Earth, Society, & Environmental Sustainability, BSLAS

for the degree of Bachelor Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences in Earth, Society, & Environmental Sustainability

Students select one concentration in consultation with an academic advisor:

On-campus Illinois students can transfer to this degree without any special requirements.

Off-campus students who plan to transfer to this degree should have completed, or have in progress, the following:

  • the Composition 1 requirement.
  • the third level of high school foreign language or second level of college foreign language.

It is highly recommended that off-campus students complete the following requirements before transferring to the online degree - students who have not completed the following requirements may have to take additional coursework (either at Illinois or elsewhere) and should consult the program advisor:

  • the Illinois LAS language requirement should be satisfied.
  • the General Education Distribution Requirements of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences should be completed.
  • the Cognate Coursework should be completed.

for the degree of Bachelor Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences in Earth, Society, & Environmental Sustainability

General education: Students must complete the Campus General Education requirements including the campus general education language requirement.


Minimum required major and supporting course work: Normally equates to 48-58 hours. Twelve hours of 300- and 400-level in the major must be taken on this campus. Substitutions may be made with advisor approval.


Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours.

ESES Introductory Core12-14
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 105, IB 150, MCB 150, NRES 105, UP 205
Earth’s Physical Systems, Resources, and Hazards
ATMS 100, ATMS 120, ATMS 201, GEOL 100, GEOL 107, GEOL 117, GEOL 118, GGIS 103, GGIS 222
Environment and the Human Response
ACE 210, ACE 251, GGIS 106, HIST 202, REL 270, RST 242, SOC 160
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
ATMS 207, GGIS 105
ESE coursework7
ESE 200
Earth Systems
GGIS 379
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
Advanced Courses 15-20
A minimum of five 300- and 400-level courses (from the list below) and in an academically coherent program approved by the advisor, are required. Courses taken to satisfy the “ESE Introductory Core” requirement cannot simultaneously be used to satisfy the Advanced Course requirement. It is strongly recommended that students complete the LAS requirement with 21 hours of 300- or 400-level courses related to the ESE curriculum.
At least three of these five advanced courses must be listed or cross-listed as an ESE or ENSU course.
Earth's Biosphere & Ecology
ESE 439, HORT 430, IB 405, 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, CEE 330, 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
Environment & the Human Response
AGCM 330, AGCM 430, CHLH 469, ENG 315, ENGL 476, ENSU 301, ESE 311, ESE 360, ESE 389, 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, and 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, LA 370, NPRE 480, NRES 325, NRES 424, NRES 426, NRES 439, UP 405, UP 446, UP 456, UP 480
Visualizing the Earth System
ATMS 305, ESE 421, ESE/GGIS 380, GGIS 371, GGIS 412, GGIS 460, GGIS 468, GGIS 476, GGIS 477, GGIS 479, NRES 427, NRES 454, UP 418

for the degree of Bachelor Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences in Earth, Society, & Environmental Sustainability

  1. Be able to recognize, critique and implement commonly accepted Sustainability models and ideas in a wide variety of settings, using systems thinking to link social and natural science concepts.
  2. Have a fundamental understanding of the underlying natural science (SES concentration) or social science (SAE concentration) concepts; being able to recognize and apply appropriate scientific methods (SES concentration) and social science methods (SAE concentration).
  3. Use quantitative methods to describe, understand and evaluate theoretical and applied issues in environmental and sustainability study; this includes direct calculation, working with data, and using quantitative models.
  4. Be able to critically evaluate and then communicate environmental and sustainability concepts to both specialized and wide audiences.
  5. Prepare students for professional work in environmental and sustainability practice, such as laboratory and field techniques, apprehending and implementing Geographic Information Sciences (including the use of appropriate software), and quantitative and qualitative methods.

for the degree of Bachelor Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences in Earth, Society, & Environmental Sustainability

Earth, Society & Environment website
Earth, Society & Environment faculty
Earth, Society & Environment advising

Overview of College Admissions & Requirements: Liberal Arts & Sciences
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences website