RISE Environmental Studies Specialization
The RISE Environmental Studies Specialization includes courses that examine both the physical and biological dimensions of the environment as well as sociopolitical interactions. The curriculum includes opportunities to study topics ranging from wetlands remediation to global information systems mapping (GIS). In addition, students may elect to study alongside world-class faculty engaged in environmental research.
The Environmental Studies Specialization includes three distinct RISE seminars in which students explore environmental issues through field trips, guest speakers, community projects and a senior level integrative experience. To earn the RISE Environmental Studies Specialization, students must be enrolled in one of the participating majors.
MSU offers a number of specializations that may be used to complement academic majors or to accommodate studies that are not available as a major. Specializations are a linked set of courses and completion of a specialization is noted on a student's transcript upon graduation.
Curriculum Requirements for the Environmental Studies Specialization:
1. Biological and Physical Dimensions of the Environment
A) Both of the following courses:
GLG 201 - Earth Processes and History - 4 Credits - Offered F, Sp
ISS 310 - People and the Environment - 4 Credits - Offered F, Sp, SuB) One of the following courses:
BS 110 - Organisms and Populations - 4 Credits - Offered F, Sp
FW 203 - Resource Ecology - 3 Credits - Offered F, SpC) One of the following courses:
CE 280 - Introduction to Environmental Engineering - 3 Credits - Offered F, Sp
CSS 210 - Fundamentals of Soil and Landscape Science - 3 Credits - Offered F, Sp
CSS 455 - Pollutants in the Soil Environment - 3 Credits - Offered F
ESA 324 - Water Resource management - 3 Credits, Offered Sp
FOR 404 - Forest and Agricultural Ecology - 3 Credits - Offered F
FW 207 - Great Lakes: Biology and Management - 3 Credits - Offered F
FW 364 - Ecological Problem Solving - 3 Credits - Offered Sp
FW 444 - Conservation Biology - 3 Credits - Offered F
GEO 203 - Introduction to Meterorology - 3 Credits, Offered F
GEO 206 - Physical Geography - 3 Credits - Offered F, Sp
GLG 421 - Environmental Geochemistry - 4 Credits - Offered Sp
ZOL 355/355L - Ecology - 4 Credits - Offered F, Sp, Su
2. Social-Environmental Interactions
A) One of the following courses:
ANP 470 - Food, Hunger, and Society - 3 Credits - Offered F of even years
EEP 255 - Ecological Economics - 3 Credits - Offered F, Sp
EEP 260 - World Food, Population and Poverty - 3 Credits - Offered F
EEP 320 - Environmental Economics - 3 Credits - Offered Sp
ENT 205 - Pests, Society and the Environment - 3 Credits - Offered F, Sp
ESA 201 - Environmental and Natural Resources - 3 Credits - Offered F, Sp
ESA 300 - Environmental Conflict Management (W) - 3 Credits - Offered - F
ESA 460 - Natural Resource Economics - 3 Credits - Offered Sp
FOR 464 - Forest Resource Economics (W) - 3 Credits - Offered F
FW 211 - Introduction to Gender and Environmental Issues - 3 Credits - Offered Sp
GEO 432 - Environmental Ethics - 3 Credits - Offered F
JRN 408 - Topics in Specialized Reporting and Writing - 3 Credits - Offered F, Sp
JRN 412 - Environmental Reporting - 3 Credits - Offered Sp
PKG 370 - Packaging and the Environment - 3 Credits - Offered Sp
PLS 342 - Comparative Political Economy - 3 Credits - Offered Sp
PRR 302 - Environmental Attitudes and Concepts - 3 Credits - Offered F
SOC 452 - Environment and Society - 3 Credits - Offered F
UP 353 - Land Use Planning - 4 Credits - Offered FB) One of the following courses:
ESA 430 - Law and Resources - 3 Credits - Offered F
ESA 433 - Law and Social Change - 3 Credits - Offered Sp
FOR 466 - Natural Resources Policy - 3 Credits - Offered Sp
PLS 301 - American State Government - 3 Credits - Offered Sp
PLS 310 - Public Bureaucracy in the Policy Process - 3 Credits - Offered F, Sp
PLS 313 - Public Policy Analysis - 3 Credits - Offered F, Sp, Su
PLS 324 - American Legislative Process - 3 Credits - Offered Sp
PLS 331 - Political Parties and Interest Groups - 3 Credits - Offered Sp of even years
ZOL 446 - Environmental Issues and Public Policy - 3 Credits - Offered F, Sp
3. Seminars:
NSC 192* - Environmental Issues Seminar - 1 Credit - Offered F, Sp
NSC 292 - Application in Environmental Studies- 2 Credits - Offered FNSC 390 - Special Problems - 1-3 Credits - Offered F, Sp, Su
* Each seminar is 1 credit; 3 seminars are required. Study Abroad will substitute for one seminar.