Interdisciplinary Major - Environmental Thought and Practice

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Universal Curriculum Requirements

To be awarded a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences, students are required to complete universal curriculum requirements in addition to the program requirements provided below. The school universal curriculum requirements can be found on the school Degree Programs page .

Requirements for the Major

The Environmental Thought and Practice interdisciplinary major requires five core classes and six electives. At least 12 credits (or 4 courses of at least 3 credits) must be at the 3000 level or higher.

Core courses

The following core courses are required of all majors:

ETP 2030 - Politics, Science, & Values: Intro to Environmental Thought and Practice Credits: 3 OR
PLAP 2030 - Politics, Science and Values: An Introduction to Environmental Policy Credits: 3
RELG 2210 - Religion, Ethics, & Global Environment Credits: 3
HIST 2150 - Global Environmental History Credits: 3 OR
ANTH 2160 - Culture and the Environment Credits: 3
ECON 2010 - Principles of Economics: Microeconomics Credits: 3
GSVS 2150 - Global Sustainability Credits: 3 OR
AAS 2559 - New Course in African and African American Studies Credits: 3
EVSC 1010 - Introduction to Environmental Sciences Credits: 3
EVSC 1450 - An Inconvenient Truce: Climate, You and CO2 Credits: 3
EVSC 2220 - Conservation Ecology: Biodiversity and Beyond Credits: 3
EVSC 2200 - Plants, People and Culture Credits: 3 OR
EVSC 1080 - Resources and the Environment Credits: 3
ETP 4010 - Environmental Decisions Credits: 3

Electives

Each student must also choose six (6) classes distributed across the three areas indicated below, with the restriction that at least two (2) classes must be taken in Area III (Natural Science) and at least one (1) class must be taken in each of Areas I and II. We recommend checking SIS frequently for environmentally-themed courses, as courses often come and go. Students who wish to have classes not specified here counted against their ETP elective requirements must submit their request plus the full course syllabus to Professor Lawrence. Please give this information to Professor Lawrence by email. ETP elective courses must be upper-level or graduate three- or four-credit classes and they must have environmental concerns as the central focus. Requests to count courses that do not meet these basic requirements will not be considered.

Values, Culture, and History electives (Area I)

Students may fulfill their one-class requirement for this track by taking any one of the following specific 3-credit classes. If approved by one of the ETP Program Directors, students may count one related 3000-, 4000-, or 5000-level class in History, Anthropology, Philosophy, English, Religious Studies, Landscape Architecture, or Science, Technology, and Society to meet the overall six-course elective requirement, but not to meet the basic one-class requirement for this area. The College allows students to count 18 credits of classes in other schools toward the 120-credit graduation requirement.

AAS 3500 - Intermediate Seminar in African-American & African Studies Credits: 3 - Topic: Black Environmental Thought
ANTH 2589 - Topics in Archaeology Credits: 3 - Topic: Archaeology and the Politics of Sustainability
ANTH 2590 - Social and Cultural Anthropology Credits: 3 - Topic: The Culture of Rivers
ANTH 2890 - Unearthing the Past Credits: 3
ANTH 3100 - Indigenous Landscapes Credits: 3
ANTH 3130 - Disease, Epidemics and Society Credits: 3
ANTH 3240 - The Anthropology of Food Credits: 3
ANTH 3340 - Ecology and Society: An Introduction to the New Ecological Anthropology Credits: 3
ANTH 3870 - Archaeology of Virginia Credits: 3
ANTH 3880 - African Archaeology Credits: 3
ANTH 3890 - Archaeology of the American Southwest Credits: 3
ANTH 4060 - People, Culture and Environment of Southern Africa Credits: 3
ANTH 5590 - Social & Cultural Anthropology - Topic: The Nature of Nature
ARTH 3863 - East Asian Art, Landscape, and Ecology Credits: 3
ENCW 4550 - Topics in Literary Prose Credits: 3
ENGL 2508 - Studies in Fiction Credits: 3 - Topic: American Environmental Fictions
ENGL 2559 - New Course in Introduction to English Literature Credits: 1 to 4
ENGL 3438 - Realism and Naturalism in America Credits: 3
ENGL 3560 - Studies in Modern and Contemporary Literature Credits: 3 - Topic: Jungle Stories
ENGL 4560 - Seminar in Modern and Contemporary Literature Credits: 3 - Topic: Ecofeminist Poetics
ENSP 3559 - New Course in Special Topics In Literature Credits: 1 to 4 - Topic: Plants and Empire
ENWR 3665 - Writing about the Environment Credits: 3
GSVS 4559 - New Course in Global Environments & Sustainability Credits: 1 to 6 - Topic: Multispecies Migrations: Eastern Shore Stories
HIAF 3112 - African Environmental History Credits: 3
HILA 4511 - Colloquium in Latin American History Credits: 4 - Topic: Environmental History of Latin America
HIST 2210 - Epidemics, Pandemics, and History Credits: 3 or GSGS 2210
HIST 3112 - Ecology and Globalization in the Age of European Expansion Credits: 3
HIST 4501 - Major Seminar Credits: 4 - Topic: Modern Environmental History and Topic: Water, Development, Global History
HIUS 2711 - American Environmental History Credits: 3
ITTR 4010 - Narrating (Un-)sustainability: Ecocritical Explorations in Italy & Mediterr Credits: 3
MDST 3584 - Global Cinema Credits: 3 - Topic: Screening Nature
MDST 4210 - Global Environmental Media Credits: 3
MESA 3110 - Sustainable Environments Middle East and South Asia Credits: 3
MUSI 3400 - Ecoacoustics Credits: 3
PHIL 2500 - Survey on a Philosophical Topic Credits: 3 - Topic: Environmental Ethics and Topic: Animal Minds
PHIL 3652 - Animals and Ethics Credits: 3
PHYS 1090 - Galileo and Einstein Credits: 3
RELC 3795 - Theology, Spirituality and Ethics of Sustainability Credits: 3
RELG 3820 - Global Ethics & Climate Change Credits: 3
SPAN 4500 - Special Topics Seminar: Literature Credits: 3 - Topic: Literary Adventures in the Latin American Jungle; Topic: Caribbean Literature and the Environment

Policy, Planning, and Society electives (Area II)

Students may fulfill their one-class requirement for this track by taking any one of the following specific 3-credit classes. If approved by one of the ETP Program Directors, students may take one related 3-credit 3000-, 4000-, or 5000-level course in Economics, Government and Foreign Affairs, Sociology, Statistics, McIntire School of Commerce, Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, Engineering, the Law School, Darden, or Urban and Environmental Planning to meet the overall six-course elective requirement, but not to meet the basic one-class requirement for this area.

AAS 3500 - Intermediate Seminar in African-American & African Studies Credits: 3 - Topic: Environmental Justice in the Mid-Atlantic; Topic: Race, Class, Politics & the Environoment; Topic: Black Environmental Thought
ECON 3430 - Economics of Sustainability and the Environment Credits: 3
ECON 4430 - Environmental Economics Credits: 3
EVSC 3020 - GIS Methods Credits: 4
EVSC 4070 - Advanced GIS Credits: 3
PLAD 2500 - Special Topics in Politics Credits: 3 - Topic: Politics, Poverty and Health
PLAP 3160 - Politics of Food Credits: 3
PLAP 4500 - Special Topics in American Politics Credits: 3 - Topic: GIS in the Social Sciences
PLCP 3500 - Special Topics in Comparative Politics Credits: 3 - Topic: Environmental Politics in China
PLCP 4500 - Special Topics in Comparative Politics Credits: 3 - Topic: Politics of Air Pollution
PLCP - 5500 Special Topics in Comparative Politics - Approaches to Environmental Politics Credits / Units: 3
PLIR 3500 - Special Topics in International Relations Credits: 3 - Topic: Global Environmental Politics
SOC 2630 - Environment & Society Credits: 3
SOC 3559 - New Course in Sociology Credits: 1 to 4 - Topic: Environment, Globalization, and Development

Natural Science electives (Area III)

Two 3000-, 4000- or 5000-level 3-credit courses in Environmental Sciences or one 3-credit course at the 3000- 4000- or 5000-level in Environmental Sciences plus a second course from the following list. If approved by one of the ETP Program Directors, students may take one related 3000-, 4000-, or 5000-level class in Biology, Chemistry, or Environmental Engineering to meet the overall six-class elective requirement, but not to meet the basic two-class requirement for this area. (Note: upper-level Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences and Environmental Engineering classes can have several prerequisites.)

BIOL 3020 - Evolution and Ecology Credits: 3
BIOL 3180 - Introduction to Plants and Society Credits: 3
BIOL 3450 - Biodiversity and Conservation Credits: 3
BIOL 3660 - Marine Biology and Coral Reef Ecology in San Salvador Credits: 4
BIOL 4100 - Management of Forest Ecosystems Credits: 4
BIOL 4130 - Population Ecology and Conservation Biology Credits: 3
BIOL 4510 - Field Biology at Mountain Lake Biological Station Credits: 1 to 4 - Topic: Stream Ecology
BIOL 4559 - New Course in Biology Credits: 1 to 4 - Topic: Evolution and Ecology of Infectious Diseases
CHEM 3559 - New Course in Chemistry Credits: 1 to 4 - Topic: Anthrochemistry
EVSC 2800 - Fundamentals of Geology Credits: 3
PSYC 4500 - Special Topics in Psychology Credits: 3 - Topic: Socio-Ecological Psychology

Distinguished Majors Project (DMP)

Majors with a minimum 3.6 GPA in the major (and 3.4 GPA overall) are eligible for a distinguished majors program (DMP) for their fourth year. DMPs take a year-long independent study with a faculty advisor, with the goal of producing a thesis that is evaluated by outside readers. To participate in the ETP distinguished majors program, set up an appointment with Professor Lawrence during the spring semester of your third year.

Credit/No Credit Grades

Please note that the ETP program adheres strictly to the College of Arts and Science’s policy regarding classes taken for CR (credit) or NC (no credit). Courses counting towards the ETP area requirements and core courses may NOT be taken on a CR/NC basis.

The College does not permit students to take courses on a CR/NC basis in interdisciplinary programs, nor does it permit students to count courses taken on a CR/NC basis towards a major, minor, or College area requirements.

Double Majors/Minors

Many ETP majors pursue double majors and minors in a variety of other subjects. Please read the requirements about double majoring and minoring set forth by the College of Arts and Sciences.

Study Abroad

The ETP program does not have any official positions on overseas programs. We recommend that ETP students interested in studying abroad go to other universities’ websites for ETP-like majors and see if there are recommended programs through those universities.    In the course approval process, students must go to the UVA departments for which they seek credit. For example, if you would like credit for a civil engineering class taken abroad, you must go to the Engineering Department to file for this credit. Unless it is an ETP course, we cannot approve it for credit.

Additional Information

For more information contact:
Deborah Lawrence, Clark Hall, P.O. Box 400123, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4123, dl3c@virginia.edu