental sciences. This course introduces students to spatial thinking and GIS applications through combination of lectures, discussion, and hands-on tutorials. Students will learn how to find, display, and query spatial data and produce map products. Students will then explore the application of spatial analytical tools to solve problems and address questions. The course focuses on applications and linking methods with research problems. Students will learn how to conceive of spatial data to solve problems in ecological, biological, geological, archaeological, anthropological, planning, and sustainability domains.
Counts as an Upper-level credit towards the Ecosystems BA (363), Ecosystems BS (865), or Sustainable Systems BA (565) majors
ENVI 481L - Environments of E & SE Asia
In this course we will cover basic concepts in ecology as they apply to insects at various levels of organization (populations, communities, and ecosystems), and will review the role and impact of humans on these communities. The course will review important ecological interactions that center around insects within ecosystems at local to global scales, and how to use this information in application to conservation, agriculture, and public health. By the end of the course, students will be able to identify and describe the state of key ecological principles as they pertain to insects and human-modified environments.
Counts as an Upper-level credit towards the Ecosystems BA (363), Ecosystems BS (865), or Sustainable Systems BA (565) majors
ENVI 481W - Sustain. in Great Lakes Region
One of the largest obstacles in our human response to environmental issues like climate change has nothing to do with technology, knowledge, or intelligence: it’s human behavior and mindset. We often fear change, struggle to authentically communicate with those around us, and feel like we lack the tools to influence decision makers. This course centers on the implications of environmental communications and our innate human connection to nature, which extend across a vast array of disciplines including engineering, nutrition, psychology, public health, education, biology, and the humanities. Through environmental communication, we can reconnect with the natural world and catalyze real and lasting change towards problems, such as climate action. The course explores the nature of place and people and its larger role in environmental communications and behavioral change. Students investigate how values, attitudes, social structure, and communication affect public perceptions of environmental risk and public opinion about the environment. A primary focus is mass media's impact on public perceptions of the environment, how the media portray the environment, and discussion of the implications of public consumption of environmental content.
Counts as an Upper-level credit towards the Ecosystems BA (363), Ecosystems BS (865), or Sustainable Systems BA (565) majors
ENVI 491 - Practicum in College Teaching
Independent study by assisting in the teaching of ENVI courses, particularly ENVI 101 or 201. Assignments include leading discussion sections, maintaining office hours, reading papers. Closely directed by instructor. Generally open only to seniors. Pass/Fail option only. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
Counts towards the 'Upper-level research, teaching, and/or applied courses' requirement for all majors
ENVI 495 - Internship in Environmental Studies
Counts towards the 'Upper-level research, teaching, and/or applied courses' requirement for all majors
ENVI 498 - Honors Thesis I
Independent in-depth research under supervision of a faculty member. May be taken as a one-semester project, or as a precursor to the Honors Thesis (ENVI 499). Prerequisite: approval of the faculty supervisor.
Counts towards the 'Upper-level Capstone Course' requirement for all majors
ENVI 499 - Honors Thesis II
Preparation and defense of an honors thesis. Usually an extension of the work undertaken in ENVI 498. Prerequisites: ENVI 498 and approval of faculty supervisor.
Counts towards the 'Upper-level Capstone Course' requirement for all majors