Skip to main content

Adjunct Major

EPC ADJUNCT MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

The adjunct major in Environmental Policy and Culture provides students with an intellectual home for those interested in studying environmental questions from the perspective of the social sciences and humanities.  This program of study facilitates students’ exploration of environmental issues through the disciplinary frameworks of fields such as anthropology, art history, economics, film, history, law, literature, philosophy, political science, and sociology. Students who complete the EPC adjunct major will acquire interdisciplinary knowledge about how environmental problems are embedded in social and political contexts.  They will be well positioned for careers in the growing fields of environmental policy and politics.

A student must have a primary, “stand-alone” major in addition to an adjunct major in order to complete their program of study in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.  Students are encouraged to learn more about the difference between “stand-alone” and adjunct majors. 

Students pursuing the adjunct major are also encouraged to consult with the program’s Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Melissa Rosenzweig, to establish their program of study.

An EPC Adjunct Major Worksheet is available to help students track their progress.

When ready to declare the EPC adjunct major, students should complete and submit a Major Declaration Form.

The 11-credit EPC adjunct major requires that students take 4 core courses, 3 electives, 1 ethics course, 1 methods course, and 2 natural sciences courses (in a recommended or approved pairing), and obtain an additional “field experience.” 

Double-counting: EPC allows up to 2 courses to double-count toward the EPC adjunct major. It is important for students to check with their other major and minor programs to determine if they allow double-counting as well. 

I. 4 Core Courses from the following selection:

II. 3 Elective Courses from the following selection:

Additional courses eligible for elective credit will be listed with quarterly course schedules.

Core courses can be used for elective credit if the 4 course core requirement has been fulfilled.


III. 1 Ethics Course from the following selection:

IV. 1 Methods Course from the following selection:

(relevant sections; see quarterly course schedules for more details)

With the approval of the EPC Director of Undergraduate Studies, advanced courses in several fields can count toward the methods course requirement.

Additional courses eligible for methods credit will be listed with quarterly course schedules.

V. 2 Natural Sciences Courses from the following pairings:

Biodiversity (any 2)

Ecology and Conservation (any 2)

Earth Systems and Planetary Change (any 2)

Sustainability (any 2)

VI. Field Experience

An approved field experience is a requirement of the EPC adjunct major.  In addition to the 11-course curriculum for the EPC adjunct major, field experience gives students a sense for what environmental policy and politics look like outside the classroom.  It is an opportunity to obtain hands-on training and develop community-specific knowledge about the consequences of environmental change.  Opportunities to fulfill this experiential component of the EPC adjunct major include:

*Field experiences that come with course credit can be applied to the EPC adjunct major as elective credit, in addition to fulfilling the field experience requirement.

Popular Northwestern study abroad programs for EPC students have included:

Students can secure qualifying field experiences outside of the selection of options above, including research, volunteer, and internship opportunities.  Interested students should contact the EPC Director of Undergraduate Studies for more information and approval.