ESM 150

Module 2

1. Overview of PSU
2. ESM is your home
3. Prepare to attend
4. UNST
5. Where you stand
6. Careers
7. Getting Involved
8. General advice
9. Assemble your plan
10. Get started

Consider the purpose of environmental sciences and management:

Environmental problems contain aspects of potential environmental impact and how people consider (or value) different possible outcomes. For example, there may be environmental problems that center around pollution and everyone agrees that these chemicals should be eliminated from the water supply. However, there are other environmental impacts that might stem from economic development and there might be wide ranging differences in how society should proceed. Another key aspect of environmental problems is how hard it can be to control or manage projects. For example, it iseasy to remove pollutants through regulations but other pollutants, such as carbon dioxide, can be extremely complicated to manage substantial reduction. Environmental science and management solutions need to consider scientific knowledge, social and economic values, and the ability to implement management solutions.

Consider your degree options:

Our department offers two undergraduate degrees: Environmental Studies (EVST) and Environmental Sciences (EVSC). We also offer two minor: Environmental Sustainability (MSUS) and Environmental Science Minor (****).

Minors are designed for non-majors to learn a core of content and methods that we use in our program.

These options are described in detail on the website "advising page" at http://www.pdx.edu/esm/undergraduate-advising. You should work through these pages on the two degrees or minors even if you already think you know what degree you are getting.

There are several differences between the degrees:

1. EVST focuses more on management and is a shared degree with Geography.
2. EVSC requires more natural science pre-requisites.

And there are some similarities:

1. The new EVST degree program (just starting 2014) requires a core of 300 level courses just like the EVSC.
2. Both require four 400 level courses from one of the focus areas.

Study these degree and minor options. Look for courses you really want to take, are they in that degree or minor. We will return to choosing a degree and choosing courses later.