College: Social Sciences and Public Policy
Degree: BS, BA in Environment and Society
Specialized Admission: No
Address: 301 Bellamy Building, FSU Tallahassee, FL 32306
Phone: (850) 644-8382
Email: k.svec@fsu.edu
*Please Note: Face-to-face/in-person instruction of this program is available ONLY at the main campus in Tallahassee, FL. This program is NOT available via Online/Distance Learning.*
Environment & Society is an interdisciplinary STEM program of study that explores the interplay of social and environmental issues. It combines courses from the social sciences and the natural sciences to investigate how nature and society are produced through multiple and historically-chaniging relationships, including ecosystem management, climate change, resource conservation, food production, marine exploitation, urban sustainability, land use planning, severe storm mitigation, and environmental health. Students will engage with how these issues are debated, measured, evaluated and then formulated into public policy and real-world interventions. The major is highly flexible and allows students to explore a wide variety of classes when choosing how to study how humans interact with nature. It requires 42-44 credit hours with a grade of “C minus” or better in each course; at least 18 credit hours must be taken in upper-level (3000 and 4000-level) courses. A maximum of six credit hours may be used from GEO 4905 DIS or GEO 4941 Internship.
Prerequisite Coursework: None
Note: State-wide common prerequisites are always under review. For the most current information and for acceptable alternative courses, visit the “Common Prerequisites Manual.” This is available from the “Student Services” section of http://www.flvc.org .
Requirements for Progression to the Upper-Division Major:
To be admitted, students must complete at least 52 hours of coursework with a minimum FSU GPA of 2.00 and most of the General Education requirements met, including freshman English composition and mathematics, or an AA Degree. At least 18 credit hours must be taken in upper-level (3000 and 4000-level) courses
Major Program of Studies at FSU: (42 hours)
The major in Environmental and Society requires 42 hours with a grade of C minus or better in each course.
Environment and Society Required Courses: (9 hours)
GEO 1330 (3) Environmental Science OR GEO 2200c (3) Our Planet Earth
GEO 2477 (3) Political Ecology
GIS 2040 (3) Essentials of GIS
Social Science Core Courses: (9 hours)
Choose at least 9 hours selected from the following:
GEO 4xxx (3) Disaster Risk, Vulnerability, and Resilience
GEO 4355 (3) Geography of Food and Environment
GEO 4412 (3) Environment and Gender
GEO 4505 (3) Fossil Fuels & Environmental Conflict
Natural Science Core Courses: (9 hours)
Choose at least 9 hours selected from the following:
GEO 4283 + Lab (4) Hydrology and Environment
GEO 4210 (3) Landforms and Landscapes
GEO 4251 (3) Geography of Climate Change and Storms
GEO 4376 (3) Landscape Ecology
Methods Core Courses: (9 hours)
Choose at least 9 hours selected from the following:
GEO 4114 (3) Environmental Field Methods
GEO 4162C (3) Spatial Data Analysis
GEO 4xxx (3) Qualitative Methods
GIS 3015 (3) Cartography
GIS 4035 + Lab (4) Intro to Remote Sensing
GIS 4043 + Lab (4) Intro to Geographic Info Science
GIS 4330 (3) Florida GIS Applications
Social and Natural Science Electives: (6 hours)
Choose at least 6 hours selected from either list
Social Science Elective Courses
CTE 4470 (3) Sustainability & Human Rights in Business
ECP 3302 (3) Econ of Nat Resources, Energy & Enviro
GEO 3423 (3) Sports Geography
GEO 3502 (3) Economic Geography
GEO 4340 (3) Living in a Hazardous Environment
GEO 4450 (3) Medical Geography
GEO 4357 (3) Environmental Conflict & Economic Development
GEO 4471 (3) Political Geography
GEO 4602 (3) Urban Geography
GEO 4804 (3) Geography of Wine
GEO 4930 (3) Special Topics in Geography
GEO 4941 (1-6) Internship
IDH 3404 (3) Environmental Justice (Honors)
IDS 2180 (3) Dead Cities (Urban Futures in 2027)
IDS 2227 (3) Sustainable Society
IDS 2431 (3) Thinking Beyond Ourselves: Global Perspectives
IDS 3164 (3) Media, Culture, and the Environment
PAD 4382 (3) Disaster Recovery and Mitigation
PAD 4391 (3) Foundations in Emergency Management
PAD 4393 (3) Emergency Mgmt Programs, Planning, Policy
SYD 3020 (3) Population and Society
SYD 4510 (3) Environmental Sociology
URP 3000 (3) Intro to Planning & Urban Development
URP 4402 (3) Sustainable Dev Planning in the Americas
Natural Science Elective Courses
BSC 2010 + Lab (4) Biological Science w/ Lab
BSC 3312 (3) Marine Biology*
CHM 1045 + Lab (4) General Chemistry w/ Lab
EES 3040 (3) Intro to Environmental Engineering
ESC 3100c (4) History of Earth Systems
IDS 2471 (3) Glaciers, Geysers & Glades: US Natl Parks
IDS 2473w (3) Putting Science into Action: Field Methods in Plant Ecology
GEO 1330 (3) Environmental Science
GEO 2200c (3) Our Planet Earth
GEO 4280 (3) Geography of Water Resources
GEO 4300 (3) Biogeography
GEO 4930 (3) Special Topics in Geography
GEO 4941 (1-6) Internship
GLY 2010C (4) Physical Geology*
GLY 3039 (3) Energy, Resources, and the Environment*
MET 1010 (3) Introduction to Atmosphere
MET 1050 (3) Natural Hazards & Disasters
MET 3101 (3) Physical Climatology*
OCB 4265 (3) Coral Reef Ecology
OCE 1001 (3) Elementary Oceanography
OCE 4008 (3) Principles of Oceanography
OCE 4017 (3) Current Issues in Environmental Science
*Classes with an asterisk have prerequisites and/or corequisites.
Digital Literacy: (3 hours)
CGS 2060 (3), CGS 2100 (3), or other University approved course.
Oral Communication Competency: 0-3 hours
Students must demonstrate the ability to orally transmit ideas and information clearly. This requirement may be met with an approved college-level course.
Minimum Program Requirements - Summary
Total Hrs. Required 120
General Education 36*
Major Coursework 42*
Minor Coursework 0
Digital Literacy 3 beyond major
Oral Competency 0-3
Electives to bring total hours to 120
*NOTE: Some Environment and Society courses may be applied to both General Education requirements and the major.
Mapping is FSU’s academic advising and monitoring system. Academic progress is monitored each Fall and Spring semester to ensure that students are on course to earn their degree in a timely fashion. Transfer students must meet mapping guidelines to be accepted into their majors. You may view the map for this major at academic-guide.fsu.edu/.
1. A minimum of 45 hours at the 3000 level or above, 30 of which must be taken at this University.
2. Half of the major course semester hours must be completed in residence at this University.
3. The final 30 hours must be completed in residence at this University.
4. At least 18 hours must be completed at the 3000 level or above within the major.
Salary Information: For more information go to: National Association of Colleges and Employers (www.naceweb.org) or the Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm) provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Representative Job Titles Related to this Major (with Baccalaureate): Environmental Policy Analyst, Environmental Specialist, Land Management Specialist, Market Researcher, Environmental Organization Officer, Sustainability Coordinator, Conservationist, Field or Wildlife Technician, Assistant Research Scientist, Forestry Technician, Environmental Outreach Coordinator, Community Organizer. With Additional Training: Land Use Analyst, Water Resource Planner, Conservation Manager, Forestry Manager, Environmental Organization Manager.
Representative Employers: Federal, State, and Local Governments, Environmental non-governmental organizations, Conservation non-profits, Real Estate Developers, School Boards, Resource Management Agencies, Planning Agencies, Mapping Agencies, Business Consultants, Utilities, Port and Airport Authorities.
ACADEMIC MAP (Effective Fall 2026 and after)
*Please Note: Face-to-face/in-person instruction of this program is available ONLY at the main campus in Tallahassee, FL. This program is NOT available via Online/Distance Learning.*
This map is a term-by-term sample course schedule. The milestones listed to the right of each term are designed to keep you on course to graduate in four years. The Sample Schedule serves as a general guideline to help you build a full schedule each term. The General Education and Elective courses must be selected to satisfy all area and diversity requirements unless your program meets these requirements with major courses. Milestones are courses and special requirements necessary for timely progress to complete a major. Missing milestones will result in one of two types of map registration stops. The first level (Degree Map Off-track) is placed following grade posting if the student has missed a milestone (course and/or GPA) for the first time in the major. If a student is in non-compliance with milestones for two (2) consecutive semesters (excluding summers), a Major Change Required stop is placed on the student's registration.
The Environment and Society major consists of 42 hours of major coursework with grades of “C minus“ or higher.
The requirements below are for Fall 2026 admits and forward. However, the Department of Geography will maintain a list of courses grandfathered into the updated course lists through Spring 2028.
Mapping Coordinator: COSSPP Academic Affairs Office, 101 BEL
Email: COSSPP-Admissions-Mapping@fsu.edu
Sample Schedule and Required Milestones by Term
| Sample Schedule: Term 1 hrs |
| ENC1101 Freshman Composition3 |
| 1st GE Mathematics (MAC1105 strongly suggested)3 |
| GE History3 |
| Elective3 |
| Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 1 |
| Complete ENC1101 ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Complete 1st GE Mathematics (MAC1105 strongly suggested) ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Sample Schedule: Term 2 hrs |
| ENC2135 Research, Genre, and Context 3 |
| 2nd GE Mathematics or Statistics 3 |
| GE Core Social Science3 |
| Elective3 |
| Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 2 |
| Complete ENC2135 ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Sample Schedule: Term 3 hrs |
| GE Core Humanities/Cultural Practice3 |
| Digital Literacy course3 |
| Exploring the Human Experience course3 |
| Elective3 |
| Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 3 |
| Complete 2nd GE Mathematics or Statistics Course ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Sample Schedule: Term 4 hrs |
| GE Social Science3 |
| GE Humanities/Cultural Practice3 |
| Oral Communication Competency3 |
| Elective3 |
| Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 4 |
| Complete General Education requirements |
| Sample Schedule: Term 5 hrs |
| GEO1330 Environmental Science OR GEO2200c Our Planet Earth3 |
| GIS 2040 Essentials of GIS3 |
| GEO 2477 Political Ecology3 |
| Ethics course3 |
| Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 5 |
| Complete All 3 Major courses ( ≥ C minus in each) |
| Civic Literacy requirement |
| Sample Schedule: Term 6 hrs |
| Natural Science Core course3 |
| Methods Core course3 |
| Social Science or Natural Science Elective course3 |
| Social Science Core course3 |
| Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 6 |
| Complete 4 Major Electives and/or CORE courses ( ≥ C minus in each) |
| Sample Schedule: Term 7 hrs |
| Natural Science Core course3 |
| Social Science Core course3 |
| Methods Core course3 |
| Elective3 |
| Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 7 |
| Complete 7 Major Electives and/or CORE courses ( ≥ C minus in each) |
| Sample Schedule: Term 8 hrs |
| Social Science or Natural Science Elective course3 |
| All Core courses9 |
| Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 8 |
| Complete all major courses ( ≥ C minus in each) |
| Apply for Graduation in 1st two weeks |