Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies
Environmental Studies is one of the fastest growing interdisciplinary majors and fields of study in the US. At ECU, the B.S. in Environmental Studies provides a solid foundation for students interested in learning about the complex relationship between humans and their environment. Students take a variety of courses that integrate social and scientific understandings of environmental issues, practical responses to environmental problems, and the narratives and values that shape our interactions with nature and the natural world. As a major, you’ll obtain the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue a variety of in-demand careers or graduate school.
At a Glance
- Degree: Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies
- Credit hours: 120 s.h. minimum
- Format: On-campus
- Curriculum: Interdisciplinary core and electives in earth and environmental sciences and environment and society
- Experiential learning: Faculty-mentored research or internship
Dr. Jeff Popke
Program Director
The Environmental Studies major provides students with a multidisciplinary understanding of environmental processes and challenges, and a broad skillset applicable to a wide range of careers. Students also gain practical experience through internships and research opportunities, preparing them for the workforce with hands-on experience and the ability to apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings.
Why Choose Environmental Studies at ECU?
Program Overview
The Environmental Studies curriculum includes courses from a range of disciplines across natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, giving students the analytical, intellectual, and technical skills necessary to understand and solve environmental problems.
The degree includes a 24 s.h. interdisciplinary core, 21 s.h. of approved electives, a minor chosen with the program director, general education requirements, and the additional electives needed to reach 120 s.h. Students also complete a faculty-mentored research project or internship in their senior year to showcase the knowledge and techniques accumulated through their coursework.
Electives are split into two categories: Earth & Environmental Sciences and Environment & Society. Students take at least 6 s.h. (and at least two prefixes) from one category, and no more than 15 s.h. (with at least two prefixes) from the other. At least 15 s.h. of the elective work must be above the 2999 level.
Because upper-level courses often have prerequisites, students should meet with Dr. Jeff Popke early to plan coursework. Study abroad and other courses may count when they add significant environmental studies preparation, with program director approval.
Courses
The course list below follows the 2026-2027 ECU Undergraduate Catalog. Course titles link to catalog entries. The full program catalog page is linked at the end of this section.
Core (24 s.h.)
Environmental sciences courses (11 s.h.)
Choose three courses and two associated labs from the following:
- ATMO 1300 — Weather and Climate
- BIOL 1200 — Principles of Biology II
- BIOL 1201 — Principles of Biology Laboratory II
- GEOG 1250 — Water in the Environment
- GEOG 1251 — Water in the Environment Laboratory
- GEOL 1500 — Dynamic Earth
- GEOL 1501 — Dynamic Earth Laboratory
Social sciences and humanities courses (6 s.h.)
Choose two courses from the following:
- ENGL 2490 — Introduction to Environmental Humanities
- GEOG 2300 — Environment and Society
- PLAN 1900 — Sustainable Cities
Methods or techniques course (3 s.h.)
Choose one course from the following:
- AAAS 2500 — Theory and Methods in African and African American Studies
- ANTH 3050 — Ethnographic Field Methods
- BIOS 1500 — Introduction to Biostatistics
- EHST 3003 — Environmental Epidemiology
- ENGL 4000 — Introduction to Literary Theory
- GEOG 2400 — Spatial Data Analysis
- GEOG 2420 — Cartography
- GEOG 4140 — Research Methods in Human Geography
- GEOL 2000 — Quantitative Methods in the Geological Sciences
- GEOL 2600 — Analysis Techniques and Methods of Coastal Ocean Research
- MATH 2228 — Elementary Statistical Methods I
- PLAN 3021 — Introduction to Planning Techniques
- POLS 3031 — Research Design for Political Science
- SOCI 3213 — Methods of Research
- SOCI 3215 — Qualitative Research Methods
Internship or research experience (3 s.h.)
All internship and research courses require a faculty mentor and advisor approval. Choose one course from the following:
- BIOL 3550 — Research in Biology with Writing
- GEOG 4803 — Geographic Internship
- GEOL 4500 — Research in Geological Sciences
- ICS 4050 — Internship in Coastal Studies
- TEXT 4999 — Thesis in Transformative Texts and Ideas
Capstone (1 s.h.)
Electives (21 s.h.)
Pick at least 6 s.h. with at least two different prefixes from one category and no more than 15 s.h. with at least two prefixes from the other category. A minimum of 15 s.h. from the electives section must be above 2999.
Earth and environmental sciences
- ATMO 2510 — Physical Meteorology and Thermodynamics
- ATMO 3230 — Global Climates
- ATMO 4510 — Meteorological Instruments and Observations
- ATMO 4530 — Micrometeorology
- ATMO 4590 — Hurricanes and Severe Storms
- BIOL 1010 — Biodiversity of Coastal North Carolina
- BIOL 2250 — Ecology
- BIOL 2251 — Ecology Laboratory
- BIOL 3230 — Field Botany
- BIOL 3231 — Field Botany Laboratory
- BIOL 3660 — Introduction to Marine Biology
- BIOL 3661 — Introduction to Marine Biology Laboratory
- BIOL 3740 — Animal Behavior
- BIOL 3741 — Animal Behavior Laboratory
- BIOL 4250 — Biological Oceanography
- BIOL 4300 — Ecosystem Ecology
- BIOL 4301 — Ecosystem Ecology Laboratory
- BIOL 4320 — Ecological Responses to Global Climate Change
- BIOL 4450 — Aquatic Parasitology and Disease
- BIOL 4451 — Aquatic Parasitology and Disease Laboratory
- BIOL 4640 — Entomology
- BIOL 4641 — Entomology Laboratory
- BIOL 4740 — Behavioral Ecology
- BIOL 4741 — Behavioral Ecology Laboratory
- BIOL 4770 — Ornithology
- BIOL 4771 — Ornithology Laboratory
- BIOL 4920 — Conservation Biology
- BIOL 5550 — Ichthyology
- BIOL 5551 — Ichthyology Laboratory
- BIOL 5680 — Current Topics in Coastal Biology
- EHST 2110 — Introduction to Environmental Health Sciences
- GEOG 2250 — Earth Surface Systems
- GEOG 3420 — Remote Sensing of the Environment I
- GEOG 3430 — Geographic Information Systems I
- GEOG 3450 — GPS and Satellite Navigation Systems
- GEOG 3460 — GIS Applications Programming
- GEOG 4210 — Fluvial and Hydrological Processes
- GEOG 4440 — Coastal Applications of GIS
- GEOG 4460 — Digital Terrain Analysis
- GEOL 1400 — Bays and Beaches Around the World: Geological Form and Function
- GEOL 1600 — Earth and Life Through Time
- GEOL 1700 — Environmental Geology
- GEOL 3070 — Earth Materials and Resources
- GEOL 3071 — Earth Materials and Resources Laboratory
- GEOL 3170 — Modern Petrology
- GEOL 3171 — Modern Petrology Laboratory
- GEOL 3250 — Introduction to Geomorphology
- GEOL 3251 — Introduction to Geomorphology Laboratory
- GEOL 3500 — Hydrogeology and the Environment
- GEOL 3501 — Hydrogeology and the Environment Laboratory
- GEOL 3700 — Advanced Oceanography
- GEOL 3800 — Earth’s Climate: A Geological Perspective
- ICS 3050 — Independent Study in Coastal Studies
- ICS 4001 — Designing Adaptation Strategies for Coastal Hazards
Environment and society
- ANTH 2005 — Environmental Anthropology
- ECON 2400 — Economics of Climate Change
- ECON 3855 — Environmental Economics
- ECON 4850 — Resource Economics
- ENGL 3660 — Literature and Film of Environmental Crisis
- ENGL 3820 — Scientific Writing
- ENGL 4370 — Literature and Environment
- GEOG 2350 — Climate Change: Science and Society
- GEOG 3010 — Social Justice and Sustainability
- GEOG 4250 — Environmental Impact Analysis
- GEOG 4270 — Water Resources Management and Planning
- GEOG 4320 — Gender, Environment, and Development
- GEOG 4360 — Geographies of Global Climate and Environmental Change
- PHIL 2276 — Environmental Ethics
- PLAN 3020 — Environmental Planning
- PLAN 4015 — Climate Change, Disasters, and Adaptation Planning
- PLAN 4045 — Environmental Resources Planning and Management
- PLAN 4055 — Coastal Area Planning and Management
- PLAN 4305 — Ecological Landscape Planning
- RELI 2345 — Religion and the Environment
- SOCI 3010 — Environmental Sociology
- TEXT 3001 — Transformative Texts and Ideas of Science
For general education, minor, elective, and graduation requirements, see the full Environmental Studies, BS entry in the ECU Catalog.
Career Relevance
Each student’s career path depends greatly on individual student’s interests, skills, and values. A degree in environmental studies can lead to a career in science, policy, education, government, advocacy, and more. Opportunities might include:
- Conservation officer
- Environmental attorney
- Environmental education & outreach specialist
- Environmental journalist
- Environmental policy analyst
- Environmental program manager
- Environmental specialist
- Park ranger
- Policy Advisor
- Program coordinator
- Regulatory specialist
- Resource management specialist
- Sustainability specialist
- Sustainability program manager
The occupations below are examples of fields connected to the major, not a complete list. Job titles and advancement depend on experience, location, employer, degree level, certifications, and additional technical training.
| Example O*NET Occupation | Why It Fits Environmental Studies | Median Annual Salary | Projected Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | Environmental assessment, pollution and hazard analysis, field data, reporting, compliance, and public health connections | $80,060 | Average (3% to 4%) |
| Sustainability Specialists | Sustainability planning, waste and resource management, environmental policy, reporting, outreach, and applied project work | $81,270 | Average (3% to 4%) |
| Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health | Field sampling, lab testing, monitoring, environmental data records, inspections, and technical support for environmental programs | $51,480 | Average (3% to 4%) |
Occupation data obtained from O*NET OnLine, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data reflect 2024 national median wages, and projected growth reflects 2024-2034 national employment projections.
How to Apply
The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies is an on-campus program. New first-year and transfer students apply through ECU Undergraduate Admissions. Current ECU students can contact Dr. Popke to discuss changing majors, adding Environmental Studies as a second major, or planning coursework for the degree.
New Students
Apply through ECU Undergraduate Admissions and select Environmental Studies as your intended major.
Current ECU Students
Contact Dr. Popke if you want to change your major to Environmental Studies, add it as a second major, or review how your completed courses fit the program.
Plan a Visit
To tour the department and learn more about our programs and research, complete the Contact Form or call 252-328-6230. Prospective students with specific research interests are encouraged to share them so we can connect you with relevant faculty and facilities. The department also welcomes visitors during the spring ECU Pirates Aboard and fall ECU Open House events; campus tours are available year-round.
Cost of Study
For current tuition, fees, and room and board, see the ECU cost of attendance.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Departmental, university, and external scholarships are available to undergraduate students based on merit, financial need, or both. Visit ECU Financial Aid for application procedures and deadlines.
Questions?
For questions about the BS in Environmental Studies, contact Program Director Dr. Jeff Popke at popkee@ecu.edu or 252-328-5192. Dr. Popke’s office is Brewster A-228.