About This Program
The Environmental Studies B.A. program combines scientific, social and policy perspectives to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of environmental issues. Enroll now and become an agent for positive change. Read more...
Contact Information
Program Delivery
Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*
Compliance officers
- 4.6% about as fast as the average
- 337,600 number of jobs
- $71,100 potential earnings
Environmental science teachers, postsecondary
- 3.7% about as fast as the average
- 7,600 number of jobs
- $84,740 potential earnings
Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- 7.8% faster than the average
- 90,900 number of jobs
- $73,230 potential earnings
Environmental science and protection technicians, including health
- 8.4% much faster than the average
- 34,700 number of jobs
- $46,850 potential earnings
Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary
- 2.2% slower than the average
- 2,100 number of jobs
- $87,400 potential earnings
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
Admission Requirements
The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.
First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.
First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.
International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency unless they meet specific exceptions. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.
Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.
Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.
Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog.
Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the Coursework tab.
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
BSCI 10110 | BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB) | 4 |
ENVS 22070 | NATURE AND SOCIETY (KSS) | 3 |
ENVS 30105 | CAREER PATHWAYS IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES | 1 |
ENVS 32091 | ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND SUSTAINABILITY | 2 |
ENVS 42099 | INTEGRATIVE SENIOR PROJECT (ELR) (WIC) 1 | 2 |
ESCI 21062 | ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCE (KBS) | 3 |
| 2-4 |
| FORESTRY | |
| LOCAL FLORA (ELR) | |
| ECONOMIC BOTANY | |
| GENERAL ECOLOGY | |
| BIOGEOGRAPHY | |
| INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY OF THE TROPICS | |
| CLIMATE CHANGE BIOLOGY | |
| STREAM BIOLOGY | |
| INVASION BIOLOGY | |
| FIELD METHODS IN ORNITHOLOGY (ELR) | |
| ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT | |
| WILDLIFE RESOURCES (ELR) | |
| MAMMALOGY | |
| HERPETOLOGY | |
| 3 |
| NATURAL DISASTERS AND SOCIETY | |
| GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE | |
| RESOURCE GEOGRAPHY | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF SOILS | |
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL GEOGRAPHY | |
| 3 |
| WATER AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
| WATERSHED HYDROLOGY | |
| PHYSICAL HYDROGEOLOGY | |
| 3-4 |
| QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN BIOLOGY | |
| REMOTE SENSING | |
| DATA ANALYSIS IN THE EARTH SCIENCES | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DATA ANALYSIS IN R | |
| REMOTE SENSING | |
| RESEARCHING SOCIETY (ELR) (WIC) 1 | |
| 15 |
| ENVIRONMENTAL IMPERATIVES | |
| ECONOMICS OF THE ENVIRONMENT | |
| LITERATURE, CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT | |
| ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REGULATIONS AND ASSESSMENT | |
| INTERNSHIP IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES (ELR) | |
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES | |
| SUSTAINABILITY IN FASHION | |
| POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
| FOOD AND PLACE (ELR) | |
| CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES | |
| WATER AND SOCIETY | |
| GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES | |
| SETTLING THE NORTH AMERICAN ENVIRONMENT | |
| URBAN TRANSPORTATION | |
| FOOD SECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY | |
| URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING | |
| URBAN SUSTAINABILITY | |
| ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION | |
| ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS (ELR) | |
| ENVIRONMENTAL LAW FOR PARALEGALS | |
| ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION | |
| U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICIES | |
| POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT (DIVG) | |
| INTERPRETATION OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES | |
| ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION | |
| SOCIOLOGY OF FOOD | |
| ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY | |
UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 |
| 14-16 |
| 6 |
| 3 |
| 9 |
| 3 |
| 6 |
| 37 |
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 |
Graduation Requirements
Graduation Requirements Summary Minimum Major GPA | Minimum Overall GPA |
2.000 | 2.000 |
Foreign Language College Requirement, B.A.
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 14-16 credit hours of foreign language.1
To complete the requirement, students need the equivalent of Elementary I and II in any language, plus one of the following options2:
- Intermediate I and II of the same language
- Elementary I and II of a second language
- Any combination of two courses from the following list:
Roadmap
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
Plan of Study Grid Semester One |
ENVS 22070 | NATURE AND SOCIETY (KSS) | 3 |
UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 13 |
Semester Two |
BSCI 10110 | BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB) | 4 |
ESCI 21062 | ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCE (KBS) | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 16 |
Semester Three |
Geography Elective | 3 |
Social Sciences Elective | 3 |
Foreign Language | 4 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 16 |
Semester Four |
ENVS 30105 | CAREER PATHWAYS IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES | 1 |
Biological Sciences Elective | 2-4 |
Methods Elective | 3-4 |
Foreign Language | 4 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
General Electives | 4 |
| Credit Hours | 17 |
Semester Five |
Social Sciences Elective | 3 |
Earth Science Elective | 3 |
Foreign Language | 3 |
General Electives | 6 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
Semester Six |
ENVS 32091 | ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND SUSTAINABILITY | 2 |
Social Sciences Elective | 3 |
Foreign Language | 3 |
General Electives | 6 |
| Credit Hours | 14 |
Semester Seven |
Social Sciences Elective | 3 |
General Electives | 12 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
Semester Eight |
ENVS 42099 | INTEGRATIVE SENIOR PROJECT (ELR) (WIC) | 2 |
Social Sciences Elective | 3 |
General Electives | 9 |
| Credit Hours | 14 |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 |
University Requirements
All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.
NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the environment and how it relates to human activity, human resource needs and human cognition.
- Analyze the interconnections between environmental and human systems and how those play out in particular problem areas.
- Evaluate how environmental problems are framed and how public attitudes and policies can be harnessed to provide solutions to environmental degradation.
Full Description
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies prepares students to integrate concepts and knowledge on environmental issues from across multiple disciplines and to communicate about these in important ways. Basic scientific knowledge about environmental processes is used to inform different social goals. Students develop a set of key competencies in earth systems science, environmental social science, human-natural systems and sustainability science to be able to solve specific environmental problems.
Environmental Studies students may apply early to the M.S. degree in Geography and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program policy in the University Catalog for more information.