Courses

Our Environmental Studies curriculum draws on environment-related courses across the university, offering students a thorough interdisciplinary education. In addition to many hands-on learning opportunities, we also emphasize community-engaged learning through guest speakers, field trips, and class projects that let students work with nonprofits and businesses to create and apply solutions.



Course Highlights

Photo of environment justice classroom

ENVS 435 Environmental Justice
Instructor: Kari Norgaard

How and why are environmental problems experienced differently according to race, gender, and class? How do different communities experience and respond to environmental problems? What do we learn about the meaning of gender, race, and class by studying the patterns of exposure and creative resistance of different communities to environmental hazards? In other words, what does the study of environmental risks tell us about racism, classism, and sexism in our nations and world today? These are some of the questions we will take up in this course. 

Soil Plant Atmosphere Research Lab

ENVS 447 Soil Science
Instructor: Lucas Silva

This course will introduce undergraduate and graduate students to the wonderful world of soils. Soils exert fundamental control on patterns and processes of plant distributions, nutrient and water cycling, and the productivity of both natural and managed ecosystems. Soils are also an important component of many current and historical environmental problems. It is also widely applicable to graduate and undergraduate students in Anthropology, Biology, Earth Sciences, Environmental Studies, Environmental Science, Geography, and Landscape Architecture, along with other majors on campus. 

Sustainable Agriculture with Galen Martin

ENVS 467 Sustainable Agriculture
Instructor: Galen Martin

The purpose of the class is for students to develop an informed critique of agricultural production. We will review traditional non-industrialized, modern industrialized, modern organic, and genetically modified crops-based systems through the lens of sustainability. While holding a holistic perspective, the course examines the various material components of production systems, and food policy and food security. By course end, students will have a fundamental understanding of how food is produced, the options and constraints of producers, and the obstacles and potential for more sustainable food production systems.  


Projected Courses 2022-2023

Please note that course offerings may change as term schedules finalize. Additionally, the following lists only include descriptions of courses with the ENVS prefix. Please consult the UO Class Schedule, UO Catalog, and Tip Sheets for other course options. Click course name to see syllabus when available.

Fall 2022

Course Number Course Name Term Offered Area major Requirement
200-level  
202 Intro to Environmental Studies: Natural Sciences Fall 2022 Area 1
203 Intro to Environmental Studies: Humanities Fall 2022 Area 1
300-level  
345 Environmental Ethics Fall 2022 Area 3B: Humanities Foundation
400-level  
410 Avian Conservation Fall 2022 Area 3A: Life Science
410 Understanding Place Fall 2022 Area 3B: Social Science Foundation
411 Bodies of Water: Arts and Ecologies of H20 Fall 2022 Area 4
435 Environmental Justice Fall 2022 Area 3B: Social Science Foundation

Winter 2023

Course Number Course Name Term Offered Area major Requirement
200-level  
201 Intro to Environmental Studies: Social Science Winter 2023 Area 1
203 Intro to Environmental Studies: Humanities Winter 2023 Area 1
400-level  
410 Conservation Biology as Ideology Winter 2023 Area 3A: Life Science
410 Data Science Winter 2023 Area 3A (ENVS)/ Area 2 Analytic Approaches (ESCI)
410 Nature in Popular Culture Winter 2023 Area 3B: Humanities Foundation
411 Queer Ecological Reimaginings Winter 2023 Area 4
425 Environmental Education: Theory & Practice Winter 2023 Area 4
427 Environmental & Ecological Monitoring Winter 2023 Area 2 Analytical Approaches
450 Political Ecology Winter 2023 Area 3B: Social Sciences Foundation

Spring 2023

Course Number Course Name Term Offered Area major Requirement
200-level  
201 Intro to Environmental Studies: Social Science Spring 2023 Area 1
202 Intro to Environmental Studies: Natural Science Spring 2023 Area 1
400-level  
400M Ice and Society Spring 2023 Area 4
410 Ecosystems & Society Spring 2023 Area 3B: Social Sciences Foundation
410 Unnatural Disasters Spring 2023 Area 3B: Humanities Foundation
411 Fire and the Settler State Spring 2023 Area 4
411 Invasive Species Spring 2023 Area 4
429 Environmental Leadership Program Spring 2023 Area 5
467 Sustainable Agriculture Spring 2023 Area 3B: Sustainable Design & Practice Foundation

494M

Passive Cooling Spring 2023 Area 3B: Sustainable Design & Practice Foundation

See all major requirements