Degree Requirements & Courses 

 

During your first semester, you will complete a study plan with the ENST graduate advisor, using the general guidelines on this website, the detailed guielines distributed by the ENST graduate advisor each semester, and the official guidelines in t he CSUF University Catalog description of the ENST program. In case of discrepancy, the official university catalog is the authority.

 

Students are required to complete  a minimum of thirty-six (36) units with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to graduate.

Environmental Studies Core Courses (9 units)

  • ENST 500 Environmental Issues and Approaches
    All new students must register for the ENST 500 class during the first semester in program.
  • ENST 510 Environmental Evaluation and Protection
    All new students must register for the ENST 510 class during the first semester in program.
  • ENST 520 Environmental Research and Analysis
    All new students must register for ENST 520 during their second semester in the program.

Environmental Studies Electives (9 – 15 units)

  • ENST 595T Selected Topics in Environmental Problems. These topics vary by semester, and there are usually two options of ENST 595T offered each semester. Most ENST students will take 9 units of ENST 595T. To learn which topics to expect in upcoming semesters, check the announcements on our Canvas page. Recent topics include:
    • Animal Rights
    • Environmental Activism
    • Environmental Education
    • Environmental Law
    • Environmental Politics and Policy
    • Food and the Environment
    • Habitat Restoration
    • Hazardous Waste Management
    • Sustainability in Southern California
    • Wetlands
  • ENST 596 Internship in Environmental Studies
    • An internship in Environmental Studies allows students to explore a potential career field and gain hands-on experience outside of the classroom. We announce internship opportunities on the ENST Canvas page and you can also find your own potential internship location. Information about this class and a list of approved internship sites are available at CSUF's Center for Internships and Community Engagement.PDF File Opens in new window Our internship course requires approval from the ENST progra m coordinator, Professor Elaine Lewinnek. Email her before your internship begins for more information and approval of your proposed internship site, then fill out our form for a class permit. 
  • ENST 599 Independent Graduate Research
    • ENST 599 is designed for students choosing the thesis option for their culminating experience. If ENST 599 is taken, then you must also take three other ENST electives. Enrollment in ENST 599  requires approval from the ENST progra m coordinator, Professor Elaine Lewinnek, and the ENST advisor. Email them before the semester begins for more information and approval, then fill out our form for a class permit. 

Cross Disciplinary Electives (CDE) (9 – 12 units; may be 15 units if planning course is included here)

Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the ENST Program, ENST students are given a great deal of choice in terms of the breadth and variety of cross-disciplinary courses that may be added to the ENST study plan. The graduate advisor maintains an up-to-date list of suggested courses, including graduate-level courses in 

  • African-American Studies
  • American Studies
  • Anthropology
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Chicana and Chicano Studies
  • Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Economics
  • English
  • Geography
  • Geology
  • History
  • Liberal Studies
  • Political Science and Public Administration
  • Philosophy
  • Public Health

To be included in the Master's degree, courses must be a 400- or 500-level and available for graduate credit. Students may take 300-level courses, but these are not counted towards meeting degree requirements nor are they added into the student's cumulative grade point average.

No more than 9 units can be taken from the undergraduate major department.

Courses not on the list may be included if the student is able to establish the relevancy of the course to his or her specific study plan. Students are encouraged to seek counsel from the ENST Graduate Advisor before registering for courses that have not been included on this list.



Pre-Requisites

Other departments often have prerequisites for graduate-level coursework. ENST graduate students may be permitted to register for courses even if they do not meet the prerequisites listed for a particular course, at the discretion of individual instructors. Students should email the course instructor before the registration deadline to introduce themselves and request a permit to bypass prerequisites. If an instructor does decide to waive prerequisites, it is up to the student to take the initiative to learn the required prerequisite material on their own.

One Planning Course (3 units) 

All ENST students are required to complete one planning course, selecting from the following list:

  • ENST 595T Environmental Planning
  • ENST 595T Environmental Impact Assessment
  • GEOG/POSC 478 Urban Planning Principles
  • GEOG/POSC 484 Urban Planning Methods

Culminating Experience (0-3 units)

All Environmental Studies students are required to complete a thesis, project, or comprehensive exam as a culminating option before completing the program.

For the thesis or project options, students will register for ENST 597 Project or ENST 598 Thesis by completing the form on our "Forms" page. Students may only register for the course once. If they do not complete their project or thesis within this semester, they will be assigned a grade of RP for the course until a letter grade can be assigned.

In order to be eligible for a permit to register for the exit research option students must have:

1. Completed at least a minimum of nine graduate units
2. Filed an approved Study Plan (classified standing)
3. Submitted an ENST 597 Project / ENST 598 Thesis Enrollment Form 

All ENST students who are completing ENST 597 or ENST 598 will be required to present a professional presentation of their research that is open to the public with attendees from the Environmental Studies Program Council, alumni of the program, current ENST students, family members, and friends of the students. We hold these Project Presentations annually in mid-May. 

Students selecting the comprehensive exam will not register for ENST 597 or 598, but must take an additinal 3 units of ENST 595T instead. The comprehensive exam is taken in the final semester.

Since students are required to maintain continuous enrollment, they must register in GRAD 700, either through University Extended Education (UEE) or CSUF until they complete their exit option. Students may only enroll in GRAD 700 through UEE for one semester if they are working on a project, and for two semesters if they are working on a thesis.