Requirements: Environmental Studies

Interdisciplinary

The major and concentration bring together the different perspectives of the life sciences, physical sciences, social sciences and humanities to help students understand the interactions between the human and natural systems that affect our environment. The academic program is enhanced by five green centers: the Office of Green Initiatives, the Kenyon Farm, the Kokosing Nature Preserve, the Philander Chase Conservancy and the 480-acre Brown Family Environmental Center (BFEC). The BFEC, within walking distance of campus, features a wide range of natural and managed habitats and includes part of the Kokosing River.

The program’s goals are for students to understand the interplay among humans, together with their social and cultural institutions, and the physical, chemical and biological processes of the natural world; approach complex problems from an analytical perspective and apply logic, scientific principles and quantitative tools to their solutions; understand the social, historical, philosophical, spiritual and literary traditions that define the relationships between humans and their environment; and persuasively communicate ideas and logical arguments both orally and in writing as active participants in the environmental problem-solving process. Consequently, the major and concentration knit together many traditional academic disciplines, drawing on coursework in anthropology, economics, philosophy, political science, religious studies and sociology, in addition to biology, chemistry and physics.

The Kenyon College faculty voted to change from Kenyon units to semester hours. This change will go into effect for all students who start at the College in the fall of 2024. Both systems will be used throughout the course catalog with the Kenyon units being listed first.

Jump to:

First-year and New Students

Students interested in environmental studies are encouraged to take ENVS 112 in their first year.

Other appropriate courses for first-year or new students include:

  • ANTH 111: Introduction to Biological Anthropology
  • BIOL 115: Energy in Living Systems
  • ECON 101: Principles of Microeconomics
  • PHIL 190: Anthropocene Philosophical Problem
  • SOCY 101: Powers, Energies and Peoples

Requirements for the Major

The environmental studies major requires a total of 8.25–8.75 units/66-70 semester hours, including a 2.0–2.5 unit/16-20 semester hour curricular focus. Students who complete an approved second major, minor or concentration have completed the curricular focus requirement and require a total of 6.25 units/50 semester hours to complete the major.

Common Core

Six Required Courses
BIOL 115: Energy in Living Systems
ECON 101: Principles of Microeconomics
ECON 336: Environmental Economics
ENVS 112: Introduction to Environmental Studies
ENVS 231: Earth Systems Science
ENVS 461: Seminar in Environmental Studies

Choose one additional living systems course
BIOL 228: Ecology
BIOL 352: Aquatic Systems Biology
ENVS 341: The Science of Climate Change
ENVS 342: Disease Ecology
ENVS 343: Managed Ecosystems

Choose one quantitative skills course
ENVS 220: Applied Environmental Analysis
MATH 258: Mathematical Biology

Choose one lab skills course
BIOL 229: Ecology Laboratory
BIOL 353: Aquatic Systems Lab
ENVS 210: Introductory Environmental Lab

Choose one additional skills course
CHEM 110: Environmental Chemistry
CHEM 121: Introductory Chemistry
ENVS 104: Solar Power Systems: Science, Policy and Practicum
ENVS 261: Geographical Information Science

Choose one policy course
PSCI 310: Public Policy
PSCI 342: Politics of Development
PSCI 363: Global Environmental Politics
PSCI 463: American Environmental Politics and Policy
PSCI 480: Science and Politics

Choose two courses in cultures, societies and environments (one each in two different disciplines)
ANTH 111: Introduction to Biological Anthropology
ANTH 112: Introduction to Archaeology
ANTH 113: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 256: Habitat and Humanity
ENGL 268: Climate Emergencies
HIST 360: Corn, Farming and the Roots of American Cultures
HIST 481: Feast, Fast Famine: Food in the Premodern World
PHIL 190: The Anthropocene as a Philosophical Problem
PHIL 245: Philosophy of Natural Science
PSYC 235: Environmental Psychology
SOCY 101: Powers, Energies and Peoples
SOCY 238: Environmental Sociology
SOCY 233: Sociology of Food
SOCY 242: Science, Society and the Environment
RLST 350: Religion and Nature

Area of Curricular Focus

Students develop depth of knowledge in a curricular area in one of three ways: by completing an approved second major, an approved minor or concentration, or an area of curricular focus. Focal area requirements change frequently as course options change, so students should contact the program chair or administrative assistant for a current schedule of focal area requirements. Students may propose a customized focal area with approval of a program co-chair. If a student chooses to meet the focal area requirement with a relevant major, minor or concentration, the program chair must approve the student’s program of study. The program chair may require the major, minor or concentration to include particular courses to ensure the relevance of the program to the environmental studies major. A required major areas form (PDF) must be completed and submitted to the Registrar's Office, indicating the area of curricular focus. Each area of curricular focus must exhibit the following characteristics:

  1. Focal areas must comprise no less than two units and may require more.
  2. Focal areas must exhibit a clear pedagogical rationale and will be designed to develop curricular depth for the student. Such depth may or may not be contained within a single traditional discipline.
  3. Focal areas must contain at least one 300-level or 400-level course.

Experiential Community Exercise

Each student must complete an applied environmental exercise that provides a practical application of the knowledge and skills developed in the program within a community setting. The principal elements of the project: A student must conceptualize, plan and/or execute a project, and it must benefit, or be in partnership with, some community. The student may be part of a team, but the student must be a principal in the project, not simply an observer. The Senior Capstone may not serve as the experiential community exercise, but may arise out of it. Examples of potentially acceptable experiences include, but are not limited to approved courses with a practicum or community engagement component; a field-based study-abroad program that requires students to complete individual research; participation in NFS REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) research with community implications; an internship in which the student completes a significant environmental project; independent research with a faculty member; or an independent study working with a faculty member and a professional staff member at one of Kenyon’s green centers.

Senior Capstone

Majors will undertake a substantial, independent research project that demonstrates the development of depth in their environmental education and their ability to approach environmental issues from a systems-based, interdisciplinary perspective. Senior Capstones usually take the form of a research paper of around 20 to 30 pages, but may also take the form of substantial creative works for those whose area of curricular focus is in the arts. The choice of topic should reflect the student’s area of curricular focus in consultation with, and with approval from, the chair and the faculty advisor. Students are encouraged to consult with any faculty member whose expertise supports their investigation. The faculty supervisor will generally be a member of the environmental studies faculty, but the chair may approve other willing faculty members when their areas of expertise are appropriate to the topic. Projects are due early in the spring semester of the senior year.

Requirements for the Concentration

The concentration requires a total of 3.50 units/28 semester hours. Affiliated courses are offered in anthropology, biology, chemistry, economics, English, history philosophy, physics, political science, religious studies and sociology.

Required Environmental Studies Course: 0.50 units/4 semester hours

ENVS 112: Introduction to Environmental Studies

Core Courses in Environmental Studies: 1.50 units/12 semester hours

Take 12 semester hours of ENVS courses

Elective courses for Environmental Studies: 1.50 units/12 semester hours from the elective course list in at least two departments:

Anthropology:
ANTH 111: Introduction to Biological Anthropology
ANTH 256: Habitat and Humanity
ANTH 320: Anthropology of Food
ANTH 324: Human Ecology: Biocultural Adaptations

Biology:
BIOL 106: Conservation Biology
BIOL 115: Energy in Living Systems
BIOL 228, 229: Ecology and Ecology Laboratory
BIOL 328: Global Ecology and Biogeography
BIOL 352, 353: Aquatic Systems Biology and Aquatic Systems Lab

Chemistry:
CHEM 110: Environmental Chemistry
CHEM 121: Introductory Chemistry
CHEM 122: Chemical Principles
CHEM 231, 233: Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Lab I
CHEM 341: Instrumental Analysis

Economics:
ECON 101: Principles of Microeconomics
ECON 336: Environmental Economics
ECON 342: Economics of Regulation
ECON 347: Economics of the Public Sector

English:
ENGL 206: Introduction to Science and Nature Writing
ENGL 268: Climate Emergencies

History:
HIST 260: Corn, Farming and the Roots of American Cultures

Philosophy:
PHIL 110: Introduction to Ethics
PHIL 115: Practical Issues in Ethics
PHIL 190: The Anthropocene as a Philosophical Problem

Physics:
PHYS 108: Geology

Political Science:
PSCI 310: Public Policy
PSCI 342: Politics of Development
PSCI 363: Global Environmental Politics
PSCI 463: American Environmental Politics and Policy
PSCI 480: Science and Politics

Religious Studies:
RLST 350: Religion and Nature

Sociology:
SOCY 101: Powers, Energies and Peoples
SOCY 233: Sociology of Food
SOCY 238: Environmental Sociology
SOCY 242: Science, Society and the Environment

Transfer Credit Policy

Because careful course selection is necessary to achieve specific objectives, students are urged to consult as early as possible with the program director and other faculty members in the Environmental Studies Program.

A maximum of two off-campus courses may be applied to the core of the major. A maximum of two additional off-campus courses may be applied to the area of curricular focus unless this is being satisfied by a minor, concentration or second major. In those cases, that program's requirement must be met. A maximum of 1.00 unit/8 semester hours off-campus courses may be applied to the concentration. Students planning to take a course for transfer credit should consult the program director in advance as all transfer credit must be approved.