Brief Overview of the Curriculum

Environmental Studies at UW Oshkosh

The program consists of an interdisciplinary curriculum based in the liberal arts that incorporates the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. As such, it is the only major of its kind in the University of Wisconsin System. Students earn credits from many departments at the UW Oshkosh in addition to taking core ES courses that provide a solid background in key environmental issues and the various analytic tools required to address them.

The Program offers opportunities for interactive classroom learning as well as for field study, internships, and student-organized events and projects. As a young but growing program, ES at UW Oshkosh provides an intimate learning environment that both students and faculty find intellectually rigorous and personally enriching.

The major and the minor are available to students from all colleges at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. They are certified for licensure by the Department of Public Instruction for College of Education students preparing to teach Elementary or Middle School, or High School for students specializing in the Natural Sciences. 

NOTE: To better serve our students, the ES program has created a new curriculum. The curriculum from 2009 and before ("2009 Curriculum") requires students to take a minor or double major in another department to establish depth of expertise. The new 2010 Curriculum is a stand-alone major with two emphases: environmental science and environmental policy and values. Students starting the ES program in fall 2010 will work within the new curriculum. Those who started earlier can continue in the 2009 Curriculum or can switch to the 2010 Curriculum. Students should make sure they are pursuing the appropriate curriculum. Don't hesitate to talk with your adviser about the two curricula.

ES Program Objectives

• To provide quality instruction for students seeking careers or advancement in environmentally-related occupations in the public sector, private sector, or who seek to continue academic work in environmental studies or related disciplines. 
• To provide a broad-based, interdisciplinary understanding of environmental problems, drawn from the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. The broad training provided by an interdisciplinary program can impart the communication skills needed to work collaboratively toward practical solutions with diverse stakeholders.
• To provide opportunities for students to develop practical problem-oriented expertise through involvement in internship and senior seminar experiences.
• To promote environmental literacy and responsible citizenship among our students. To this end, we aim to ensure that all of our students are equipped to think critically and act responsibly in response to contemporary environmental problems, and are prepared with the skills necessary for crafting solutions and understanding the obstacles to environmental problems.

Requirements in the ES Curriculum

For the 2009 Curriculum, please check the 2009 Curriculum Checksheet.

For the 2010 Curriculum, please check the 2010 Curriculum Overview and the 2010 Curriculum Checksheet.