College: Social Sciences and Public Policy
Degree: BS
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.*
The objective of the Environment and Society major is to provide the student with both a basic background in the natural sciences as well as an in-depth understanding of the social and institutional context of contemporary environmental concerns. Interest in the environment is growing, both in the state and nationwide, which is creating new job opportunities for college graduates in such fields as sustainability, environmental regulation, urban planning, site analysis, natural resource management, habitat conservation, and hazards management. The basic curriculum required of all students includes an introduction to environmental and physical sciences and to data analysis and research design. Electives allow the students to choose their own area of focus.
** The requirements below are for Fall 2023 admits and forward, previous admit terms can refer to the Geography website for their major requirements. https://coss.fsu.edu/geography/undergraduate/environment-society/ **
Prerequisite Coursework: (8 hours)
A grade of C minus or higher is required in each course. These may also apply toward the major and General Education.
BSC1005/BSC1005L General Biology for Non-Science Majors and Lab (or higher level Biology and Lab - BSC2010/BSC2010L)
CHM1020C or CHM1020/CHM1020L Chemistry for Liberal Studies and Lab (or higher level Chemistry - CHM1045/CHM1045L*)
*MAC1105 College Algebra is a required prerequisite course to CHM1045/CHM1045L
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 .
It is strongly recommended that students interested in this major complete both the required Biology and matching Lab and Chemistry and matching Lab courses during their freshman/sophomore years.
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. Students must also have completed at least two of the four basic core curriculum courses.
Major Program of Studies at FSU: (41 hours)
The major in Environmental Studies requires 41 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) courses.
I. Basic Core Curriculum (14 hours)
BSC 1005, BSC1005L (3, 1) General Biology for Non-Science Majors and Lab (or higher level Biology - BSC2010/BSC2010L)
CHM 1020C or CHM1020, CHM1020L (3,1) Chemistry for Liberal Studies and Lab (or higher level Chemistry - CHM1045/CHM1045L*)
GEO 1330 (3) Environmental Science
GEO 2200C (3) Physical Geography
*MAC1105 College Algebra is a required prerequisite course to CHM1045/CHM1045L
II. Natural Science Courses (9 credit hours total; 3 credit hours must be from Core Courses list)
(Note: some courses listed below may have prerequisites)
Core Courses:
GEO 4210 (3) Landforms & Landscapes
GEO 4251 (3) Geography of Climate Change and Storms
GEO 4280 (3) Geography of Water Resources
GEO 4300 (3) Biogeography
GEO4340 (3) Living in a Hazardous Environment
GEO 4376 (3) Landscape Ecology
GEO 4392 (3) Geography of Marine Conservation
IDS 2471 (3) Glaciers, Geysers & Glades: Exploring US National Parks
Elective Courses:
BOT 3143C (4) Field Botany
BSC 3016 (3) Eukaryotic Diversity
BSC 3052 (3) Conservation Biology
BSC 3312 (3) Marine Biology
BSC 4821C (4) Biogeography
CHM 4080 (3) Environmental Chemistry I
CHM 4081 (3) Environmental Chemistry II
GEO4930 (3) Special Topics in Geography (Note: content varies and not all GEO4930 courses will count as electives)
GLY 1030 (3) Environmental Issues in Geology
GLY 2010C (3) Physical Geology
GLY 3039 (3) Energy, Resources and the Environment
IDS 3232 (3) Living Green: Theory to Action
ISC 2003 (3) Global Change, Its Scientific and Human Dimensions
MET 1010 (3) Introduction to the Atmosphere
MET 1050 (3) Natural Hazards & Disasters: From Hurricanes to Meteorites
MET 3101 (3) Physical Climatology
MET 3231 (3) Introduction to Atmospheric Thermodynamics and Dynamics
OCE1001 (3) Elementary Oceanography
OCE 4008 (3) Principles of Oceanography
OCE 4017 (3) Current Issues in Environmental Science
OCB 4265 (3) Coral Reef Ecology
OCE 4930 (3) Studies in Oceanography
PCB 3043 (3) General Ecology
PCB 4402 (1) Ecology of Infectious Disease
III. Social Science Courses (12 credit hours total; 3 credit hours must be from Core Courses list)
(Note: some courses listed below may have prerequisites)
Core Courses:
GEO 3502 (3) Economic Geography
GEO4344 (3) Environmental Disasters & Apocalypse
GEO 4355 (3) Geography of Food and Environment
GEO 4357 (3) Environmental Conflict & Economic Development
GEO 4404 (3) Black Geographies
GEO 4412 (3) Environment and Gender
GEO 4421 (3) Cultural Geography
GEO 4450 (3) Medical Geography
GEO 4471 (3) Political Geography
GEO 4503 (3) Globalization
GEO4505 (3) Fossil Fuels & Environmental Conflict
GEO 4602 (3) Urban Geography
GEO 4700 (3) Transport Geography
GEO4804 (3) Geography of Wine
IDS 3404 (3) Environmental Justice (Honors)
IDS 2227 (3) Sustainable Society (Honors)
IDS 2180 (3) Dead Cities
IDS 3336 (3) "Great" Britain? Geography, Imperialism, Industry & Culture
IDS 2492 (3) Sport: Place, Competition and Fairness (Honors)
Elective Courses:
AMH 2097 (3) The History of Immigration to the United States
AMH 4630 (3) North American Environmental History
AMH 4634 (3) Florida Environmental History
CTE 4470 (3) Sustainability & Human Rights in the Business World
ECP 3113 (3) Economics of Population
ECP 3302 (3) Economics of Natural Resources, Energy & Environment
EVR 4314 (3) Energy and Society
GEO3423 (3) Sports Geography
GEO4930 (3) Special Topics in Geography (Note: content varies and not all GEO4930 courses will count as electives)
IDS2240 (3) Sustainable Food and Water: Soil, Animals, Vegetables, and Grain
IDS 2431 (3) Thinking Beyond Ourselves: Global Perspectives
IDS2156 (3) Environment & Society
IDS 3164 (3) Media, Culture, and the Environment
IDS3169 (3) Art & the Environment
INR 2002 (3) Introduction to International Relations
PAD 3003 (3) Public Administration in American Society
PAD 4382 (3) Disaster Recovery and Mitigation
PAD 4391 (3) Foundations in Emergency Management
PAD 4393 (3) Emergency Management Programs, Planning, and Policy
PAD 4603 (3) Administrative Law
PHI 2620 (3) Environmental Ethics
PUP 3002 (3) Introduction to Public Policy
PUP 4203 (3) Environmental Politics and Policy
SYD 3020 (3) Population and Society
SYD 4510 (3) Environmental Sociology
URP 3000 (3) Introduction to Planning & Urban Development
URP 4318 (3) Growth Management and Environmental Planning
URP 4402 (3) Sustainable Development Planning in the Americas
URP4404 (3) River Basin Management and Planning
URP 4423 (3) Introduction to Environmental Planning and Resource Management
URP 4710 (3) Introduction to Transportation Issues & Transportation Planning
URP 4936 (3) Special Topics in Urban and Regional Planning
IV. Methods Courses: (6/7 credit hours total; 3/4 credit hours must be from Core Courses list)
(Note: some courses listed below may have prerequisites)
Core Courses:
GEO4162 Spatial Data Analysis (cannot take along with SYA4400)
GIS3015 Map Analysis
GIS4006 Computer Cartography
GIS4035 & GIS4035L Introduction to Remote Sensing with Lab (4 credit hours)
GIS4043 & GIS4043L Geographic Information Systems with Lab (4 credit hours)
GIS4330 Florida GIS Applications
GIS4402 GIS Applications in Social Sciences
GIS4421 GIS & Health
IDS2473 Putting Science into Action: Field Methods in Plant Ecology
Elective Courses:
ENV4611 Environmental Impact Analysis
GEO4114 Environmental Field Methods
STA3024 SAS for Data & Statistical Analysis
SYA4300 Methods of Social Research
SYA4400 Social Statistics (cannot take along with GEO4162C)
Digital Literacy: 0 hours beyond major.
BSC 2010L (1) Biological Science I Lab meets this requirement for this major.
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 41*
Minor Coursework 0
Digital Literacy 0 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 www.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 2025 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 41 hours of major coursework with grades of “C minus“ or higher. At least 18 of the hours in the major must be at the 3000/4000 level.
**** The requirements below are for Fall 2023 admits and forward, previous admit terms can refer to the Geography website for their major requirements. https://coss.fsu.edu/geography/undergraduate/environment-society/ **
Mapping Coordinator: COSS Academic Affairs Office, 101 BEL
Email: COSS-Admissions-Mapping@fsu.edu
Sample Schedule and Required Milestones by Term
| Sample Schedule: Term 1 hrs |
| ENC1101 Freshman Composition3 |
| MAC1105 College Algebra or higher mathematics3 |
| GE History3 |
| Elective3 |
| GEO1330 Environmental Science or Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 1 |
| Complete ENC1101 ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Complete MAC1105 ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Sample Schedule: Term 2 hrs |
| ENC2135 Research, Genre, and Context 3 |
| 2nd GE Mathematics or Statistics 3 |
| CHM1020C/CHM1020 and CHM1020 Lab Chemistry for Liberal Studies (or CHM1045 General Chemistry I and CHM1045 Lab) *OR* BSC1005 and BSC1005 Lab Biology for Non-Majors (or BSC2010 and BSC2010 Lab)4 |
| GE Core Social Science3 |
| Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 2 |
| Complete ENC2135 ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Complete CHM1020C/CHM1020 and CHM1020 Lab (or CHM1045 and CHM1045 Lab) *OR* BSC1005 and BSC1005 Lab (or BSC2010 and BSC2010 Lab) ( ≥ C minus in each ) |
| Sample Schedule: Term 3 hrs |
| CHM1020C/CHM1020 and CHM1020 Lab Chemistry for Liberal Studies (or CHM1045 General Chemistry I and CHM1045 Lab) *OR* BSC1005 and BSC1005 Lab Biology for Non-Majors (or BSC2010 and BSC2010 Lab)4 |
| GE Core Humanities/Cultural Practice3 |
| GEO1330 Environmental Science 3 |
| Elective3 |
| Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 3 |
| Complete 2nd GE Mathematics or Statistics Course ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Complete CHM1020C/CHM1020 and CHM1020 Lab (or CHM1045 and CHM1045 Lab) ( ≥ C minus in each ) |
| Complete BSC1005 and BSC1005 Lab (or BSC2010 and BSC2010 Lab) ( ≥ C minus in each ) |
| Complete GEO1330 ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Sample Schedule: Term 4 hrs |
| GEO2200C Physical Geography3 |
| GE Social Science3 |
| GE Humanities/Cultural Practice3 |
| Oral Communication Competency3 |
| Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 4 |
| Complete GEO2200C ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Complete General Education requirements |
| Sample Schedule: Term 5 hrs |
| Natural Science Elective3 |
| Methods Elective3 |
| GE Ethics3 |
| Natural Science Core course3 |
| Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 5 |
| Complete 1 Major Elective or CORE course ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Civic Literacy requirement |
| Sample Schedule: Term 6 hrs |
| Natural Science Elective course3 |
| Methods Elective course3 |
| Social Science Elective course3 |
| Minor course3 |
| Social Science Core course3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 6 |
| Complete 3 Major Electives and/or CORE courses ( ≥ C minus in each) |
| Sample Schedule: Term 7 hrs |
| Natural Science Elective course3 |
| Social Science Elective course3 |
| Methods Core course3 |
| Elective3 |
| Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 7 |
| Complete 6 Major Electives and/or CORE courses ( ≥ C minus in each) |
| Sample Schedule: Term 8 hrs |
| Natural Science Elective3 |
| All Core courses9 |
| Elective3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 8 |
| Complete all major courses ( ≥ C minus in each) |
| Apply for Graduation in 1st two weeks |