Environmental Studies Minor

Requirements for the Environmental Studies Minor

A 5-course minor:

The environmental studies minor includes two components: a set of core requirements and a set of electives. Similar to the major, the core requirements provide students with a shared foundation in environmental studies and the electives allow them to pursue topics of interest to them in environmental studies.

1. Two required core courses:

• ES 102 Environment and Society: Addressing Climate Change
• ES 214/POL2 214 Social Causes and Consequences of Environmental Problems

2. Three electives from Environmental Studies courses or the list of Courses for Credit Toward the Major. Independent study courses and partial-credit courses can count toward this requirement, though independent study can contribute a maximum of 1 unit. (See more information about independent study below.)

Introductory, core, and capstone courses may also count as electives, but no single course can fulfill two requirements for the minor. A student may petition to count a course not listed in the Courses for Credit Toward the Major list. Students should contact the Chair for approval, and the Chair will use their discretion in seeking guidance from the ES Advisory Faculty.

Students who have taken a core ES required course for another major or minor can substitute an ES elective (200-level or above) instead of taking an additional core ES course to fulfill the same requirement.

Students may count no more than one course taken away from Wellesley toward the environmental studies minor. This course should be approved by the director prior to enrollment. Courses from abroad cannot be substituted for ES 102 or ES 214. Courses at MIT and Olin, as well as EXTD courses, count as Wellesley courses rather than as courses taken off campus, but specific courses must be approved by the student’s advisor to count toward the major. AP credit in Environmental Science cannot be used to replace any Environmental Studies requirements.

Half unit independent study in Environmental Studies (ES 250H, ES 250GH, ES 350H) is graded as mandatory credit/non-credit. The grading basis for full unit independent study (ES 250, ES 350) is determined by the advising faculty member.

The following courses will no longer count toward the ES minor going forward:

EXTD 123 - Water Resources Planning and Management

EXTD 128 - Coastal Zone Management

These courses are not being offered at Wellesley because there is no in-person option. If a student has already taken one of these courses prior to 2025, it can still count toward their Environmental Studies minor plans.