BS-ES courses are designed to give you the knowledge, skills, experiences, and mindset that are essential in engaging with environment and sustainability challenges—all while fulfilling college and university core requirements.
Core Requirements
Below, you’ll find the list of courses required for the BS-ES. Many of our required courses also fulfill College and University core requirements:
| BS-ES Required Courses | University Core Requirements Fulfilled |
|---|---|
| ERTH-1008/1009 and ERTH-1018/1019 | ☑ Humanities, Arts, Literature, and Culture |
| ERTH-1050/1051 Environmental & Sustainability Science I | ☑ Science for All |
| ERTH-1101: Intro to Environmental Ethics PHIL 2500-2999 | ☑ 2 Philosophy courses |
| ERTH-2020 Theories of Change ERTH-2240 Environmental Justice | ☑ 2 Social science courses |
| ERTH 2240: Environmental Justice | ☑ Pathways to Social Justice |
| One of the following Methods courses (must select a separate course from Quant course to fulfill): ENST-2290: Environmental Communication; or ERTH-4010: Environmental GIS; or ERTH-4160: Marine Field Research Methods; or STIA-4230: Data Science for a Changing Climate; or ERTH-3360: Environmental Remote Sensing | |
| ERTH 2239 Integration: Formation | |
| ERTH-1060/1061 Environmental & Sustainability Science II/Lab | |
| One of the following Quant courses:* ERTH 4010: Environmental GIS; or SOCI-2903: Statistics for Social Research; or ENSU-3360: Environmental Remote Sensing; or STIA-4230: Data Science for a Changing Climate (or other) | ☑ Quantitative Reasoning and Data Literacy |
| ERTH-2110 Experiential Rotations | |
| ERTH-3320 Peer Leadership | |
| ERTH-4050 Professional Development Experience | |
| ERTH-4100/4200 Capstone I/II (4th year only) | |
| 3 Elective courses (ERTH or X-list:ENSU courses) |
*Other QRDL environmental courses may also fulfill this requirement; please discuss with a program co-director.
Elective Courses
BS-ES electives allow students to follow their curiosity, deepen their knowledge, develop new skills, and explore environmental questions across disciplines. They complement the program’s required courses and provide opportunities for students to pursue topics that align with their academic interests and evolving professional goals.
Electives and Your Custom Pathway
Beginning in their third year, students use electives as one of the primary ways to develop their Custom Pathway. Students select courses that build knowledge and skills related to the environmental questions they want to explore, while drawing connections across environmental science, governance, justice, and culture. Electives can be combined with quantitative and methodological coursework, internships, professional development, immersions, research, and other experiential opportunities to create an individualized trajectory through the program.
The courses below represent BS-ES electives that have been offered or are anticipated for upcoming semesters. Elective offerings vary by semester and continue to expand as new courses are developed by Earth Commons and faculty across Georgetown.
Recent & Upcoming Electives
- ERTH 1987 — Sustainability in a Complex World
- ERTH 2027 — Environmental Law
- ERTH 2262 — Shaping Environmental Science Policy
- ERTH 2290 — Environmental Communication
- ERTH 2292 — Marine Conservation
- ERTH 2410 — Current Events in Environmental Science Policy
- ERTH 2510 — Environmental History of DC
- ERTH 2950 — Climate Change Ethics & Justice
- ERTH 2960 — Philosophy of Nature
- ERTH 3307 — Agriculture and Sustainability
- ERTH 3322 — Current Issues: Environmental Science
- ERTH 3490 — Climate & Society
- ERTH 3570 — Environmental Health
- ERTH 3575 — Yucatan: Conservation, Culture, & Sustainability
- ERTH 3610 — Governance & Policy of the Commons
- ERTH 4010 — Environmental GIS
- ERTH 4110 — Environmental Remote Sensing
- ERTH 4116 — Bugs & Fungus Among Us
- ERTH 4156 — Life on High Seas: Ecology & Policy
- ERTH 4160 — Marine Field Research Methods
Spring 2027 courses are anticipated and subject to change. Additional electives may be added as new courses are developed. Keep in mind that electives can be drawn from ERTH courses as well as courses tagged with the attribute X-LIST: ENSU in the course catalogue.
Sample Course Sequence
We recommend that you begin your BS-ES journey in the first semester of your first year, but we welcome all interested students to explore the BS-ES! Questions about BS-ES requirements and joining the program? Get in touch with us!
The following is an ideal example of a trajectory for fulfilling your BS-ES requirements (but there are other options as well—get in touch with us to chat about your own journey!):
First year Fall:
- ERTH 1008/1009: Interruption: Ecological Belonging and Integration: Wellbeing
- ERTH 1050/1051: Environment & Sustainability Science I + LAB
- PHIL-1101: Intro to Environmental Ethics
First year Spring:
- ERTH 1018/1019 Interruption & Integration
- ERTH 1060/1061: Environment & Sustainability Science II + LAB
- PHIL-1101: Intro to Environmental Ethics (if not taken in the Fall)
Second year Fall
- ERTH 2020: Theories of Change
- ERTH 2110: Experiential Rotations
Second year Spring
- ERTH 1039: Integration: Formation
- ERTH 2240: Environmental Justice
Third year Fall
- ERTH-3380-01: Environmental GIS (or other Quantitative/Methods class)
- ERTH-3320-01: Peer Leadership
Third year Spring
- ERTH-4050-01: Professional Development Experience
- ERTH or X-list: ENSU elective (Custom Pathway elective)
Fourth year Fall
- ERTH-4100-01: Capstone I
- ERTH or X-list: ENSU elective (Custom Pathway elective)
Fourth year Spring
- ERTH-4200-01: Capstone II
- ERTH or X-list: ENSU elective (Custom Pathway elective)