A deep understanding of environmental issues and a passion to find innovative solutions will open doors to meaningful careers in education, climate change policy and environmental science. Learn the skills and science behind solving the most pressing environmental issues of today and in the future.
Program Overview
Help protect and preserve life on earth.
In the Environment & Sustainability (ENVS) program, you’ll study the structure and function of natural systems; examine how social, political and economic activity impacts those systems; and experiment with resilient solutions to unsustainable human impacts.
Through comprehensive coursework and hands-on experience, the ENVS program will prepare you for a meaningful career fueled by your passion and natural interests. Upon graduating, you’ll be an effective interdisciplinary communicator with the skills and knowledge to lead environmental and sustainability efforts anywhere.
Research in our backyard
Sam Brozek uses a hand lens to examine a daisy while conducting field research that looks at the effects of forest regeneration after compounding disturbances.
Program Requirements
At Western, course rotations are crafted to encompass a variety of subject fields for a comprehensive education and versatile degree. For required courses and degree plans, visit the official University Catalog. Below is a general overview of courses at Western Colorado University related to this area of study.
Program Requirements
All standard majors require a minor in a second discipline or a second major.
A minimum of 42 credits is required for the ENVS Standard Major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVS 100 | Introduction to Environment and Sustainability (GT-SS2) | 3 |
| ENVS 200 | Writing the Environment | 3 |
| ENVS 250 | Environmental Justice | 3 |
| ENVS 301 | Science of Sustainability and Resilience | 3 |
| ENVS 350 | U.S. and Western Environmental Politics | 3 |
| ENVS 390 | Environmental Monitoring | 4 |
| ENVS 400 | Applied Sustainability | 3 |
| ENVS 410 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| Required Supporting Courses | ||
| BIOL 130 | Environmental Biology (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| BIOL 135 | Environmental Biology Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 1 |
| PHYS 125 | Energy and the Environment (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| ECON 215 | Environmental Economics | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
HWTR 200 | This Is The Headwaters | |
HWTR 398 | Headwaters Conference | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
ECON 216 | Statistics for Business and Economics | |
MATH 113 | Statistical Thinking (GT-MA1) | |
MATH 213 | Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1) | |
SOC 211 | Quantitative Research Methods | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
ANTH 230 | Cultural Anthropology (with laboratory) | |
ANTH 320 | Cultural Ecology | |
ENG 151 | Borderlands: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality | |
POLS 250 | Politics of the Environment | |
POLS 340 | Politics of Social Movements | |
POLS 350 | Human Rights | |
POLS 355 | The Global South | |
POLS 370 | Political Economy | |
PSY 308 | Environmental Psychology | |
PSY 410 | Multicultural Psychology | |
PSY 457 | Social Psychology | |
SOC 150 | Environmental Sociology | |
SOC 168 | Social Problems | |
SOC 340 | Social Movements | |
SOC 380 | Social Inequalities | |
| Total Credits | 42 | |
Environment and Sustainability and Business Administration Coordinated Double Major
If a student elects to complete an Environment and Sustainability Major: Standard Program and the coordinated Business Administration Major: Standard Program, the student must take ECON 202 Microeconomics instead of ECON 215 Environmental Economics; and ENVS 360 Global Environmental Policy must be elected. ECON 216 Statistics for Business and Economics must be elected, with MATH 140 College Algebra (GT-MA1) as its prerequisite.
Capstone Course Requirement
The following course in the Environment and Sustainability Major fulfills the capstone course requirement: ENVS 400 Applied Sustainability.
Graduation Requirements
Undergraduate programs require a minimum of 120 semester credits for graduation. Of those 120 credits, 40 credits must be in upper-division courses (those marked 300 and above). Fifteen of these 40 upper-division credits must be earned in courses that are part of the standard or comprehensive major program being pursued.
Students are expected to review all graduation requirements, which can be found in the Western Undergraduate Catalog: Graduation Requirements.
Standard Major
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| HWTR 100 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| ENVS 100 | Introduction to Environment and Sustainability (GT-SS2) | 3 |
| BIOL 130 | Environmental Biology (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| BIOL 135 | Environmental Biology Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 1 |
| ENG 102 | Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) | 3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education Courses | 3 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| MATH 113 | Statistical Thinking (GT-MA1) | 3 |
| PHYS 125 | Energy and the Environment (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| ENG 103 | Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) | 3 |
| Elective | Elective or minor course | 3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education Courses | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| HWTR 398 | Headwaters Conference | 1 |
| ENVS 200 | Writing the Environment | 3 |
| ENVS 250 | Environmental Justice | 3 |
| Gen Ed | Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences | 3 |
| Gen Ed | Natural Sciences | 3 |
| Elective | Elective/Minor | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ECON 215 | Environmental Economics | 3 |
| Gen Ed | Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences | 6 |
| Elective | Elective/Minor | 6 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENVS 301 | Science of Sustainability and Resilience | 3 |
| ENVS 350 | U.S. and Western Environmental Politics | 3 |
| Elective | Elective/Minor | 9 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENVS 360 or ENVS 370 or ENVS 373 |
Global Environmental Policy or Water Policy and Politics or The Water Planet |
3 |
| ENVS 390 | Environmental Monitoring | 4 |
| Elective | Elective/Minor | 9 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Summer | ||
| ENVS 499 | Internship in Environmental Studies (recommended, but optional) | 1-6 |
| Credits | 1-6 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| Elective | chosen from selection of classes on cultural, racial, ethnic, gender, sex, sexuality, and/or class contexts | 3 |
| Elective | Elective/Minor | 9 |
| ENVS 410 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Elective | Elective/Minor | 12 |
| ENVS 400 | Applied Sustainability | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 122-127 | |
ENVS and BUAD Coordinated Double Major
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| HWTR 100 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| ENVS 100 | Introduction to Environment and Sustainability (GT-SS2) | 3 |
| ENG 102 | Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) | 3 |
| BIOL 130 | Environmental Biology (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| BIOL 135 | Environmental Biology Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 1 |
| MATH 213 or ECON 216 |
Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1) or Statistics for Business and Economics |
3 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| CS 120 or BUAD 220 |
Professional Computer Skills or Spreadsheets and Analysis |
3 |
| BUAD 185 | Business Communication | 3 |
| PHYS 125 | Energy and the Environment (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| ENG 103 | Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) | 3 |
| MATH 140 | College Algebra (GT-MA1) | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| ACC 201 | Introduction to Financial Accounting | 3 |
| ECON 201 | Macroeconomics (GT-SS1) | 3 |
| BUAD 210 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| ENVS 250 | Environmental Justice | 3 |
| HWTR 398 | Headwaters Conference | 1 |
| Gen Ed | Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ACC 202 | Introduction to Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| ECON 202 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| ENVS 200 | Writing the Environment | 3 |
| Elective | Elective | 3 |
| BUAD 270 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENVS 301 | Science of Sustainability and Resilience | 3 |
| ENVS 350 | U.S. and Western Environmental Politics | 3 |
| BUAD 360 | Managerial Finance | 3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education (Area I, II, or III) | 3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education (Area III) | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENVS 360 or ENVS 370 or ENVS 373 |
Global Environmental Policy or Water Policy and Politics or The Water Planet |
3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education (Area I, II, or III) | 3 |
| ENVS 390 | Environmental Monitoring | 4 |
| BUAD 333 or BUAD 350 |
Organizational Behavior or Human Resource Management |
3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education (Area II) | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Summer | ||
| ENVS 499 | Internship in Environmental Studies (Recommended, but optional) | 3 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| ECON 370 | Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| ENVS 380 | Advanced Climate Policy | 3 |
| ENVS 410 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| ENVS 435 | Environmental Grant Writing | 1 |
| BUAD 363 | Business and the Environment | 3 |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Spring | ||
| Elective | Elective/Minor | 4 |
| Elective | chosen from selection of classes on cultural, racial, ethnic, gender, sex, sexuality, and/or class contexts | 3 |
| BUAD 410 | Water Law | 3 |
| ENVS 400 | Applied Sustainability | 3 |
| BUAD 491 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Total Credits | 123 | |
Spotlight
Triston Turner
Student
“Any leadership role makes your college experience unique because you obviously don’t have to do this before you graduate. Being an EPIC Mentor has provided me with more perspective in my life. I see different viewpoints and the diversity of people’s backgrounds,” Triston commented.
Jonathan Coop, Ph.D.
Faculty
“We can produce high-quality research and publish papers in scientific journals with our students. We’re out on the cutting edge of our field learning the things we don’t know yet."
Hannah White
Student
“Being so involved in so many different things you get to know all kinds of people. You get to make connections with people that just aren’t at Western.”
Careers
Take the first steps toward your dream career.
Career preparation is the primary focus of every academic program at Western. Our professors and Office of Career Services will help you identify your strengths, hone your skills, define your goals, and prepare for a fulfilling role in hundreds of professional fields after graduation.
The data is automatically collected by Lightcast, a firm that sources job market data. The statistics illustrate general trends in U.S. careers, but do not precisely represent every job and salary.
Scholarships
Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.
Access to apply for scholarships through the portal is open through April 1.
Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.
Find your scholarships!Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.
Access to apply for scholarships through the portal is open through April 1.
Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.
Find your scholarships!Alumni Association Future Alumni Scholarship
The Alumni Association Scholarship is a one-time scholarship of $1,000 and is applicable for the student’s junior or senior year at Western.
Any child or grandchild of an alumni is eligible to receive the Future Alumni Scholarship.
- This is a one-time non-renewable scholarship of $1,000.
- Only one Future Alumni Scholarship will be awarded per academic year.
- GPA must be 3.2 or above (college).
Due date has been extended to April 1 for 2023. An Alumni selection committee, appointed by the Alumni Advisory Council, will review applicants and select awardee by June 1.
Alumni Legacy Scholarship
The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western (incoming freshman or new transfer students are eligible).
Do you have a son or daughter looking at college? Have they considered attending Western? As an alumni, your son, daughter and/or grandchildren are eligible for certain benefits distributed through this scholarship, as follows:
- This is a one-time scholarship of $1,000.
- Nominee must be an incoming first-year student or new transfer.
- The cost of orientation is reduced by half (a $45 value).
- The admission application fee is waived (a $30 value).
- GPA must be 2.5 or above (high school or college of transfer).
The applicant must fill out the application form found below. Application forms are accepted year-round. If the applicant meets the GPA guidelines, the scholarship will be awarded.
Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship
The Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western. This scholarship is not available to midyear transfers or students beginning in the spring semester.
Are you an alumni or employee of Western and know a prospective (or incoming) student who would be a great fit at Western? A recommendation from alumni and employees can support any new student and provide them a $500 scholarship their first year. (Western employees may not recommend a spouse or dependent receiving tuition benefits).
- Any Western alumni/employee may nominate only one student per academic year to receive the $500 scholarship (distributed $250 per semester).
- The scholarship is good for the first year only and is non-renewable.
- The recommended student must be a full-time undergraduate student, attending Western for the first time.
The applicant must fill out the application form found here. The nominating alumni/employee must fill out the application form and submit the required documents by June 1. The recommended student must meet university admissions acceptance standards and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The Presidential Promise is guaranteed to students who have received a scholarship through the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) and/or GearUp—and are eligible for a Pell Grant.
For students who meet these criteria, Western will cover the cost of tuition and fees through the combination of federal, state and institutional aid. For more information on the Presidential Promise, visit our scholarships page.
Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) or Central Plains (CP) tuition represents a substantial savings relative to normal, out-of-state tuition. Students eligible for the WUE or CP program will be charged 150% of Western’s total in-state tuition. For 2018-19, total in-state tuition was $8,934. WUE/CP tuition was $13,401. The WUE/CP discount is valued at $4,695.
For more information about the WUE and CP geography-based programs, visit Western’s Tuition Discount Programs Page.
Immediately upon acceptance at Western, every student is considered for a merit scholarship worth between $2,500-$4,500 per year for in-state students and $8,000-$10,000 for out-of-state students. The amount is based on the student’s GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Visit our Net Price Calculator at western.edu/cost to determine whether you qualify for a merit scholarship.
For more information about merit scholarships at Western, visit our scholarships page.
Get Involved
Take your education beyond the classroom.
Get the hands-on learning experience you need to apply your knowledge and launch your career.
- Clubs & Organizations: Join the Organics Guild, Western Solar Society, Sustainability Coalition or Wildlife Society.
- Coldharbour Institute: Experiment with sustainable building design, resilient food systems or community organizing in the Gunnison Valley.
- Conferences: Attend the Headwaters Conference, the Colorado Water Workshop and Sage Grouse Spring Symposium.
- Earthship Academy: Learn how to construct a self-sustaining building capable of producing food and saving energy.
- High Country News: Check out the independent news source’s new satellite office located in Kelley Hall.
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory: Find a research assistantship at one of the premier biological research stations in the world.
- Solar Energy International: Engage in the local, regional or global conversation about the renewable energy era.
Plotting a path forward
The ENVS program prepares students for meaningful livelihoods based on their values. Graduates enter their fields with the skills to connect ideas, individuals and organizations.
News & Research
Additional Resources
Department Information
Clark Family School of Environment and Sustainability
Dean
Micah Russell, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability, Integrative and Public Land Management Director; MEM Director
Program Facilitator
Lindsay DolezalProgram Facilitator and Grants Administrator
Campus Location
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81230
