Environmental Studies

Overview

The Environmental Studies Program at the University of Montevallo offers a major with either a B.A. or a B.S. degree, as well as a minor that can complement any other major on campus. Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary program that incorporates perspectives from the social and natural sciences, the arts and humanities, and business.

The purpose of the program is to provide students with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes they will need as citizens and as members of the workforce to make informed decisions with respect to ecological issues. The Environmental Studies Program is an innovative option for UM students looking for an interdisciplinary “Honors College” experience in step with the best Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) environmental programs.The Environmental Studies Program prides itself on bringing faculty, students, staff, administrators, and the community together to solve environmental problems and on making the UM campus a veritable sustainability lab. The success of the latter endeavor led to UM’s 2016 designation as a Green Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.

Our Environmental Studies program is top notch thanks to our devoted faculty and staff and a number of invaluable hands-on resources like University Lake, the James Wylie Shepherd Observatory, the UM Organic Community Garden, and the Ebenezer Swamp Ecological Preserve. We also have other ways to get involved in making our community more sustainable, like ValloCycle, recycling, and the Green Fund. All of these facilities and opportunities are open to the whole campus community – after all, more participation always makes for a bigger impact.

The University of Montevallo has been recognized nationally for our efforts in sustainability. We were honored as a 2016 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School, and in 2019 we received our first STARS Bronze Rating for sustainability achievements. In 2023, our STARS rating was upgraded to Silver.

Degree/Course Requirements

Environmental Studies Major Requirements (31-34 hours)

Major Course Requirements (31-34 hours)

ES 200 (Environment and Society) (3)

ESCI 220 (Earth System Science) (4)

ES 302 (Principles of Sustainability) (3)

ES 380 (Field Methods) OR

ESCI 380 (Introduction to Geospatial Technologies) (3/4)

ES 499 (Environmental Studies in Action) (3)

Environmental Studies Electives

ES 321 or 421 (Env. Leadership & Management) (3)
ES 322 or 422 (Env. Arts & Humanities) (3)
ES 323 or 423 (Env. Policy & Advocacy) (3)
ESCI 324 or 424 (Environmental Science) (3/4)
ES or ESCI Elective (3/4)

General Education Core (54-59 hours)

First-Year Seminar….……………………………………………………………………………………………. 3 hours
- Choose: UM 101, ED 101, GB 101, or HNRS 101
Written Composition……………………………………………………………………………………………. 6 hours
- Choose: ENG 101 or 103 (Composition I)
- Choose: ENG 102 or 104 (Composition II)
Humanities & Fine Arts…………………………………………………………………….………….……… 18 hours
- Choose one Literature: ENG 231 or 233 (Global Literature I) * or ENG 232 or 234 (Global Literature II) Students must take at least one six-hour sequence in Literature or History. Students may take both sequences.
- Choose Communications: COMS 101 or 102 (Foundations in Oral Communication)
- Choose one Fine Art: ART 100, 120, 218, 219, 220; MC 100, 325; MUS 121 or 122, 125, 211, 240, 255, 342; THEA 120 or 122, 123
- Choose one Humanity: AAS 200, FRN 101, 102 or 150, 201, 202 or 250; GER 101, 102, 201, 202; PHIL 110 or 111, 180,
- 220 or 221, 230, 280, 290; REL 110; SPN 101 or 103, 102 or 104 or 150, 201, 202 or 250
- Choose two additional Literature, Humanity or Fine Arts courses not used above: AAS 200, ART 100, 120, 218, 219, 220;
- ENG 231 or 233, 232 or 234; FRN 101, 102 or 150, 201, 202 or 250; GER 101, 102, 201, 202; MC 100, 325; MUS 121/122,
- 125, 211, 240, 255, 342; PHIL 110 or 111, 180, 220, 221, 230, 280, 290; REL 110; SPN 101 or 103, 102 or 104 or 150, 201,
- 202 or 250; THEA 120 or 122, 123
Natural Sciences & Mathematics…………………………………………………………………………. 11 hours
- Choose BIO 106 or CHEM 100
- Choose one Mathematics: MATH 144, 147, 149, 150, 154 or 155, 157, 170
History, Social & Behavioral Sciences………………………………………….…..……………….…. 12 hours
- Choose HIST 101, 102, 103, 104
- Choose one of the following not used above:
- HIST 101/103, HIST 102/104, POS 200, POS 250, PSYC 201/202, SOC 101/102
Personal Development ……………………………………………………..……….………………..…..….. 3 hours
- Choose: ES 200

Additional requirements for degree (7-12 hours)

Additional Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree…..……….………………..…..….12 hours

Complete the second-year sequence of a world language (201 and 202 or 250): ASL, FRN, GER, SPN. OR complete the first-year sequence of two different world languages.

Additional Requirements for the Bachelor of Science………………………..7 hours

Choose an additional 7 hours in mathematics and/or science not used towards requirement #3 above.

General Electives (27-35 hours)

Environmental Studies majors must take 27-35 credit hours in general electives comprised of courses of their choosing. These hours can be counted toward a minor or a double major.

Environmental Studies Minor (18 hours)

ES 200 (Environment and Society) (3)

ES 302 (Principles of Sustainability) (3)

ES electives (12 credit hours)

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Student Advising

Career Opportunities

Career-Ready Graduates

What kinds of careers can I pursue with a degree in Environmental Studies?

Environmental Management (park ranger, game warden, pollution prevention, landscape management, water conservation)
Environmental Monitoring (water quality technician, health and safety, compliance officer, EIA assessment)
Environmental Law/Policy (advocacy, legislative aid, politics, policy analyst)
Environmental Education (naturalist, outdoor educator, zoo educator, ES teacher)
Environmental Information (marketing, journalism, creative writing)
Organizational Sustainability (sustainability officer, recycling coordinator, energy conservation, environmental economist)
Urban planning (transportation, waste management, public works)

Female student shoveling at the Community Garden

Scholarships and Aid

Student Aid

The University of Montevallo Student Aid Office is here to assist UM students and families with the financial aid process. We invite you to review the information provided on our webpages and contact us with questions and for assistance.

Student Aid

Scholarships

All entering freshmen and transfer students admitted to UM by the scholarship priority deadline will be included in the scholarship evaluation for merit-based scholarships. In addition to merit-based awards, scholarships are also available based on financial need, leadership, community service, choice of major, and other miscellaneous criteria.

BSS Departmental Scholarships