55 courses with the subject ENST, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
ENST 107Global Change and Sustainability1
This class offers an interdisciplinary introduction to the climate, ecosystem and sustainability principles needed to understand human impact on the natural environment. We discuss the issue of global change prediction and the scientific basis for global change assessments and policy measures. Key topics are the physical climate system and its variability, the carbon cycle and related ecosystem processes, land use issues, nutrient cycles, and the impact of global change on society. Common threads in all of these topics include the use of observations and models, the consideration of multiple scales (temporal and spatial), the interaction of human behaviors and choices with natural systems, and the linkages among aspects of the global change issue. Deon Knights. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
(Same as RELI 108 ) Human beings have been imagining the end of the world since the beginning. In the 20 th and 21 st centuries, a new specter of cosmic destruction has revealed itself: human-caused climate change. How does this latest threat compare with earlier imagined endings? Do religious actors and communities draw on their respective apocalyptic traditions to make sense of climate change, or do previous forms of apocalypticism become less relevant in the face of this concrete disaster? This course has two functions. The first is to understand how cosmic finitude is a central feature in various religions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and different Native American traditions. To do this, we examine sources ranging from scripture to television series. The second task is to take stock of the ways different religions are responding to climate change, whether that means efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change in community activism, new forms of spirituality and theology, or else refusing to engage. We attend to how this challenge motivates new considerations of community, that is, what it means to belong to a religious community, but crucially also what it means to be a part of the broader community of the human species, and the community that encompasses all living organisms on Earth. Klaus Yoder. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
A lecture/laboratory course in which basic topics in environmental biology, geology, and chemistry are covered with examples from current environmental issues used to illustrate the application and interdisciplinary nature of these fields. This course treats the following topics: energy sources and waste products, atmospheric patterns and climate, biogeochemical cycles, properties of soils and water, and ecological processes. Using these topics as a platform, this course examines the impact humanity has on the environment and discusses strategies to diminish those effects. The laboratory component includes field trips, field investigations, and laboratory exercises. Deon Knights, Michelle Tebolt. Two 75-minute periods; one 4-hour laboratory. Course Format: CLS
This Multidisciplinary introductory is designed as an exploration to the theory and practice of environmentalism, past and present. Students explore possible connections between the historical, ethical, aesthetic, social, economic, cultural and scientific views that encompass environmental studies. The methods of inquiry include presentations by the various faculty members from the Environmental Studies Program. The course gives special attention to how different disciplines approach the environment and collaborate and communicate within the context of environmental studies. Pinar Batur. Required of students concentrating in the program. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
ENST 153Fluid Earth: Oceans, Atmosphere, & the Climate System1
(Same as ESCI 153 and GEOG 153 ) Earth’s oceans are critical for human societies: They absorb carbon dioxide emissions, provide food and natural resources, and their life generates half of the oxygen we breathe. The oceans’ counterpart, the atmosphere, is where weather systems develop and our planet’s temperature is determined. In this introductory course, we examine the physical, chemical, and biological building blocks of the ocean and atmosphere and how they are changing as a result of human activities. We explore climate phenomena such as planetary wind belts, extreme precipitation and El Niño events, and ocean acidification. Students explore the ways that climate science is conducted and communicated to the public, as well as what can be done to create just and equitable climate solutions. This course is a complement to ESCI 151 / GEOG 151 The Solid Earth: Physical Geology . Kirsten Menking (fall); Laura Haynes (spring). Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
ENST 162Climate Solutions and Climate Careers: Finding your Place in the Climate Fight1
This is an all-hands-on-deck moment in history: everyone is needed right now in the fight against climate change. This course is designed to help students find roles in the climate fight in their lives after Vassar that fit their talents, skills, and interests. We map the technological, economic, social, and political landscape of climate solutions and the work needed to implement those solutions in coming decades, in careers ranging from engineering to public policy, entrepreneurship to urban planning, international development to ocean farming, law to architecture, and many others. Each student undertakes research projects on climate solutions of their choice. The course facilitates opportunities for students to network with professionals working in a variety of careers that address climate change, and each student conducts interviews of climate professionals. In addition to two, regular class meeting each week, the class meets for a third, longer period once per week to host a series of guest speakers with climate careers. Jeffrey Seidman. Two 75-minute periods and one 2-hour lab. Course Format: CLS
(Same as HIST 164 and LALS 164 ) This course explores the history of Latin America by centering the environment. Beginning with examples in the ancient Americas and continuing through the colonial and national periods, this course explores how human ideas about the environment, along with tangible regimes for exploiting “natural” resources, have shaped the history of Latin America. Class materials draw from a range of academic, literary, and primary sources, and class discussions cover topics such as: the flora and fauna of the ancient Americas; organisms and landscapes of the “Spanish Conquest”; ranching, farming, and export agriculture; mining, drilling, and extractivist industries; hurricanes, volcanoes, and “natural” disasters; urbanization, pollution, and climate change; and debates over environmental protections and human rights. Accordingly, this course addresses the questions: what discourses, representations, and ideas have shaped the meaning of the environment in Latin America? How has the environment shaped broader meanings of Latin America itself? And what is at stake today for the people of Latin America today as governments, corporations, and NGOs take different approaches to environmental issues? Daniel Mendiola. Two 2-hour periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
(Same as ESCI 202 , ESSC 202 , GEOG 202 and URBS 202 ) This course combines the insights of the natural and social sciences to address a selected topic of global concern. Geographers bring spatial analysis of societal and political-ecological changes, while Earth Scientists contribute their knowledge of the diverse natural processes shaping the earth’s surface. Together, these distinctive but complementary fields contribute to comprehensive understandings of the physical limitations and potential uses and misuses of the Earth’s natural resources. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
(Same as ANST 213 and ANTH 213 ) This intensive seeks to foster a community of students dedicated to learning about Indigenous environmental activism. We read publications, watch films, and listen to interviews that highlight the work of Indigenous activists, scholars, and scientists. Students must be willing and able to invest 3-5 hours a week on this intensive. An hour of that time is spent monitoring news sources for recent events and discussing them with others in this learning community. This is not a traditional course, so students with existing knowledge of Indigenous activism or ways of knowing are best prepared for this intensive. April Beisaw. One 2-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: INT
(Same as ANTH 217 ) This project-based intensive contributes new data to our understanding of the Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve’s land use history. Students work as a team every Friday morning and sometimes supervise volunteer contributors. Activities might include archival land deeds research, reviewing historic aerial photographs and maps, hiking with global positioning systems (GPS) to record surface ruins, structures, and artifacts, soil survey using a small bore corer, archaeological excavation of shovel test pits, soil and artifact analyses, animal bone identification, interviewing informants, reading and summarizing reports, querying and updating a geographic information system (GIS). The results of each semester’s projects are presented to the Preserve’s oversight committee and used as a starting point for the next semester’s projects. This is a graded intensive with mandatory attendance and participation every week. Fieldwork sometimes takes place in less than ideal conditions (rain, wind, heat, cold) and students need to protect themselves against ticks, poison ivy, and other natural hazards. Four students are accepted into this intensive after applications are reviewed by the instructors. To apply, interested students must send an email to both instructors that explains their interest in the Preserve and outlines how their existing skill set would benefit the land use history project. Previous coursework in one or more of the following is essential: archaeology, public history, geography, field biology, or field geology. Any potential scheduling conflicts that might limit the student’s full participation in this intensive should be disclosed at the application stage. Applications are due by the end of the first week of pre-registration. The instructors select the four applicants who would create an excellent team for that semester’s project goals. April Beisaw.
Special permission (students have to apply) One 4-hour period. Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall
ENST 230Research Methods: Studying Sustainability at Vassar1
(Same as GEOG 230 ) Vassar now integrates sustainability planning as a core institutional mission, including the goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. This intensive course builds skills of social-science research through the tracking of institutional sustainability data. Such a campus-wide effort provides an ideal setting to examine the effectiveness of the measures taken, the existence of individual or institutional barriers, and the possible need for additional interventions. We discuss practices such as literature review, formulating a research question, methods design, the Institutional Review Board process, and other aspects of research design. Students then collect and analyze data to put Vassar’s experience into the context of sustainability debates. The class meets weekly for 2 hours for the first half of the semester, then biweekly afterward with an individual consultation with the instructor. The instructor arranges data sharing with the Vassar sustainability office, but students are encouraged to make their own contact with various other organizations for additional data collection, survey, and interview arrangements. One 2-hour period and individual conferences with the instructor. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: INT
(Same as AFRS 234 and GEOG 234 ) Ideas about “race” and “nature” are intimately bound up with the production of space. Historically, essentialist theories about racial difference served to legitimize and naturalize oppression, dispossession, and enslavement. Racism and white privilege have also long been present in how non-human natures are understood and managed in rural and urban environments, and have contributed to the uneven socio-spatial distribution of environmental harms. This course draws on political ecology, environmental justice, and theories of racial capitalism to apprehend and deconstruct the historical and contemporary relationships between race, space, and nature. Potential topics may include: connections between race, property, and land; the plantation as a socio-ecological phenomenon; environmental racism; Eurocentric ideologies of nature; and racialized exclusion and eviction in the creation of National Parks in North America and Africa. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
ENST 238Environmental China: Nature, Culture, and Development1
(Same as ASIA 238 , GEOG 238 , and INTL 238 ) In recent decades, China has become the world’s largest manufacturing and export nation, the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, a global leader in green technology, and both a key rival and major trading partner of the United States. How did China come to occupy these seemingly contradictory roles, and what do they reveal about its position in the global environment? This course examines China as a vast and diverse land where one of the world’s oldest civilizations continues to evolve. As the most populous nation on earth, China has long adapted to and transformed its environment, developing enduring cultural traditions regarding nature—some reemerging amid rapid modernization. Employing a political-ecological approach, the course investigates the roots of China’s environmental challenges as shaped by historical, cultural, political, economic, and social forces, both internal and external to the country, and by the global movements of socialism and capitalism over the past 150 years. It also explores emerging solutions and the broader lessons China’s experience offers for a more sustainable world. Yu Zhou. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
ENST 242Fragile Presence: The Ultra Short Film as Personal Cinematic Practice0.5
(Same as FILM 242 ) Can we use filmmaking to cultivate attentiveness and a playful sense of presence in everyday life? How does having a cinematic practice — a laboratory of ongoing audiovisual exploration — help us to develop confidence in our own creative process while also acting as a form of journaling? In this intensive, we search for the poetry, whimsy and depth of meaning in the daily unfolding of our outer and inner lives. We privilege the joy of discovery over an evaluative mindset through site-specific shooting prompts around campus and improvisational editing experiences. Outside meeting times, students shoot and edit on their own, creating five 1 min. films in six weeks. Prior filmmaking experience is helpful, but passionate self-starters are equally welcome. Denise Iris.
Permission of the instructor. Priority given to students with some shooting and editing experience. First six-week course. One 2-hour period and individual conferences with the instructor. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: INT
ENST 254Environmental Science in the Field1
(Same as CHEM 254 and ESCI 254 ) The environment consists of complex and often elegant interactions between various constituents so that an interdisciplinary approach is required to understand how human interactions may affect it. In this course, we study a variety of aspects of a specific environment by considering how biological, chemical, geological, and human factors interact. We observe these interactions first hand during a weeklong field trip. Some of the questions we may consider are: How does a coral polyp create an environment that not only suits its particular species, but also helps regulate the global climate? How has human development and associated water demands in the desert Southwest changed the landscape, fire ecology, and even estuary and fisheries’ health as far away as the Gulf of California? How have a variety of species (humans included) managed to survive on an island with the harsh environment of the exposed mid-ocean ridge of Iceland? The course is offered every other year, and topics vary with expertise of the faculty teaching the course. Lynn Christenson, Alison Keimowitz.
Permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
ENST 256Geographies of Food and Farming1
(Same as GEOG 256 ) Farming and food production underpin many of our most immediate and global challenges. Food connects us to our landscapes and communities; it also drives global trade and exploitation. The world grows more food than ever before, yet factors such as corporate concentration and biofuel policies, in a context of climate change, continue to produce hunger and to degrade natural resources. In this class we start by examining the climatic, soil, and biogeographic factors that explain patterns of production. We explore how these interrelated factors support, and constrain, agricultural prosperity and poverty in the U.S. and around the world. We then learn to use key data resources to understand changes in production, starting near to home and then continuing to global regions. Finally, we explore policy frameworks that shape production, and ways that policies might shift to create more sustainable and equitable systems of food and farming. Mary Ann Cunningham. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
(Same as GEOG 260 ) The purpose of this course is to examine in depth an issue, problem, or set of issues and problems in environmental studies, to explore the various ways in which environmental issues are embedded in multiple contexts and may be understood from multiple perspectives. The course topic changes from year to year.
Permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
ENST 261“The Nuclear Cage”: Environmental Theory and Nuclear Power1
(Same as SOCI 261 and INTL 261 ) The central aim of this course is to explore debates about the interaction between beings, including humans, animals, plants and the earth within the context of advanced capitalism by concentrating on the production, distribution, consumption, and disposal of nuclear power. The first question concerning the class is how does Environmental Theory approach nuclear power and its impact on the environment. The second question deals with how this construction interacts with other forms of debate regarding nuclear power, especially concentrating on the relation between science, market and the state in dealing with nature, and how citizens formulate and articulate their understanding of nuclear power through social movements. Pinar Batur. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
Local and State Governments are powerful, but often overlooked, sites for climate policy; and because they are closer to citizens than national governments, they afford opportunities for high-leverage citizen action. We examine ways in which local and state governments can use their power to tackle climate change and environmental injustice across sectors including transportation, zoning, housing, land-use, building codes, and energy infrastructure. For a final project, students work in groups to study existing laws in a local or state jurisdiction of their choice, and then write policy memos to present to decision-makers in that jurisdiction making the case for some change in law or policy and attempting to quantify its climate impact. Jeffrey Seidman.
ENST 162 recommended but not required. First six-week course. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: INT
ENST 264Population, Environment, and Sustainable Development1
(Same as GEOG 264 and INTL 264 ) Concerns about human population are integral to debates about matters of political stability, socio-economic equity, ecological sustainability, and human wellbeing. This course engages these debates via an examination of environmental change, power and inequality, and technology and development. Case studies include: water supplies, fishing and agriculture and the production of foodstuffs. Being a geography course, it highlights human-nature relations, spatial distribution and difference, and the dynamic connections between places and regions. Joseph Nevins. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
ENST 265Resource Extraction: History, Economy & Sustainability of Fossil Fuels1
(Same as ESCI 265 ) This course is designed for students who wish to learn more about the environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural impacts of resource extraction and energy production on communities. The Appalachian area of the United States and the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean serve as focal points representing one domestic and one international region, respectively, that have been uniquely shaped by resource extraction. We consider communities within these regions to guide class discussions and to investigate 1) their geological history and natural resources; 2) the history of indigenous communities, colonization, resource extraction and economic development; and 3) the challenges and solutions for sustainability and environmental justice faced by these communities. Deon Knights. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
(Same as SOCI 266 ) The 21st century will be defined in the dramatic consequences of the current events and movements regarding our waste: global climate change, pollution, resource depletion, contamination and extinction. One of the most striking and consistent observations is that racism plays a major role in placing waste in close proximity to those racially distinct, economically exploited and politically oppressed. This class examines the destructive global dynamics of environmental racism and resistance, as struggles against it. Pinar Batur. Two 75-minute periods.
(Same as ECON 267 and STS 267 ) This course examines environmental and natural resource issues from an economic perspective. Particular attention is given to the evidence and analysis presented at the UN climate negotiations and the recent history of climate accords and assesses the case for more drastic commitments. Particular attention is given this year to the evidence and analysis presented at to the UN Conference of the Parties (COP 26). The various possible policies to address the situation are analyzed in economic terms identifying those who gain by, and those who lose by these policies. The goal is for students to develop a framework for understanding environmental problems and then to learn how to analyze policy actions within that framework. Topics include the economics of externalities, free rider issues, global warming, air and water pollution, the loss of biodiversity, energy demand and technology, and natural resource extraction. David Kennett.
ECON 102 or permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Spring
ENST 270Topics in Environmental Studies1
The purpose of this course is to take up topics relevant to environmental studies, and examine them through the perspectives of the humanities and the natural or social sciences. Lisa Paravisini.
Subject
ENST
Credits (min)
1
Credits (max)
1
Credit unit
unit(s)
Type
course
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit if the topic has changed.
(Same as ESCI 273 ) Ocean-based climate solutions are being urgently explored by the US federal government and a new generation of ocean engineering start-up companies. Ideas to draw down carbon dioxide include dumping minerals in the ocean and on beaches, planting kelp forests, and restoring coastal wetlands. What are the scientific underpinnings of ocean-based climate solutions? How critical are they to mitigating climate change? And how are the risks, governance, and just implementation of these solutions being considered? This course explores the past, present, and potential future modification of the oceans by humans. To reach this goal, we ground ourselves in the basic the biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and governance of the ocean. We evaluate proposals for ocean engineering and design ways to test their risks and impacts. Along the way we consider how histories of colonialism have impacted humanity’s relationship with the ocean and now influence approaches to ocean-based climate solutions. Laura Haynes. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
(Same as ESCI 277 ) Our planet is uniquely suited in our solar system to support complex life. In turn, the engines of biology have altered Earth’s geochemistry in ways that have allowed for the development of higher animals and the establishment of a relatively stable climate system. How do Earth’s biology, chemistry, and geology work together to create the Earth System we know today? We explore major milestones in Earth’s History such as the oxygenation of the atmosphere, the colonization of the continents by land plants, and the advent of calcifying organisms. Lab and field activities give us insight into biogeochemical processes ranging in scale from global ocean carbon cycling to the impact of road salt on local river chemistry. In the process, we cement our understanding of biogeochemical cycles and how humanity is altering them today. Laura Haynes.
ESCI 151 / GEOG 151 or ESCI / ENST 153 or ENST 124 or permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods; one 4-hour laboratory. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
ENST 278Environmental Political Thought1
(Same as POLI 278 and STS 278 ) In the current, urgent context of eco-catastrophe, the high-stakes question of how to rethink the human and the nonhuman arises (together, in relation with one another, entangled as they are, distinct as they might be…). Many theorists from myriad disciplines and multidisciplinary areas have taken on this question, some stressing the “intrinsic value” of the natural world, some proclaiming the end of nature, some critiquing the concept of Nature as so all-encompassing that it inevitably allows human claims to mastery of the nonhuman. Though this course cannot exhaustively survey all these approaches, we will explore some of the key contemporary debates (regarding mass extinction, Gaia theories, the oft-cited “Anthropocene”) pertaining to deep ecology, social and political ecology, de-growth theory, object-oriented ontology, speculative realism, environmental justice, posthumanism, ecofeminism, (feminist) new materialisms. Claire Sagan. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
ENST 279Landscape History and Conservation at Matthew Vassar’s Springside0.5
(Same as ART 279 ) Springside, Matthew Vassar’s summer home in Poughkeepsie, was originally a 47-acre, park-like estate comprising a network of buildings in a verdant landscape, with an orchard and farm. Winding carriage paths gave artfully planned vistas of flora, fauna, and garden elements: fountains, sculpture, duck ponds, meadows with grazing sheep, and wooded knolls. Designed in 1850 by the pioneering American landscape architect Andrew Jackson Downing, assisted by his partner Calvert Vaux (who later partnered with Frederick Law Olmsted to produce Central and Prospect Parks), Springside is Downing’s only extant landscape, created a National Historic Landmark in 1969. Downing translated the forms of European villas and English landscape gardens to American needs and democratic ideals, designing for people of varied means, reflected in his motto: “a home to every man and a garden to every home”. Matthew Vassar embraced Downing’s belief that well designed homes and gardens were a force for public good, opening Springside to visitors, which prefigured the public park. Today, the estate is much reduced in scale and scope, although it now boasts many large, mature trees of varied species. We consider the important history of Downing’s work, and the goals and challenges of historic landscape stewardship. Through a field trip to Springside, visits to Special Collections and the Loeb, and discussions with landscape preservation specialists, we consider the significance of this historic site, and confront the question: how can it survive in an altered form, and exist for a very changed time? Other topics include nineteenth-century responses to indigenous landscape, the rural cemetery movement, poetry and music dedicated to Springside, Downing’s and Vaux’s writings and architectural designs, intermedial designs for architecture and landscape, the emerging role of the landscape architect, and the legacy of Downing’s ideas in the Vassar campus.
Permission of the instructor. Students in Art, Environmental Studies, Urban Studies, Geography, History, and English are especially encouraged to apply. Second six-week course. One 2-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: INT
ENST 287Energy Technology and Public Policy1
(Same as STS 287 ) Is it possible to power a country, city, or college campus with 100% renewable electricity? What combination of renewables, storage, and grid infrastructure could make this feasible? In this course, students learn how to analyze these types of energy questions using power system models and other tools. This course focuses on the electricity sector and students gain an understanding of how power plants, transmission lines, and other technologies work together to supply electricity. Students use accessible modeling tools to compare energy systems under a variety of climate-focused policies, such as renewable portfolio standards, learning how technical choices connect to policy outcomes. Along the way, students develop skills in system modeling, scenario analysis, and environmental policy evaluation—tools relevant for careers in energy, environment, and sustainability. The goal of the final project, a central feature of the course, is to conduct a personally meaningful analysis that impacts a real-world energy policy, inform a low-carbon infrastructure decision, or start a new sustainability initiative at Vassar. This course is a good fit for anyone who is interested in energy, sustainability, and the environment and no previous knowledge of energy or power systems is required. Students from the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences are all welcome! Michael Roth. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
0.5 to 1 unit(s) Individual or group field projects or internships. Prior approval of advisor and instructor supervising the work are required. May be taken during the academic year or during the summer. Participating faculty. Course Format: INT
The course emphasizes field-based learning that, rather than beginning with established divisions or disciplines, focuses on problems or questions to which students can bring all the resources of their previous classes in a truly multidisciplinary fashion while exploring and learning about the Hudson Valley. Required for Environmental Studies majors; students may instead take any other ENST course with a travel or field component. Students who have taken ENST 292 are not eligible to take this course. Field courses not originating in or cross-listed in ENST will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
ENST 107 or ENST 124 . First six-week course. One 4-hour period. Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall
ENST 292Field Experiences in the Hudson Valley0.5
The course emphasizes field-based learning that, rather than beginning with established divisions or disciplines, focuses on problems or questions to which students can bring all the resources of their previous classes in a truly multidisciplinary fashion while exploring and learning about the Hudson Valley. Required for Environmental Studies majors; students may instead take any other ENST course with a travel or field component. Students who have taken ENST 291 are not eligible to take this course. Field courses not originating in or cross-listed in ENST will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Lisa Paravisini. Both first and second six-week course. One 4-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
0.5 to 1 unit(s) Individual or group project or study. Prior approval of advisor and instructor supervising the work are required. May be taken during the academic year or during the summer. Participating faculty. Participating faculty. Course Format: OTH
Recognizing the diverse interests and course programs of students in Environmental Studies, the program entertains many models for a senior project/thesis. Depending on their disciplinary concentration and interests, students may conduct laboratory or field studies, literary and historical analyses, or policy studies. Senior project/thesis proposals must be approved by the steering committee. The Department.
Senior Environmental Studies Major Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall or Spring
ENST 301Thesis Preparation: Sources, Theories, and Methods0.5
Scheduled for the fall semester of the senior year, this seminar provides the opportunity for students to confront questions related to choosing a thesis topic, locating the work within the existing scholarship, and selecting sources. Through readings and workshops, students develop clear research ideas and questions, locate necessary sources, become acquainted with multidisciplinary methods, and discuss strategies for different stages of the process. The seminar also provides a community in which students share their experiences, approaches, and ideas about researching and writing their theses. Senior majors. Required of students concentrating in the program. Open to other students by permission of the director and as space permits. First six-week course. One 2-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
Recognizing the diverse interests and course programs of students in Environmental Studies, the program entertains many models for a senior project/thesis. Depending on their disciplinary concentration and interests, students may conduct laboratory or field studies, literary and historical analyses, or policy studies. Senior project/thesis proposals must be approved by the steering committee. The Department.
Senior Environmental Studies Major Yearlong course 303- ENST 304 . Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall
ENST 304Thesis0.5
Recognizing the diverse interests and course programs of students in Environmental Studies, the program entertains many models for a senior project/thesis. Depending on their disciplinary concentration and interests, students may conduct laboratory or field studies, literary and historical analyses, or policy studies. Senior project/thesis proposals must be approved by the steering committee. The Department.
Senior Environmental Studies Major Yearlong course ENST 303 -304. Course Format: INT
Offered
Spring
ENST 307Thoreau’s Cabin1
(Same as ENGL 307 ) Thoreau’s Cabin: an experiential investigation into carpentry, construction and environmental thinking. This course studies the cabin that Henry David Thoreau designed and built on the shore of Walden Pond in 1845 and completes the interior of a replica of it constructed on the Vassar Farm. We read Thoreau’s Walden, where there is a detailed description of the cabin, and visit Concord, Massachusetts, to see the present reproduction. In addition, we read and discuss Thoreau’s biography and look into the ecological basis of American Transcendentalism. Students are instructed in best practices in building and carpentry and undertake the construction work themselves, including foundation preparation, insulation, wall and ceiling plastering, flooring, and some interior carpentry. No prior building experience required. There are some extra class days on weekends during the semester. Paul Kane.
Permission of the instructor. One 3-hour period plus one 75-minute period. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
ENST 310All Our Relations0.5
(Same as ANST 310 ) This experiential Intensive invites students to engage with approaches offered by interdisciplinary indigenous scholarship and other publications. Topics include earth elements+, relationality and the role of human beings in the world. Activities include local and regional site visits, guest speakers, student-led discussions, and creative exercises that encourage students to apply ideas and methods to their own areas of interest. This Intensive meets both on campus and off, and is coordinated according to student and instructor schedules. Students record their learning in a weekly journal and create a final project reflecting their cumulative experiences over the semester. Leora Gansworth.
Students should have taken ANST 105 or another NAS correlate course and permission of the Instructor. First six-week course. One 2-hour period. Course Format: INT
Offered
Spring
ENST 333Gardens and Landscape in Early Modern Italy1
(Same as ART 333 ) Changing attitudes toward the relationship between art and nature played out in the gardens and landscape of Italian villas, c. 1450-1650. These large-scale estates created by renowned architects and patrons established models for the Western landscape tradition. Their designs for buildings, hardscaping, plantings, waterworks, and decorations blurred distinctions among art, architecture, landscape, and urban form, as well as between indoors and outdoors; city and country; and nature and artifice. We examine sites from Tuscany and Rome to the Veneto, considering the inheritance of ancient Roman, medieval, and Islamic landscape traditions, and the later reception of Italian landscape in France and England. We also explore the impact of new flora and fauna taken to Europe via global trade and new contact with the Americas, as well as changing patterns of collecting and display. Readings explore notions of villa ideology, city/country life, the garden as utopia, nature as monstrous, and paradigms of human cooperation with, or dominion over, nature. Through excursions to local landscapes, we experience the agency of the ambulatory spectator in constructing place and narrative, and consider the reception of the Italian garden in America. Yvonne Elet.
Permission of the instructor. One 3-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
ENST 335Paleoclimatology1
(Same as ESCI 335 ) In recent decades, record high temperatures and extreme weather events have led scientists and policy makers to grapple with the fact that human activities are affecting the climate system. At the same time, scientists have come to realize that climate is capable of dramatic shifts in the absence of human intervention. The science of paleoclimatology seeks to understand the extent and causes of natural climatic variability in order to establish the baseline on top of which anthropogenic changes are occurring. In this course, we examine the structure and properties of the oceans and atmosphere and how the general circulation of these systems redistributes heat throughout the globe; study how cycles in Earth’s orbital parameters, plate tectonics, changes in ocean circulation, and the evolution of plants have affected climate; and explore the different lines of evidence used to reconstruct climate history from the Paleozoic through the Little Ice Age. We also undertake a semester-long project on a sediment core from a local lake or bog for the purpose of paleoclimatic reconstruction. Using proxies such as pollen, plant macrofossils, diatoms, and sediment chemistry and mineralogy, we explore the climate history of the Hudson Valley region since retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet. Kirsten Menking.
200-level work in Earth Science or permission of the instructor. Recommended Students who have taken BIOL 208 , and/or BIOL 241 are particularly encouraged to speak to the instructor about adding the course if they have not done 200-level work in Earth Science. One 4-hour period. Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall
ENST 336Black Ecologies1
(Same as AFRS 336 , ANST 336 , HIST 336 , and WFQS 336 ) This seminar operates on the notion that structural racism and environmental degradation are historically related–and that Black Americans have confronted the two together. Over the course of the semester, we interrogate how different Black activists have done so, from the Antebellum period to the present day. We consider how enslaved people drew from nature in their resistance to slavery, as well as the role of pollution, environmental disasters, and gentrification in twentieth-century organizing. Toward the end of the course, we explore the concepts of environmental justice and ecofeminism. One 2-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
ENST 337Eels as Teachers: Learning with Earth’s Ancient Residents1
(Same as ANST 337 ) This interdisciplinary seminar integrates material from human geography, biological sciences, critical animal studies, and Indigenous legal traditions to consider the case of Anguilla rostrata /American eel decline as a matter of serious importance across North America. We look at the holistic story of eels and review data pertaining to known historical distribution and significance of eels in and around Poughkeepsie and beyond. We study current and future threats to the species in the Hudson Valley and surrounding estuary which are prime habitat for the only migratory Anguillid in all North America. Leora Gansworth.
Permission of the instructor. One 2-hour period. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
ENST 340Food Fights1
(Same as SOCI 340 ) James Beard argued “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” Our understanding of the complexities regarding food systems is important because the fate of the 21 st century might be defined in the dramatic consequences of the current events and movements regarding food. One of the most striking and consistent observations from these movements is that the peoples’ voices are not silenced in the face of violence, oppression and tyranny, but by hunger. In this class, while we study food and food systems, environment and the food politics, economics of food and the food culture, we also engage with the debates regarding the future of food globally. Pinar Batur.
100-level course in Sociology, Environmental Studies, Urban Studies or International Studies. One 2-hour period. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Spring
ENST 352Conservation and Restoration Ecology1
(Same as BIOL 352 ) Conservation Biology and restoration ecology use multidisciplinary approaches to study the maintenance and restoration of earth’s biodiversity. We examine human impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem function and discuss how to develop practical approaches for mitigating those impacts. We assess the current human footprint on global resources, asking questions about what we are trying to preserve/restore, why we are trying to preserve/restore it, and how we can accomplish those goals. We critically examine the assumptions made by conservation biologists and restoration ecologists throughout, using case studies from around the world to explore a range of perspectives. Discussion topics include conservation in an agricultural context, the efficacy of marine protected areas, the impact of climate change on ecosystem resilience, restoration and management of forests, the management of invasive species, and urban ecology. Margaret Ronsheim.
Two units of 200-level biology or one unit of 200-level biology and one unit of 200-level ESCI, or permission of the instructor. Recommended BIOL 241 , BIOL 208 , or BIOL 226 , GEOG 260 , GEOG 224 , or GEOG 356 ; or permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Spring
ENST 356Environment and Land-Use Planning1
This seminar focuses on land-use issues such as open-space planning, urban design, transportation planning, and the social and environmental effects of planning and land use policies. The focus of the course this year is impacts of planning policies (such as transportation, zoning, or growth boundaries) on environmental quality, including open space preservation, farmland conservation, and environmental services. We begin with global and regional examples and then apply ideas in the context of Dutchess County’s trajectory of land use change and planning policies.
One 200-level course in Geography, Urban Studies or Environmental Studies. One 3-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
ENST 358Plants, Climate, and Society1
(Same as BIOL 358 ) An examination of plant physiological ecology through the lens of climate change.This course considers the specific effects of global temperature change and changes in atmospheric composition on organisms and ecosystems. We use primary literature to understand how the different aspects of climate variability affect plant physiology, including photosynthesis, plant water relations, reproduction and morphology. Class discussions focus on the application of ecological knowledge to evaluate the interactions between biology and society. Dianne Pater.
Two units of any 200-level science (including ENST and STS) or permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
ENST 361Modeling the Earth1
(Same as ESCI 361 ) Computer models are powerful tools in the Earth and Environmental Sciences for generating and testing hypotheses about how the Earth system functions and for allowing simulation of processes in places inaccessible to humans (e.g., Earth’s deep interior), too slow to permit observation (e.g., orbitally controlled ice sheet growth and decay), or too large to facilitate construction of physical models (e.g., circulation of the world ocean). Taking readings from the scientific literature, we create and then perform experiments with simple computer models, using the STELLA iconographic box-modeling software package. The course emphasizes Earth’s climate system; topics include our planet’s radiative balance with the sun and resulting temperature, the flow of ice in glaciers, the role of life in moderating Earth’s climate, how temperature profiles in permafrost record the last two centuries of global warming, and the impacts of fossil fuel combustion on ocean acidification. Toward the end of the semester, students apply the skills they have acquired to a modeling project of their own devising. Kirsten Menking.
One 200-level course in the natural sciences. Satisfies the college requirement for quantitative reasoning. One 4-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: INT
ENST 368Toxic Futures: From Social Theory to Environmental Theory1
(Same as INTL 368 and SOCI 368 ) The central aim of this class is to examine the foundations of the discourse on society and nature in social theory and environmental theory to explore two questions. The first question is how does social theory approach the construction of the future, and the second question is how has this construction informed the present debates on the impact of industrialization, urbanization, state-building and collective movements on the environment? In this context, the class focuses on how social theory informs different articulations of Environmental Thought and its political and epistemological fragmentation and the limits of praxis, as well as its contemporary construction of alternative futures. Pinar Batur.
(Same as BIOL 374 ) Microbes are the tiniest organisms on Earth, yet they have a huge impact on us and on our environment. This course builds your knowledge and appreciation of the ubiquity and importance of microbial life. We explore the functional roles that microbial organisms play in ecological systems. In addition, we learn how humans are using microbial organisms to maintain the health of the planet, as well as our own bodies. Myra Hughey.
One unit of any 200-level natural science and one of the following: BIOL 205 , BIOL 208 , BIOL 241 , BIOL 248 . Recommended BIOL 205 and BIOL 241 . One 2-hour period. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Spring
ENST 376Ecological Catastrophe and Nietzsche’s Eternal Return1
(Same as POLI 376 and STS 376 ) This course explores several sorts of texts together, for thought experiments pertaining to our times of ecological catastrophe. We critically engage: 1) theories concerned with ecological collapse, extinction, catastrophism, and the oft-cited and ill-named Anthropocene 2) literature on Nietzsche within environmental political thought 3) literature on Nietzsche and gender 4) selected primary texts by Nietzsche. Examining the latter in close readings and in the context of our compromised ecological futures, we ask ourselves to what extent the Nietzschean concepts of “eternal return” and “will to power” may help us think in these troubled times: what would a feminist Nietzschean ecology look like? Claire Sagan. One 2-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
ENST 378Science, Spirituality, and Peace Education: Addressing Climate Change1
(Same as EDUC 378 ) Climate Change is arguably the most pressing issue of our day. Utilizing the three core values of peace education as our starting point (Planetary Stewardship, Humane Relationship, Global Citizenship) this course examines global responses to climate change through the lens of peace education and global religions and spirituality. We explore the science of climate change and how polarizing the topic can be thanks in no small part due to variations in educational practices (among other influences). We also explore how various religious traditions conceive of nature, stewardship and climate change and their “call” to address it. Finally, we engage with case studies of real environmental efforts from around the world in both formal and informal educational settings. Leonisa Ardizzone.
EDUC 162 or EDUC 235 . One 3-hour period. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Spring
ENST 393Special Topics in Biology
0.5 1 unit(s) A variety of current and timely topics in Biology is considered by these intensive mentored experiences. Each of these involve close mentored work in small groups of students around a key topic in biology. A variety of formats is used, including field experiences, field trips, different types of media and different approaches. Topics and instructors vary each semester. (a) Restoration and Management of Natural Areas . (Same as BIOL 393 ) (0.5 units, ungraded) In this Intensive we explore a range of natural areas on campus, discussing their ecological and cultural histories, current uses, and how they could be re-envisioned for the future. We discuss how conflicting approaches to ‘designed’ and ‘natural’ landscapes could be reimaged, thereby working together to create a diverse, resilient, and sustainable campus landscape. This Intensive also includes group and/or individual projects here on campus, focusing on areas along the Casperkill creek, the southeastern side of campus by the golf course, and the native meadow at the entrance to the Preserve. These projects focus on restoring native plant communities, maintaining and improving overall ecosystem resilience, and creating greater opportunities for students to connect to nature on a daily basis. Possible projects include developing a list of recommended tree species to create a more climate resilient tree canopy, developing a plan for restoration along the Casperkill Creek to support ecosystem health, rethinking natural areas near student housing to support mental and physical health on campus, among others. Margaret Ronsheim.
Permission of the instructor. One 1-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: INT
ENST 399Senior Independent Research
0.5 to 1 unit(s) Individual or group project or study. Prior approval of advisor and instructor supervising the work are required. May be taken during the academic year or during the summer. Participating faculty. Participating faculty. Course Format: OTH
