Acceptance Criteria

Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall.
Minimum grade of C in SSC 118.
A student originally entering the B.A. program may transfer applicable credits to the B.S. program.

Acceptance Information

Deadlines: Rolling
Number of accepted majors (2010-2011): 34
Total number of majors currently enrolled: 99

Degree Requirements

Please see Degrees and Policies.

Each of the Interdisciplinary Degree Programs' concentrations offers a curriculum that allows students to combine coursework from three or more departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. In addition, a number of interdisciplinary and special-interest courses are offered through the IDP. There are also options to incorporate courses from other areas of the university, allowing students to obtain a broad range of skills and education.

The typical class size for:

Freshman/introductory courses is: 40-200
Sophomore/intermediate courses is: 30-200
Upper level/advanced courses is: 15-45

In the IDP, what do teaching assistants (TAs) do?

Many courses in the social sciences interdisciplinary programs' curricula originate in other departments, where teaching assistants may be assigned instructional or grading duties.

Suggested Introductory Courses

• SSC 118 Introduction to Environmental Studies
• BIO 200 Evolutionary Biology
• GEO 101 & GEO 106 Earth Science Systems I-II or GLY 101 & GLY 102 Global Environmental Science
• A statistics course

For course descriptions, please see Courses.

The IDP faculty, though limited in number, not only teach courses applicable to the program's degree tracks, but are also involved in the advisement of IDP majors, a function that is vitally important for students selecting courses from a number of different departments. Many of the IDP faculty are professionals in their field.

The Interdisciplinary Degree Programs' concentrations offer an opportunity to focus studies on a particular topic whose breadth and diversity overlap several departments in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Undergraduate Research and Practical Experience
Internships
The program in Environmental Studies includes practical fieldwork in an internship experience. Often BA and BS degree students work in local environmental agencies or companies. The primary academic emphasis of the internship notwithstanding, many graduates have found the experience beneficial when seeking employment.

The UB Environmental Network is an environment-focused student organization composed primarily of students in the environmental studies concentration. Their activities include environmental awareness and advocacy, sponsoring campus speakers, and organizing Earth Day programs.

See the UB Student Association.

Majors that Complement Environmental Studies

• Anthropology
• Biology
• Business Administration
• Civil Engineering

Minors that Complement Environmental Studies

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Political Science