The key to the ENVS major is formulating a concentration, which you should finalize by the end of spring semester of your sophomore year. This page explains the:
Key Steps
Proposed Concentration
Concentration Courses
Arts & Humanities Breadth Course
Advisor Consultation
Key Steps
- Download and print out a
,
then fill it in with your draft ideas. Meet with your faculty advisor,
and faculty in ENVS as needed, to discuss your interests in ENVS and
finalize your concentration proposal. (Note that you also propose your
one extra A&H course on this form, so you should discuss that too.) - Go to the online ENVS concentration form and click Add Entry to submit your proposed concentration. You will need to do this at least one full day prior to our once-per-semester oral presentations, which typically occur during the tenth week of classes.
- Prepare and deliver, on the announced evening of oral presentations, a brief (10 minute maximum) Powerpoint talk on your proposed concentration. Include a pithy summary of everything you enter in the Proposed Concentration and Concentration Courses sections. Make it entertaining! And make sure to effectively convey your interest in this concentration area and its relevance. At the presentation you'll receive feedback and ideas from the ENVS Steering Committee and your fellow students.
- After your presentation, check back for
official comments we provide online on your form (we'll make sure to
have these available within a week). Typically, you will be asked to
make some revisions online prior to final approval (click the Edit
button
at bottom of the detailed view). When the form is approved, your name
and approved courses will be sent to the Registrar's office and you
will be declared as an ENVS major!
Proposed Concentration
- A few details are asked on your status here at LC.
- Summarize (in a phrase) the general theme of your concentration.
- List up to three related questions that define what you are seeking to understand via this concentration. These questions should be as specific as possible. See our ENVS thesis guidelines for a taxonomy of research questions, bearing in mind that higher-order questions often depend on information from lower-order questions.
- Offer
justifications for the significance of these questions. Remember that
your justification may be theoretical (i.e., adding to what is known),
practical (i.e., connecting with a real-world dilemma), or both.
Concentration Courses
What courses do you propose to take to address the questions identified above? Here, you'll propose up to six courses (a minimum of 16 credits) to apply toward your concentration.
- List the department and course number, the official title, and the semester/year you plan to take each course.
- Offer a justification for each course's relevance to the questions you've proposed. Be sure to talk with the course instructors first! Also, while choosing bear in mind the rules your courses must adhere to:
- No courses can count toward other ENVS major requirements.
- You must take a minimum of 16 credits of concentration courses, of which at least 8 credits must (with limited exceptions on a case-by-case basis) be 300-level courses or above.
- We recommend that you list one or two additional courses for approval in case your plans change or a course is unavailable.
- You may include a 4-credit ENVS 499 independent study in conjunction with an overseas program, but note that you will need separate approval for this course.
- Up to two non-L&C courses may be included, subject to L&C and ENVS approval.
Arts & Humanities Breadth Course
In addition to proposing a concentration, you will propose one four-credit course as your A&H breadth elective (and optionally include one other in case your plans change). Make sure that your course is in the A&H Division!
- List the department and course number, the official title, and the semester/year you plan to take it.
- Describe how the course relates to the ENVS major and/or your proposed concentration. Here are a few suggestions, provided by an ENVS major.
Advisor Consultation
As noted above, consultation with your advisor is required before submitting this form; we will verify prior to approval. Additionally, we wish to share information on approved concentrations to assist other ENVS majors, and request your optional agreement to do so. Information on approved concentrations will only be available on this page to current and prospective ENVS majors.
- List your advisor's name.
- List the date you most recently consulted with your advisor on your concentration proposal.
- Indicate whether you wish to share your information once approved - your proposal will be available in the concentration database for other ENVS students to see.
- List the date you completed this form.
Feel free to browse approved concentration proposals and/or contact ENVS if questions. After you submit the form, you can always edit by clicking the Edit button at bottom of the detailed view.
Link to the ENVS Moodle Main Page