The unique climate and environmental studies program provides students an opportunity to examine human interaction with climate and the environment through interdisciplinary study. Students gain a strong foundation in a range of analytical methods and disciplinary perspectives that integrate the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. This allows them to engage in relevant and impactful environmental work.
Note: The curricula for the major and the minor are changing in Fall 2026. Students who declared before Fall 2026 may choose to remain in the old major/old minor or move to the new major/new minor.
Major in Climate Studies (declared prior to Fall 2026)
The major requires 30 credit hours and is designed to facilitate double majors or additional minors that match students’ individual needs. Please note that some of the courses have prerequisites.
Major Requirements
Major in Climate and Environmental Studies (declared Fall 2026 and later)
The new major offers a robust interdisciplinary experience and is rooted in experiential, place-based, and community-engaged learning. The major requires 30 credit hours. Some courses have prerequisites.
Note: No more than 9 credit hours (including CES 1101) may be at the 1000-level.
Major Requirements
Minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies (declared prior to Fall 2026)
Students who want to minor in environmental and sustainability studies must take a minimum of six courses (18 credit hours total) chosen from the courses listed below; additional relevant courses may be counted with approval of the director of undergraduate studies.
Courses must be distributed as follows: (A) one Natural Science- and Technology- Intensive course; (B) one Humanities course; (C) one Social-Behavioral Sciences and Policy-Intensive course; (D) two additional courses from B and/or C; and (E) a capstone course. No more than two courses may be at the 1000 level. In addition, no more than 3 credit hours may be counted simultaneously toward both the environmental and sustainability studies minor and any other major or minor. Topics courses may count toward the minor with approval of the director of undergraduate studies.
Minor Requirements
Minor in Climate and Environmental Studies (declared Fall 2026 and later)
The interdisciplinary minor in environmental and sustainability studies requires a minimum of 18 credit hours (six courses) chosen from the courses listed below.
Note: No more than 6 credit hours (including CES 1101) may be at the 1000-level. In addition, no more than 3 credit hours may be counted simultaneously toward both the minor and any other major or minor.
Courses
To view a full listing of courses and descriptions, see the Undergraduate Course Catalog.
Honors
The Honors Track offers majors in Climate and Environmental Studies the opportunity to pursue intensive work through an independent research project. Students interested in pursuing the Honors Track should contact the director of undergraduate studies for more information. To be considered for the Honors Track, a student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.4 and a minimum GPA of 3.6 for courses that count toward the major. Students should express interest to the director of undergraduate studies before March 1 of their junior year.
The Honors Track requires the following:
- Successful completion of all major requirements, except for the Senior Project, for a total of 27 credit hours along with the comprehensive exam. Please see above for a full list of requirements.
- Successful completion of at least two semesters of honors coursework (6 credit hours) with a maximum of 9 credit hours for the honors track. One of these courses replaces the Senior Project in the major requirements. Honors coursework can be pursued through CES 4981, or through a climate or environmentally-themed honors course sequence in another department (e.g. PPS, EES, or HOD). If a student plans to pursue honors though an honors-course sequence in a department other than CES, they should first get approval of the director of undergraduate studies in CES.
- Students begin honors work during the fall semester of their senior year and complete honors during the spring semester.
- The thesis requires a thesis advisor as well as a second reader. Both faculty members should have expertise in the relevant subject matter.
- To earn honors in Climate and Environmental Studies, students must successfully complete, defend, and perform requested revisions on the honors thesis before deadlines for graduation. Successful defense of the completed thesis is through an oral presentation and examination by the thesis advisor and second reader. This defense takes place in the last weeks of the student’s final semester. Revisions must be completed and submitted no later than the last day of undergraduate classes.
- Students meeting these requirements receive honors or highest honors in Climate and Environmental Studies, depending on the quality of the thesis and performance on the defense. Successful candidates will be recognized in the commencement program and receive a Vanderbilt diploma that records honors or highest honors in Climate and Environmental Studies.
FAQ
Declaring a Major or Minor
- Visit the University Registrar’s website.
- Click on “Major/Minor Declaration/Change.”
- Sign in and follow the prompts to select your major(s)/minor(s).
- Once you have completed all of the required documentation, click submit.
Once you have officially declared, you will hear from your faculty adviser as the registration period approaches to set up a meeting to discuss courses and lift the registration hold.