Registration Guide: Environmental Analysis & Policy

Environmental Science Course: Your first course should be one of the following introductory environmental science courses. Both are offered either semester and can be taken in any order, so pick whichever one you prefer:

• CAS EE 107 Introduction to Climate and Earth System Science: Introduction to the Earth as an integrated system composed of interacting biosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere subsystems. Major themes include earth system stability, instability and capacity for change on all time scales, including human-induced climate change.
• CAS EE 100 Environmental Change & Sustainability: Introduces natural and social science concepts that underlie global environmental change and sustainability. Topics include climate change, biodiversity, energy, water, pollution, deforestation, agriculture, population growth. Sustainable development illustrated with ecological footprint based on student’s lifestyle.

Biology Course

CAS BI 107 General Biology 1 is a required course for all EA&P majors, but it is only offered in the fall semester. Therefore, if you are registering for the fall semester, you are strongly encouraged to pick BI 107 as your second course, unless you have AP, IB or other advanced credit for it.

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Economics Course

If you are entering BU in the spring semester, or if you have advanced credit for CAS BI 107, you may instead take CAS EC 101 Introduction to Microeconomics as your second course. CAS EC 101 is a required and related course that is offered in both the fall and spring semesters.

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Calculus Course

If you have advanced credit for both BI 107 and CAS EC 101, you can instead take a calculus course. Most EA&P majors take CAS MA 121 Calculus for the Life & Social Sciences 1. However, if you enjoy calculus, you may want to consider taking the more advanced level, CAS MA 123 Calculus 1.

**Please note: If you have advanced credit for CAS MA 121 or CAS MA 123, you have fulfilled this requirement for the major and should instead take a course of interest (below).

CAS Language Course: CAS students must exhibit proficiency through the fourth-semester level of a language other than English. If you have not already done so, please review the full language policy here.

If you plan to fulfill this language requirement through coursework at BU, then your next course should be a language course:

• If you’re new to the language, you’ll start with the first-semester level (usually coded as 111 – for example, Spanish 1 is CAS LS 111, Arabic 1 is CAS LY 111, etc.).
• If you have previously studied the language, you will need to take a placement test to determine what level to start with (for instance, CAS LS 112 Spanish 2, CAS LY 211 Arabic 3, CAS LK 212 Korean 4, etc.). Please review the CAS Language Requirement page for detailed information about placement tests and appropriate levels.

If you’ll fulfill the language requirement through advanced credit (such as AP/IB scores) or through native proficiency of another language, you have fulfilled your language requirement and can instead take a course of interest (as seen below).

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Calculus Course

Earth & Environmental Sciences majors are expected to complete two calculus courses: CAS MA 123 Calculus 1 and CAS MA 124 Calculus 2. You should begin with CAS MA 123 unless:

• You have AP, IB or other advanced credit for CA MA 123. In this case, register for CAS MA 124.
• You have advanced credit for both CAS MA 123 and CAS MA 124. In this case, you are done with your calculus requirement for the major and can consider a chemistry course (below).

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Course of Interest: Select a course that interests you – perhaps based on subjects you’ve enjoyed in the past or a new subject you’re excited to try for the first time! If you’re not sure where to start, you can review our Registration Instructions for tips on browsing by topic or Hub requirement.

Your fourth course should be a writing course:

• If you did not apply to BU with a TOEFL/IELTS score, you can take either:
  • CAS WR 120 First-Year Writing Seminar. Each section of WR 120 focuses on a specific topic/theme, so you should register for a section that pairs with your interests.
  • CAS CC 101 Core Humanities 1: Ancient Worlds: (offered fall only): An interdisciplinary study of the origins of civilization, from Mesopotamia and the Hebrew Bible to the development of Greek civilization through Homer, Greek tragedy, and the philosophy of Plato. You should enroll in CAS CC 101 if you are considering the Core Curriculum. This course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, First-Year Writing Seminar, Creativity/Innovation.

• If you applied to BU with a TOEFL/IELTS score, you should take the Multilingual Writer Placement (instructions will be sent via email) before you register for a writing course. The writing placement is a suggestion, but it will help you make an informed decision about the most appropriate level for you. Depending on what level WR course you register for, you will fulfill the following Hub requirements:
  • CAS WR 111 Academic Writing for ESL Students 1 – fulfills The Individual in Community Hub
  • CAS WR 112 Academic Writing for ESL Students 2 – fulfills Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy Hub
  • CAS WR 120 First-Year Writing Seminar – fulfills First-Year Writing Seminar Hub (If you place into WR 120, you are welcome to take CC 101 Core Humanities 1 instead to fulfill your FYW Hub.)

First-Year Seminar: FY 101 (1 unit) – Optional

FY101 is a one-unit, low stress, non-academic class that serves as a semester-long introduction to BU and college life. FY101 helps you get a head start on making connections at BU. Each section is taught by a student peer mentor and a staff instructor.

• FY101 classes are small and are for new students only, so they provide a great way to get to know other first-years!
• Your peer mentor and instructor will provide resources to create a more successful and meaningful college experience and help you get ahead in your first semester here.
• FY101 includes free, optional trips around Boston.
• There are specialty sections based on major and identity (e.g., Undeclared, Natural Sciences, First Generation, etc ) so be sure to choose the one that’s right for you!

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First-Year Career Development Seminar: FY 102 (offered spring only, 1 unit) – Optional

FY102 will help first-year students get started on utilizing the Career Development Cycle to maximize their time at BU. During this course, students will create a plan of action towards choosing a major, creating a resume, finding an internship, and preparing for a career they will love. Seminars are offered in various fields of interest and include guest speakers from different industries.

If you are interested in the Core Curriculum, we recommend registering for CAS CC 101 for your writing course (see above in Course #4). There are additional natural science Core courses offered; however, we do not typically recommend these for students who are already taking a lab course this semester. Therefore, if you are taking CAS BI 107, we recommend avoiding the courses below; if you are not registered for a lab science course this semester, you may consider one of the following courses below in place of a language course or course of interest:

• CAS CC 111: Core Natural Science 1: Origins—of the Big Bang, Earth, Life and Humanity (offered fall only): The origins of the physical world, a scientific parallel to CC 101. Explores how the fields of astronomy, earth science, biology, and anthropology help us to understand our place in the cosmos from a scientific perspective. Topics include the Big Bang, evolution of the stars and earth, evolution of life, and the origins of human life and society. Assignments include computer-based and experimental laboratory work as well as team-based investigation and original research. 
  • This course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I, Teamwork/Collaboration.
  • This course will fulfill the CAS Natural Sciences Laboratory requirement.
• CAS CC 212: Core Natural Science 2: Reality, Science, and the Modern World (offered spring only): Studies the paradigm-shifting scientific theories of quantum theory and relativity that created a new world view and forced the 20th century into a new understanding of our relation to reality. Students parallel these theories with current debates about science, such as those concerning climate change and the phenomenon of “junk science.” Considers the role of science in the modern world, how we know what we know, the roles of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle and chaos theory, and the nature of truth in a 21st century context.
  • This course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following Hub areas:  Scientific Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking.
  • This course will fulfill the CAS Natural Sciences Laboratory requirement.

Find out more about the Core Curriculum, the Hub, and registration here.