Environmental Justice Certificate
This program is available at the following locations:
- Corvallis
- Ecampus
This certificate is available as a standalone program.
The Environmental Justice Certificate prepares students to study and take part in addressing environmental injustices. Students will investigate the causes and consequences of inequitable distributions of environmental hazards and benefits; engage with diverse human-environment worldviews; and examine environmental topics through a justice lens. The knowledge and skills gained through this certificate are relevant to all facets of the environmental sciences, including resource management, public health, law and policy, economics, education, research, community engagement, and the way in which science is practiced.
The Environmental Justice Core includes foundational coursework in environmental justice, conflict transformation, theories of race and difference, and environmental health. Beyond the core, students must also take at least one course examining Human-Environment Worldviews, and at least two courses in Special Topics of their choice.
Certificate Code: C551
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Using historical and contemporary examples, articulate how the inequitable distribution of power across cultural, economic, social, and/or political institutions shapes the distribution and experience of environmental burdens and benefits.
- Reflect on how identity, place, and human-environment worldviews, including one’s own, affect the perception and experience of environmental issues, the practice of science, and the management of the environment.
- Apply justice frameworks to the study, analysis, and resolution of environmental issues.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Justice Core | ||
| Environmental Justice Foundations | ||
| ENSC 333/GEOG 333 | +*ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE | 3-4 |
| or ES 353 | *ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM | |
| Conflict Transformation | ||
| FES 485 | *CONSENSUS AND NATURAL RESOURCES | 3 |
| or GEOG 241 | +*TRANSFORMING ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICTS | |
| or SUS 331 | +*SUSTAINABILITY, JUSTICE, AND ENGAGEMENT | |
| Theories of Race and Difference | ||
| ANTH 345 | *BIOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL CONSTRUCTIONS OF RACE | 3-4 |
| or ES 451 | +THEORIES OF RACE AND ETHNICITY | |
| Environmental Health | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 3-4 | |
| *CLIMATE AND HEALTH | ||
| +SCIENCE OF HUMAN & PLANETARY HEALTH | ||
| +*FOUNDATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH | ||
| *GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH | ||
| PUBLIC HEALTH TOXICOLOGY | ||
| Human-Environment Worldviews | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 3-4 | |
| +*INDIGENOUS ECOSYSTEM SCIENCES IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGIONS | ||
| +*INDIGENOUS AGRICULTURE AND SUBSISTENCE | ||
| *NATURAL RESOURCES AND COMMUNITY VALUES | ||
| *INDIGENOUS OCEAN AND COAST | ||
| NATIVE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHIES | ||
| +*POWER AND JUSTICE IN U.S. NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| *WORLD VIEWS AND ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES | ||
| Special Topics in Environmental Justice | ||
| Select at least two courses from the following: 1 | 6-8 | |
| *ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS AND POLICY | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL LAW | ||
| +*ANTHROPOLOGY, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENT | ||
| +*FOOD JUSTICE | ||
| +OCEAN JUSTICE | ||
| +CHEMISTRY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM | ||
| *PERSPECTIVES IN ENVIRONMENTAL ARTS AND HUMANITIES | ||
| *RACE, SPACE, AND DIFFERENCE | ||
| *FARMWORKER JUSTICE MOVEMENTS | ||
| +ETHNICITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE | ||
| URBAN FORESTRY | ||
| URBAN ECOLOGY | ||
| +*GEOGRAPHIES OF RISK, VULNERABILITY, AND RESILIENCE | ||
| CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS, ADAPTATION AND VULNERABILITY | ||
| GEOSPATIAL PERSPECTIVES ON INTELLIGENCE, SECURITY AND ETHICS | ||
| +NATURAL RESOURCE DECISION MAKING | ||
| *ENERGY, CLIMATE AND SOCIETY | ||
| GLOBAL FOOD POLITICS AND POLICY | ||
| *WOMEN AND NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select additional courses from any of the above categories to reach a minimum of 27 credits | 0-6 | |
| Total Credits | 27 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- 1
Some OSU-led alternative break trips or faculty-led study abroad programs may count towards the Special Topics category, with approval from the program director
Certificate Code: C551