2015-2016

Environmental and Sustainability Studies, Bachelor of Arts

School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability

College of Engineering, Forestry, and Natural Sciences

Students who are interested in the environment and the issues at its crux will enjoy the pursuit of this degree. Crucial issues of sustainability, diversity, and change are interwoven through the program. A language proficiency requirement bolsters understanding beyond English-speaking perspectives.

  • Available Emphasis Areas:
  • Global Sustainability - Emphasis (ending Summer 2019)
  • Southwest Environments and Biocultural Diversity - Emphasis (ending Summer 2019)

  • To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All of Northern Arizona University's diversity, liberal studies, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.

    The full policy can be viewed here.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • At least 38 units of major requirements
  • At least 18 units of emphasis requirements
  • At least 16 units of language requirements

  • Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements.

  • Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion 120
Major GPA 2.0
Highest Mathematics Required MAT 114
Emphasis, Minor, or Certificate Required Required
Foreign Language Required
Fieldwork Experience/Internship Optional
Research Optional
University Honors Program Optional
Bachelor/Juris Doctor 3+3 Optional
Progression Plan Link Not Available
Student Learning Outcomes

  • Understand interactions among natural and human systems and their relationships to sustainability science.
  • Examine feedbacks between the human experience and the environment.
  • Identify and effectively communicate environmental issues and sustainable solutions using natural science, ethical, and social science principles.
  • Explore the components of, and the interactions between, the Earth system such as lithosphere, hydrosphere, soils, atmosphere, and how people and society interact with these systems.
  • Envision environmental problems through a lens that acknowledges component interactions, feedback loops, emergent properties, and uncertainty.
  • Apply knowledge of coupled human-natural systems to address complex environmental problems such as decision-making in the face of uncertainty.
  • Investigate the effects of resource use and management within linked natural and social systems and learn ways to maintain healthy ecosystem services.
  • Apply knowledge of the policy cycle, stakeholders, the science policy interface and environmental legislation to inform sustainability policies.
  • Incorporate sustainability principles into interdisciplinary policy decision-making, to generate innovative ideas.
  • Demonstrate competence in critical thought and communication.
  • Actively participate in field and lab research including data collection, management, analysis and synthesis.
  • Participate in internship or research activities that align environmental studies concepts to address and resolve environmental issues.
  • Attain foreign language competency and experience with cross-cultural communication.
  • Investigate the core concepts of life sciences including nutrient cycling, applications of ecology, biological diversity, conservation biology, and the role of these concepts in human and natural systems.
Emphasis in Global Sustainability
  • Explore the concept of global sustainability using examples from natural science, social science, and humanities perspectives.
  • Understand the basic principles sustainability science in the context of water management issues.
  • Understand the main fluxes and reservoirs of the hydrologic cycle and how these are impacted by climate change.
Emphasis in Southwest Biocultural Diversity
  • Examine how natural science, social science and humanities perspectives provide multiple approaches to understanding biocultural diversity in the Southwestern US.
  • Explore prehistoric cultural adaptation in response to changing paleoenvironmental conditions in the Southwestern United States.
  • Understand the role of pollen analysis and lake sedimentology in reconstructing past environments.

Major Requirements

    • Southwest Environments and Biocultural Diversity (18 units)

      • [ENV 373] (3 units)
      Select 15 units from the following:

    • Global Sustainability (18 units)

      • ENV 377 (3 units)
      Select 15 units for the following:

Foreign Language Requirement

  • You must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to four terms of university coursework in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or by testing out of all or part of it by taking CLEP exams. 

General Electives

  • Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.

    You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.

    We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

Additional Information

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

  • Bachelor/Juris Doctor 3+3 Program

    This plan is eligible for NAU’s 3+3 program offered in conjunction with the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law. This program allows outstanding students to substitute their final year of undergraduate studies with their first year of law school and earn an undergraduate (BS or BA) and law (JD) degree in six years instead of seven years. Please refer to the Bachelor/Juris Doctor 3+3 Program for more information.