Department Website
Program Description
The Department of Environmental Studies aims to provide students with the breadth of understanding and skills necessary for resolving environmental questions and creating a sustainable future on scales ranging from local to global. It does so through integrated, problem-oriented study and a broad range of courses across disciplines and schools. The major and minor draw on NYU’s strong faculty base in Arts and Science (FAS), the Center for Atmosphere Ocean Science (CAOS, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences/FAS), the Center on Environmental and Land Use Law (School of Law), the M.A. Program in Bioethics (Faculty of Health), and the Environmental Conservation Education program (Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development), as well as in the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, the Stern School of Business, the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, and the School of Medicine.
The department offers opportunities to develop interests in a number of areas, including environmental science; environmental values, policy, and law; earth system science; public health; urban environmental problems; climate change; energy systems; environmental justice; and our complex relations with both domesticated and wild nature.
Minor Declaration
To request declaration of a minor, CAS students should visit the host department. To request declaration of a cross-school minor, CAS students should complete the online Minor Application available in their Albert Student Center. Students may also use the Minor Application in Albert to request cancellation of a CAS or cross-school minor.
Program Requirements
The minor requires the completion of 20 credits completed with a grade of C or better, comprised of the following:
Policies
Policies Applying to the Major and Minor
A course cannot satisfy more than one requirement for the environmental studies major or minor. Students must earn a C or better in all courses for the major or minor. Pass/Fail courses cannot count toward the major or minor. Transfer students must complete at least half of the major or minor at NYU.
Completion of the major in environmental studies satisfies the Societies and the Social Sciences component of the College Core Curriculum. However, completion of the minor does not satisfy this requirement. Environmental Quantitative Methods (ENVST-UA 310) fulfills the Quantitative Reasoning requirement in the Foundations of Scientific Inquiry component of the College Core Curriculum. In addition, Where the City Meets the Sea: Studies in Coastal Urban Environments (ENVST-UA 275) fulfills the Life Science requirement in the Foundations of Scientific Inquiry component of the College Core Curriculum.
Many courses approved for the major and minor in ES are outside of the College of Arts and Science. CAS students may take up to 16 credits outside the College and apply them to their degree. To request additional non-CAS credits beyond the 16-credit limit, students must consult with the College of Arts and Science Advising Center (726 Broadway, 7th floor; 212-998-8130; http://cas.nyu.edu/academic-standards/petitions).
No non-CAS courses can count toward the 64 credits that internal or external transfer students are required to complete in CAS (-UA) courses, even if they are approved for the major or minor in ES.
NYU Policies
University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.
College of Arts and Science Policies
A full list of relevant academic policies can be found on the CAS Academic Policies page.