Concentration in Sustainable Energy, Resources and Climate (Bachelor of Arts in Environmental and Sustainability Studies)

Students on Summer 2019, Fall 2019, or Spring 2020 requirements SENRSCLCON

View Degree MapA semester-by-semester path to completing degree and major requirements

Requirements

The concentration requires at least 12 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.

Required Courses. Four (4) courses:
- Sustainable Energy
- Sustainable Resources
- Climate Studies
- Policy and Development
BUS-L 319 Climate Change Law & Policy

Description
The course will focus on the legal framework governing energy production and consumption in the United States, business impacts (and opportunities) flowing from the environmental issues associated with various energy sectors, and policy approaches for balancing energy needs with environment protection.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.

INTL-I 300 Topics in International Studies

Credits
1–3 credit hours
Prerequisites
None
Description
This course focuses on the intensive study and analysis of selected international problems and issues within an interdisciplinary format. Topics will vary but will cut across fields, regions, and periods.
Repeatability
May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 12 credit hours.
PHYS-P 310 Environmental Physics
Credits
3
Prerequisites
PHYS-H 221, PHYS-P 201, or PHYS-P 221; and MATH-M 211; or consent of instructor
Description
For biological and physical science majors. Relationship of physics to current environmental problems. Energy production, comparison of sources and byproducts; nature of and possible solutions to problems of noise, particulate matter in atmosphere.
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SPEA-E 401 Human Behavior and Energy Consumption

Description
We face many barriers that prevent us from conserving energy and other natural resources. This course is aimed at decreasing energy use independent of top down regulations. Students will understand the nature of energy, the importance of human behavior, and how to create, and evaluate behavioral change.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.

SPEA-V 437 Public Transportation

Description
The class will explore the basis of passenger transportation, including the modes of bus, rail, paratransit, and taxi. Passenger Transportation Management Elements: Human resources, Finance, Operations, Scheduling, Maintenance, and Planning. Federal Policy; Program funding options,: Policy development, Interagency programs, and the Federal Authorization process. Mobility options: Volunteer programs, Car sharing, Ridesharing, and Coordinated programs.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.

SPH-O 305 Integrated Resource Management

Description
Provides a managerial understanding of ecological concepts, resource management practices, and resource policies related to natural resource/land management. Focus on allocation of resources, carrying capacity, resource protection, and environmental impacts of uses on natural resources.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.

SPH-O 360 Human Health and Natural Environments

Description
Examination of the relationships among human health, quality of life, and natural environments from the perspective of cognitive, emotional, spiritual, and related domains. Experiential learning in local natural settings.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
EAS-E 333 Sedimentation and Tectonics
Credits
4
Prerequisites
One of EAS-E 225 or GEOL-G 225; and one of EAS-E 226 or GEOL-G 226
Description
Integrative treatment of sedimentology, stratigraphy, and structural geology. Examines links between tectonic deformation processes and the resulting sediment that forms the stratigraphic rock record. Description of sedimentary rocks, from basic features at the bed-scale to scales of sedimentary basins. Learning and applying the facies concept and using stratigraphic principles to correlate facies across sedimentary basins.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of EAS-E 333, EAS-E 334, GEOL-G 333, or GEOL-G 334.
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EAS-E 351 Elements of Hydrology

Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Notes
P or C: MATH-M 119, MATH-M 211, MATH-S 211, or MATH-V 119; and PHYS-P 110; or consent of instructor.
Description
An intensive survey of Earth\'s water resources, focusing on the first principles that govern surface water and groundwater and the techniques used in the field for hydrology.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of EAS-E 351 or GEOL-G 351.
GEOG-G 259 Water Security and Sustainability
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Explores cases of water security and sustainability throughout the world, including the western United States and south Asia. Students will develop research and interpretation skills with quantitative, qualitative, and cartographic water data through engagement with research and policy documents and learn how to critique and articulate recommendations for water policy.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of GEOG-G 259 or GEOG-G 347.
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GEOG-G 368 Water in the Midwest
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Explores the science, politics, and ethics of water in the Midwest from the Bloomington campus to the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins. Critically examines such water issues as pollution, environmental justice, flooding, invasive species, agricultural and urban water demand, and effective regulation.
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GEOG-G 451 Physical Hydrology
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Introduction to hydrological processes occurring at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Principles of water resources such as infiltration, runoff, surface- and groundwater flow will be explored. Topics covered also include the environmental, economic, and social implications of floods, droughts, dams, and water usage as well as current and future issues in water quality, water pollution, and water-resource regulation.
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GEOG-G 453 Water and Society
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Do we control water, or does it control us? Introduces geographic perspectives on the interaction of water and society. Takes the holistic view and asks the big questions about how water shapes, and is shaped by, social, political, and cultural dynamics.
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GEOG-G 467 Ecohydrology
Credits
3
Prerequisites
Consent of instructor
Description
Introduces basic principles and concepts in forest ecohydrology, focusing on modeling perspectives. Examines processes and feedback among water, carbon, and nitrogen fluxes in application to water resources and forest management: control of climate, vegetation change, and disturbance regimes on hydrological and biogeochemical processes.
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SPEA-E 416 Fisheries Management

Description
Teaches the processes for managing fisheries in a variety of environments. Covers basics of fish biology, ecology, and management, with an emphasis on public involvement. Students will explore quantitative fisheries methods, including population dynamics and management strategy evaluation, and presentation of scientific information in written and spoken form.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.

SPEA-E 431 Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment

Description
Health and ecological premises for water and wastewater treatment; principles of water supply; treatment, distribution, and construction; basis for water standards and laboratory examinations; wastewater disposal methods and construction for private installations, institutions, municipalities, and industries; water quality control with respect to wastewater pollution.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.

SPEA-E 451 Air Pollution and Control

Description
A survey course covering the chemistry, transport, and fate of air pollutants related to current issues of air quality, such as photochemical smog, ozone depletion, particulate matter, and indoor air quality. Topics include the types, sources, health and environmental effects, measurement, evaluation, control, regulation, and modeling of air pollution concentrations.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.

SPEA-E 452 Solid and Hazardous Waste Management

Description
Types and sources of solid waste; collection methods; disposal techniques: sanitary landfill, incineration, composting, reclaiming, or recycling; advantages and disadvantages of each; special and hazardous waste handling; operation and management of solid and hazardous waste programs.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.

SPEA-E 456 Lake and Watershed Management

Description
Students will learn to apply basic limnological principles to diagnose lake and watershed problems, to understand lake response to pollution, to identify appropriate management solutions, and to predict lake response to management.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.

SPEA-E 460 Wildlife Management

Description
Application of ecological and sociological principles of management of wild animals; wildlife agencies and their function in wildlife management; economic, social, biological, and other values of wildlife; and the interaction between people and wild species and places.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.

EAS-A 315 Climate Engineering

Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Introduces climate engineering from a physical science perspective, delving into how and why it works. Covers the major climate engineering proposals that have been put forward, such as stratospheric sulfate aerosols and marine cloud brightening. Explores issues of distributional justice, ethics, governance, and geopolitics related to climate engineering.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of EAS-A 315 or GEOG-G 329.
EAS-A 340 Physical Meteorology and Climatology
Credits
3
Prerequisites
Any introductory science course or consent of instructor
Description
Provides an introduction to the physical basis of Earth\'s atmosphere and climate system from global to local scales, emphasizing physical processes and properties. Analyzes surface energy and water balances in varied landscapes. Covers issues related to climate change.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of EAS-A 340, GEOG-G 304, or GEOL-G 340.
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EAS-A 476 Climate Change Science
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Notes
R: At least two college-level physical science courses or other experience reading and interpreting scientific data
Description
Evidence for and theories of climate change over a range of time scales. Sources of natural climate forcing are presented, historical evolution of climate change is quantified, and model tools and climate projections are presented along with analyses of climate change impacts.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of EAS-A 476, GEOG-G 475, or GEOL-G 476.
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EAS-E 227 Earth Climate and History
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Earth's climate is linked to geological processes and life on our planet. Covers climate systems in the context of changes in continents, atmospheric composition, and life on land and in the oceans. Focuses on interactions between humans and climate and how climate and its variability are tied to Earth systems.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of EAS-E 227 or GEOL-G 227.
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EAS-E 488 Paleoclimatology: A Geological Record of Earth's Climate History

Credits
3
Prerequisites
EAS-E 227; or at least 3 EAS-prefixed courses at the 200-level or higher
Description
Examines how Earth's climate has varied over geological time based on evidence from rock records. Explores varied approaches to reconstruction of past climates based on evidence contained in the records from sedimentary sequences and fossil occurrences, complemented by insights provided by geochemical data.
GEOG-G 304 Physical Meteorology and Climatology
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Provides an introduction to the physical basis of Earth\'s atmosphere and climate system from global to local scales, emphasizing physical processes and properties. Analyzes surface energy and water balances in varied landscapes. Covers issues related to climate change.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of GEOG-G 304, EAS-A 340, or GEOL-G 340.
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GEOG-G 305 Current Issues in Climate, Land and Environmental Change
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
An examination of current problems concerning climate, land and environmental change from a geographical perspective. The specific topic to be considered will vary from semester to semester.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
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GEOG-G 405 Ecological Climatology
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Surveys the relationship between climate and vegetation and explores the consequences of human impacts. Examines the role of climate on vegetation patterns, agricultural crops, and select ecosystems and in turn, the influence of vegetation on climate.
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GEOG-G 444 Climate Change Impacts
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases are causing climate to change at an unprecedented rate. This course will explain how and why anthropogenic activity is causing climate to change, how this impacts society and options for adaptation and mitigation, plus the potential to reduce climate change through geoengineering.
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INTL-I 303 Advanced Topics in Global Development

Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Advanced topics examining the interaction between social, political, and economic forces and human development at global, national, and subnational scales; in-depth analysis of theoretical perspectives on economic development and the function of markets.
Repeatability
May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 12 credit hours.

INTL-I 434 International Climate Governance

Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Study of climate issues with a focus on the effect of global governance institutions and NGOs on climate policy and action. May include attendance at national and/or international climate conferences as part of official IU delegation.
MSCH-S 452 Communicating Climate Change
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Provides an overview of public opinion on climate change, introduces different theoretical perspectives on the barriers to public engagement with the topic, and examines the effectiveness of different methods of climate change communication designed to foster public engagement.
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BUS-G 316 Sustainable Enterprise

Description
To investigate the challenges of implementing sustainability in a variety of contexts and under often divergent perspectives, giving the tools to identify and explain how sustainability creates new opportunities for, and constraints on, enterprise value creation.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
EAS-A 476 Climate Change Science
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Notes
R: At least two college-level physical science courses or other experience reading and interpreting scientific data
Description
Evidence for and theories of climate change over a range of time scales. Sources of natural climate forcing are presented, historical evolution of climate change is quantified, and model tools and climate projections are presented along with analyses of climate change impacts.
Repeatability
Credit given for only one of EAS-A 476, GEOG-G 475, or GEOL-G 476.
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EAS-E 430 Environmental and Energy Diplomacy

Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
Explores the practical applications of scientific and technical expertise to U.S. foreign policy. Part of the State Department's "Diplomacy Lab," which engages university classes as consultants to State Department offices/embassies to address current issues in environmental and energy policy.
GEOG-G 448 Capitalism and Nature
Credits
3
Prerequisites
None
Description
How has nature been appropriated, reworked, and produced under capitalism; conversely, how does the materiality of nature shape the conditions of capitalism? In this seminar, we will investigate how relations between capitalism and nature have evolved from the end of feudalism through the current neoliberal era.
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SPEA-E 340 Environmental Economics and Finance

Description
This course familiarized students with the principles of environmental economics, finance, and cost-benefit analysis. The incentive effects of environmental policy design are assessed. Policy instruments include tradable permits, emissions taxes, deposit-refund systems, pollution prevention programs, and voluntary agreements. Project appraisal techniques are then developed, and applied to specific case evaluations.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.

SPEA-E 363 Environmental Management

Description
None
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.

SPEA-E 476 Environmental Law and Regulation

Description
Introductory course in environmental law and regulation. Subjects covered include command and control regulation, air quality, water quality, toxics, waste management, energy, natural resources, international environmental law, and alternative dispute resolution.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.

SPEA-V 450 Contemporary Issues in Public Affairs

Description
Extensive analysis of selected contemporary issues in public affairs. Topics vary from semester to semester.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.

SPH-T 301 Sustainable Tourism

Description
Examination of critical issues in sustainable tourism, including positive and negative influences of tourism on the destination's economy, culture, and environment, and the role of sustainability in both conventional mass tourism and alternative tourism settings.
Additional information
Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
Concentration GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
1. At least 9 credit hours in the concentration must be completed at the 300–499 level.
2. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the concentration.
3. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the concentration—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
4. Exceptions to concentration requirements may be made with the approval of the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.