Environmental Studies (ENVS) 200

Overview

ENVS 200 introduces students to the field of environmental studies and provides them with basic information about a variety of environmental issues, concepts, debates, events, and actors or thinkers. This survey course presents an overview of key concepts related to environmental analysis, such as resilience, carrying capacity, and environmental justice, as well as a range of topics related to contemporary environmental issues such as water, biodiversity, and ecological design. In particular, the course explores the principles of sustainable development and sustainability. Students are introduced to some of the complexity and debate regarding these concepts and are required to critically engage in applying the concepts. The course also introduces students to critical interdisciplinary analysis and provides opportunities to develop and refine such skills.

Outline

Unit 1: Critical Interdisciplinary Thinking

Unit 2: Sustainable Development and Sustainability

Unit 3: Biodiversity

Unit 4: Energy and Climate Change

Unit 5: Water

Unit 6: Forests

Unit 7: Food and Agriculture

Unit 8: Pollution and Waste

Unit 9: Ecological Design and Urban Sustainability

Unit 10: Environmental Management

Unit 11: Environmental Education

Unit 12: The Consumer Society and Environmental Citizenship

Evaluation

To receive credit for ENVS 200, you must write the final examination and achieve a course composite grade of at least a "D" (50 per cent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

Assign 1	Assign 2	Assign 3A	Assign 3B	Final Exam	Total
10%	25%	10%	25%	30%	100%

The final examination for this course must be taken online with an AU-approved exam invigilator at an approved invigilation centre. It is your responsibility to ensure your chosen invigilation centre can accommodate online exams. For a list of invigilators who can accommodate online exams, visit the Exam Invigilation Network.

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbook

Other Materials

Most of the course materials for ENVS 200 are available online through the myAU portal. These course materials include an online course manual, study guide, assignments, study materials, and study resources.

Challenge for Credit Course Overview

The Challenge for Credit process allows students to demonstrate that they have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university level course.

Full information for the Challenge for Credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Policy
• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Procedures

Challenge Evaluation

To receive credit for the ENVS 200 challenge registration, you must achieve an overall grade of at least “D” (50 percent).

Assignment	Exam	Total
60%	40%	100%

Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration Form

• Challenge for Credit Form