ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM — COURSES

Cross-listed Courses

Courses preceded by an “L” are cross-listed with another department or program, as indicated by the parentheses in the course title: for example, “ENVSTY L250 (POLSCI L250),” which is cross-listed with the Political Science Department.

Courses

ENVSTY 101

The Nature of Environmental Problems
An introduction to environmental issues and analysis emphasizing comparisons between the sustainable characteristics of ecosystems, both natural and human, and the human impacts on the Earth’s life support systems. Topics include human population growth, food production, use of natural resources, pollution, loss of bio-diversity, and conservation strategies.

Distribution I Area: Natural Sciences.
Distribution II Area: Natural Sciences.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Mr Beattie, Mr Rudnick

ENVSTY L111 (CHEM L111)
Environmental Concerns and Chemical Solutions

Human society is constantly facing such environmental issues and problems as ozone depletion, air pollution, acid rain, and the dangers of nuclear energy. This course provides students with a foundation in chemistry that can be used to examine these and other environmental concerns. A combination of hands-on-work and small-group projects illustrates the science behind these issues, and helps students develop an unbiased view.

Distribution I Area: Natural Sciences.
Distribution II Area: Natural Sciences.
3 Lect Hrs, 1 Disc Hr, 3 Credits
Ms Foster

ENVSTY L120 (EEOS L120)
Introduction to Environmental Sciences

This course offers a broad overview of the physical, chemical, biological, and geological principles underlying the environmental sciences. Students are introduced to natural processes and interactions in the atmosphere, in the ocean, and on land. The course focuses on biogeochemical cycling of the elements, as well as on changes in these natural cycles with time, especially with recent anthropogenic effects.

Distribution I Area: Natural Sciences.
Distribution II Area: Natural Sciences.
3 Lect Hrs, 1 Disc Hr, 3 Credits
Mr Chen

ENVSTY L246 (AMST L246)
U.S. Environmental History

Since human beings first arrived in the land that we know today as the United States, they have altered its landscape, natural resources and ecosystems and have in turn had their actions and values changed by these elements. The course explores these interactions from the time of the earliest Native American settlers to today’s multicultural society—from problems that were primarily related to land use and food resources to such complex contemporary issues as air and water pollution, resource scarcity, species extinction, and global warming. Central to the course is the question of whether understanding the historical roots of environmental problems helps to identify possible solutions.

Distribution I Area: Historical and Cultural Studies.
Distribution II Area: Humanities.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Mr Rudnick

ENVSTY L250 (POLSCI L250)
Environmental Policymaking

This course provides an overview of environmental policymaking in the US and to a lesser degree internationally. It examines how environmental knowledge is turned into laws, regulations, management practices, and social behavior. Through case studies and role-playing, students experience the dynamic interplay of science, interest group politics, economic and institutional constraints, and value-based social movement organizing.
Distribution I Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Distribution II Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Mr Beattie

ENVSTY L260 (EEOS L260)
Global Environmental Change

This course examines the cross-disciplinary (astronomical, geophysical, chemical and biological) interactions and cycles that cause global environmental change and the impact of human activities on natural Earth-Ecosystem processes, including global warming, pollution, resource use, deforestation, ozone-depletion, and biodiversity reduction. The environmental, social, and economic trade-offs associated with policy and management decisions will also be discussed.

Distribution I Area: Natural Sciences.
Distribution II Area: Natural Sciences.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Mr Olsen

ENVSTY L267 (EEOS L267)
Introduction to Biological Oceanography/Marine Biology

This course will examine some of the dominant habitats within the marine world in terms of the organisms that inhabit these regions, the biological and chemical processes that are dominant within those environments, and the impact of that habitat on the ocean as a whole and on humans.

Distribution I Area: Natural Sciences.
Prerequisites: ENVSTY 101 or L120, or BIOL 111 and 112, or permission of the instructor.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Ms Urban-Rich

ENVSTY Z280
Special Topics in Environmental Studies

The course covers a variety of areas in environmental studies. The topic is announced during preregistration period.

Variable Hrs, 1-3 Credits

ENVSTY 301
Internship in Environmental Studies

The internship requires a minimum of 100 hours of service doing environmental work with government, non-government, corporate, or research organizations. The program can assist students in finding appropriate internship placements. Each student’s supervisor at the placement organization provides a report on the intern’s performance and students submit a paper to the program director describing their internship experience. The number of credits varies according to the number of internship hours. This course may be taken on a pass/fail basis only.

Prerequisite: Permission of program director.
Variable Hrs, 1-3 Credits

ENVSTY 364 (subject to final university approval) Environmental Justice

Environmental justice is defined by the state of Massachusetts as the equal protection and meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies and the equitable distribution of environmental benefits. This course provides an overview of environmental justice as an aspect of U.S. environmental policy. The goal of the course is to give students the ability to develop and articulate informed opinions about environmental justice, to understand how the concept came into use, and to think critically about measuring and solving environmental justice problems. The course uses written assignments, case studies, and role-playing exercises to help students develop the analytical skills necessary to tackle this topic.

3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Mr Beattie

ENVSTY 380
Special Topics in Environmental Studies

The course covers a variety of areas in environmental studies at an advanced level. The topic is announced during preregistration period.

Prerequisite: Permission of program director.
Variable Hrs, 1-3 Credits

ENVSTY 401
Environmental Problem Analysis and Policy Formulation

This is the capstone course for students who enroll in the Environmental Studies Program. Students in this small seminar analyze a particular environmental problem, often one directly associated with UMass Boston or its immediate community. Students examine the technical, social, and political aspects of the problem, determine whether policy changes or other initiatives are necessary, and develop a plan of action. Recent topics have included reducing the environmental “footprint” of UMass Boston and evaluating watershed management for communities near Boston.

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Mr Beattie, Mr Rudnick

ENVSTY 478
Independent Study

Research and reading in a selected area of environmental studies, guided by a faculty advisor.

Hrs by Arrangement, 1-3 Credits