The Environmental Sustainability major brings together the natural sciences, social sciences, and cutting-edge data tools to help students understand how the Earth works—and how we can care for it. Students explore everything from biodiversity, ecology, and climate processes to the forces that shape landscapes, oceans, and weather. Whether you’re studying the emergence of life, tracking severe storms, or examining how rivers, hazards, and resources evolve, you’ll gain a deep foundation in the interconnected systems that sustain our planet.
Beyond the physical sciences, the major also examines how people, places, and policies influence environmental outcomes. Courses in environmental economics, global food systems, sustainability planning, environmental writing, and the human dimensions of climate change give students the tools to create meaningful change in communities and organizations. With advanced options in GIS, remote sensing, restoration ecology, energy systems, and more, the major empowers students to tailor their path and prepare for careers across science, policy, communication, and sustainability practice. Explore the full list of offerings to see how the curriculum can fit your interests and goals.
Spring 2026 Major Courses
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Questions About the Major?
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Talk to an advisor
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Outline of the ES Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences
The ESES program offers a unique combination of structure and flexibility not found in most programs at the University of Illinois. Since most students are not accustomed to the level of choice we offer in our majors, the ES program has professors ready to advise you on tailoring your degree.
One Concentration (15-18 hours)
- Society and Environment (SAE) OR
- Science of the Earth System (SES)
ESES Introductory Core: Required Courses (7 hours)
- ESE 200: Earth's Physical Systems
- ESE 379: Intro to GIS Systems
ESES Introductory Core: Breadth Coursework (12-14 hours)
- Four introductory courses selected from four different categories
ESES Advanced Courses (15-20 hours)
- Five advanced courses from the approved list, three must be from the ESE or ENSU rubric.
Choose a Concentration
After studying cross-disciplinary introductory classes, ESES students choose to focus in one of two concentrations, depending on their developing interests.
- STAT 100 or SOC 280 (3 hours)
- ECON 102 (3 hours)
- Introductory Social Sciences (10-12 hours)
Select 3 courses:
It is also recommended, but not required, that SAE students take CHEM 101 or 102.*Substitutions may be made with advisor approval.
The SAE concentration offers a balanced cross-disciplinary social science/humanities education, emphasizing the political, socio-cultural, economic, and historical dimensions of sustainability. Students in this track might be interested in focusing on these areas:
- Environmental Policy
- Environmental Economics
- Studies in Science and Technology
- Social Valuation of Environmental Systems
- Social Studies of the Physical Environment
- Environmental History
- Social Movements and the Environment
- Perceptions of Environmental Risk
- Environmental Ethics
- CHEM 102 (3 hours)
- CHEM 103 (1 hour)
- MATH 220 or MATH 221 (4-5 hours)
- STAT 100 (3 hours)
- PHYS 101 or PHYS 211 (4-5 hours)
It is also recommended, but not required, that SES students take ECON 102. *Substitutions may be made with advisor approval.
The SES concentration is a rigorous scientific program in the geophysical and ecological sciences focused on the complexity and interactions of natural systems. Students in this track might be interested in focusing on these areas:
- Water/Hydrology
- Ecology and Ecosystems
- Data and Modeling
- Engineering and Management Practices
- Climate and Global Change
- Biogeochemical Cycles
- Types of Pollution and Their Sources
- Remote Sensing
- Sustainability Applications of GIS
- Green Chemistry
ES Courses by level
Learn more about the courses that make up the ES course levels.
ESES Required Core, 7 Hours
Both of the courses below are required. ESE 200 is a general introduction to sustainability and the various topics covered by our major. GGIS 379 introduces students to the software and practices for viewing data on a map in ArcGIS. Typically, ESE 200 is only offered in the Fall semester, while GGIS 379 is available in both the Fall and Spring semesters.
- ESE 200: Earth Systems (3 hours)
- GGIS 379: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (4 hours)
ESES Introductory Core, 12-14
Students take one approved introductory or advanced course from at least four of the following five areas.
Earth’s Biosphere and Ecology
ESE 111, GEOL 143, IB 100, IB 103,IB 104, IB 105, IB 150, MCB 150, NRES 103, NRES 105, UP 205
Earth’s Physical Systems, Resources, and Hazards
ATMS 100, ATMS 120, ATMS 201, GEOL 100, GEOL 104, GEOL 107, GEOL 117, GEOL 118, GGIS 103, GGIS 222
Environment and the Human Response
ACE 210, ACE 251, ESE 210, GGIS 106, HIST 202, REL 270, RST 242, SOC 160, NRES 287
Sustainability, Policy, and Global Change
ANTH 278, ATMS 140, CPSC 215, GEOL 208, LA 250, NPRE 101, NPRE 201, PS 224, PS 225, SOC 270
Visualizing the Earth System
ESES Advanced Courses, 15-20 Hours
A minimum of five (5) 300- and 400-level courses, from the approved list, are required. At least three of these five advanced courses must be listed or cross-listed as an ESE or ENSU course. Advanced courses will, in most circumstances, count toward the LAS requirement of 21 hours of 300- or 400-level courses overall, and 12 hours of 300- or 400-level courses in the major. It is strongly recommended that students complete the LAS requirement with 21 hours of 300- or 400-level courses related to the ESE curriculum. Please note that your DARS report will not show these requirements as being met until you complete a Major Plan of Study with your advisor.
Looking for hands-on experience in a class? Consider ESE 401: ESE Capstone. ESE 401 provides a pathway for students to earn course credit for a senior thesis or an internship experience. Make an appointment with Dr. Jonathan Tomkin to learn more about ESE 401.
Earth's Biosphere and Ecology
ESE 439, HORT 344, HORT 430,IB 362, IB 405, IB 411, IB 440, IB 444, IB 447, IB 451, IB 452, IB 453, IB 461, IB 485, NRES 348, NRES 419, NRES 420, NRES 431
Earth's Physical Systems, Resources, & Hazards
ABE 436, ATMS 420, ATMS 449, CEE 330, CEE 340, CHEM 360, ENSU 302, ESE 320, ESE 333, ESE 411, ESE 445, ESE 470, ESE 486, GEOL 380, GEOL 401, GEOL 450, GEOL 451, GEOL 460, GGIS 401, GGIS 406, GGIS 408, MSE 489, NRES 351, NRES 403
Environment & The Human Response
AGCM 330, HK 408, ENG 315, ENGL 476, ENSU 301, ENSU 303, ESE 311, ESE 360, ESE 389, ESE 467, ESE 477, GGIS 350, GGIS 384, GGIS 455, GGIS 483, GGIS 495, GGIS 496, LA 314, LA 430, LA 450, NRES 340, NRES 472, SOC 447
Sustainability, Policy, & Global Change
ACE 310, ACE 406, ACE 411, ATMS 307, ATMS 447, ATMS 449, CPSC 336, CPSC 415, CPSC 431, ENSU 303, ENSU 310, ENSU 410, ESE 410, ESE 465, ESE 466, ESE 482, ETMA 311, HORT 435, NPRE 480, NRES 325, NRES 439, UP 405, UP 446, UP 456, UP 480
Visualizing the Earth System
ATMS 305, ESE 421, ESE/GGIS 380, GGIS 371, GGIS 407, GGIS 412, GGIS 460, GGIS 468, GGIS 476, GGIS 477, GGIS 479, NRES 427, NRES 454, UP 418
Note
- A minimum of 120 hours of coursework is required for graduation, including twelve hours of advanced (400-level or approved 300-level) courses that must be taken on this campus.
- All foreign language requirements for the College of LAS must be satisfied.
- A Major Plan of Study form must be completed and submitted to the LAS Student Affairs Office, ideally by the end of the fifth semester (60-75 hours).
- Study abroad courses may be substituted for major and minor requirements with the approval of the advisor.
- There are two ESES minor options, the ESES minor and the Environmental Fellows Program minor.
- Double majoring is generally allowed, as per the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ guidelines, with the following exception: Undergraduate students may not major in both ESES and in a major directed by one of the three departments (Geology, Geography, and Atmospheric Science) that make up the School without the explicit approval of the ESES advisor.
Departmental Distinctions are awarded as follows:
Distinction: A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.3, and have also completed an approved independent study project, approved senior thesis, or approved capstone.
High Distinction: A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5, and have also completed an approved independent study project, approved senior thesis, or approved capstone.
Highest Distinction: A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.7, and also completed an approved senior thesis or approved research capstone.
- Graduate programs may require additional coursework. All students who wish to attend graduate school in any field should discuss any necessary supplementary coursework with their advisor as early as possible.
Explore Past Courses
Departments constantly change their listings, so check out some of the courses that we've offered in the past.