Program Co-Coordinator: Tess Lesniak, 847.635.1684, tlesniak@oakton.edu
Program Co-Coordinator: Marian Staats, 847.376.7103, mstaats@oakton.edu
Environmental Studies Pre-major is recommended for students who are considering completing a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies, Environmental Humanities, or Environmental Science after transferring to a four-year institution. It also offers a suitable pathway to a range of other undergraduate humanities, social science, or science programs. An undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies provides a strong foundation for graduate programs in environmental policy and science, as well as environmental law or public health. Interdisciplinary training in environmental studies develops students’ analytical thinking, problem solving, ethical reasoning, and advanced reading and writing so essential to strong communication skills. It therefore offers excellent preparation for a range of career options.
The pre-major is designed for students who have not decided upon a specific four-year college or university. Once a transfer school is selected, students are strongly encouraged to consult the Office of Advising, Transitions, and Student Success and the transfer institution’s catalog to select courses that will meet both Oakton and transfer institution requirements.
When registering for courses, students are advised to select ESC (Environmental Studies) designated course sections. For more information on course selection or program-specific advising, contact the Program Co-Coordinators. Part time students should also consult the Office of Advising, Transitions, and Student Success for part-time Pre-major recommendations. General Education courses should be selected from the list of IAI General Education Courses.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester One | Hours | |
| EGL 101 | Composition I | 3 |
| MAT 131 | Elementary Statistics | 4 |
| BIO 106 | Introduction to Environmental Science (see Note 1) 1 | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
| World Mythologies 1 | ||
| Modern and Contemporary Philosophy | ||
or other ESC-designated Humanities/Fine Arts course | ||
| Hours | 14 | |
| Semester Two | ||
| EGL 102 | Composition II | 3 |
| SPE 103 | Effective Speech | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology 1 | ||
| Introduction to Archaeology | ||
| Introduction to Physical Anthropology | ||
or other ESC-designated Social and Behavioral Sciences course | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Weather and Climate | ||
| Physical Geography | ||
| A Survey of Oceanography | ||
or other ESC-designated Physical Science course | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Contemporary Culture and the Arts | ||
| Women and Creativity 2 | ||
or other ESC-designated Fine Arts course | ||
| Hours | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Semester One | ||
| PHL 204 | Environmental Ethics (see Note 1) | 3 |
| SSC 201 | Introduction to Global Studies (see Note 2) | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Human Genetics | ||
| Plants and Society 1 | ||
| Microbe and Society | ||
| A Survey of Oceanography | ||
or other ESC-designated Science course | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Sociology 2 | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Political Science | ||
| International Relations 1 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| LGBTQ+ Literature 2 | ||
| Women and Literature 2 | ||
| Introduction to Native American Literature 3 | ||
or other ESC-designated Humanities course that also satisfies U.S. Diversity Studies requirement | ||
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester Two | ||
| Select one of the following Science courses without lab: | 3 | |
| Human Genetics | ||
| Plants and Society 1 | ||
| Microbe and Society | ||
| Environmental Geology | ||
or other ESC-designated Science course without lab | ||
| Select one of the following Science courses with lab: | 4 | |
| Introduction to Life Science | ||
| Human Genetics | ||
| Ecological Restoration (see Note 2) 4 | ||
| Introductory Chemistry | ||
or other ESC-designated Science course with lab | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Fiction | ||
| Introduction to Poetry | ||
| Introduction to Literature | ||
or other ESC-designated Humanities/Fine Arts course | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Social Problems 3 | ||
| The Individual in Modern Society | ||
| Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology 1 | ||
| World Regional Geography 1 | ||
| Cultural Geography 1 | ||
or other ESC-designated Social and Behavioral Sciences course | ||
| Hours | 16 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
- 1
Course fulfills the Global Studies requirement. At least one Global Studies course is required for degree completion.
- 2
Course fulfills the U.S. Diversity Studies requirement. At least one U.S. Diversity Studies course is required for degree completion.
- 3
Course fulfills both, the Global Studies and U.S. Diversity Studies requirements.
- 4
Course is not IAI approved, but does transfer to most 4-year institutions. Consult your transfer institution for more information.
Note 1: Environmental Studies Concentration requirement.
Note 2: Environmental Studies Concentration elective.
Note 3: Pre-major is a recommended sequence and selection of courses. See Associate in Arts (A.A.) page for degree requirements.