Global Environments & Sustainability Major Requirements
The major in Global Environments + Sustainability requires 30 credits, plus two prerequisite courses and a language competency as defined below. If you are interested in the Global Sustainability minor, please go to this webpage.
Download a copy of the GSVS Advising Sheet here.
PRE-REQUISITES (6 CREDITS) Students may apply before completing the prereqs, but they must be completed before graduation. Not all courses listed below are offered every semester
- Global Humanities, History or Culture course
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Options: GSGS 2559: Intro to Global Studies; GSGS 2559: Mass Migration & Global Development; GSGS 3030/ENGL 3610: Global Cultural Studies; GSGS 3100: Critical Conceptions of the Global; GSGS 3559: Space, Place & Global Development; GSGS 2010: Global Commerce in Culture; GDS 3114: Science, Technology, Development; HIST 2001: Global History; HIST 2002: The Modern World; ANTH 1010: Intro to Anthropology; ANTH 1050: Anthropology of Globalization; ANTH 2160: Culture & the Environment; ANTH 2250: Nationalism, Racism, Multiculturalism; ANTH 2285: Anthropology of Development + Humanitarianism.
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- Global Studies Methods or Quantitative course
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Options: GSGS 3111: Global Studies Epistemology & Methods; GSGS 3330: Ecological Economics; GSVS 3559-001(20243) / ECON 3430: Economics of Sustainability & the Environment; GSGS 4200: Applied Research in Global Studies; STAT 2120: Intro to Statistical Analysis; STAT 2020: Stat for Biologists; ECON 2010: Microeconomics; PLAN 2111: GIS for Planners; EVSC 3020: GIS Methods
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CORE COURSES (15 CREDITS) each course is offered once per academic year
- GSVS 2150 / ARCH 2150 / COMM 3880: Global Sustainability - fall only
- GSVS 2210 / RELG 2210: Religion, Ethics & Global Environments - spring only
- GSGS 3330: Ecological Economics - spring only (GSGS 3559 in spring 23) OR ECON 3430/GSVS 3559-001 (20243): Economics of Sustainability & the Environment - fall only
- GSVS 3310: Sustainability Policy at Home & Abroad - fall only (GSVS 3559: Natural Resource Policy in Fall 2021). Note: EVSC 1080: Resources & the Environment and EVSC 1450: The Inconvenient Truce only count for this requirement if taken before Fall 2021.
- GSVS 4991: Capstone Research Seminar - spring only
ELECTIVE COURSES (15 CREDITS) Summer + Fall 24 elective list below!
- 5 elective courses from the approved list that must include:
- 3 courses from the “Environment” category (may petition for different distribution)
- 1 course from the “Equity” category
- 1 course from the “Economy & Policy” category
LANGUAGE COMPETENCY (one of the below)
- One course beyond the 2020 level of any language taught at UVA (or in an approved study-abroad program)
- If a student has reached the 2020 level in one language and does not want to continue that language, they may satisfy the requirement by studying a second language and reaching the 1020 level.
OTHER
- Students may count 4 of their major courses (12 credits) taken in other UVA schools as 'inside' the College (per CEPC approval on 12/8/2015)
- Credits applied toward a major cannot count toward completion of a minor. See rules for College minors here.
- Within allowable UVA limits and in consultation with track director Prof. Phoebe Crisman, students may do the following:
- apply before completing the prerequisites
- double-count up to 3 courses toward the interdisciplinary GSVS major and another UVA major
- count UVA Transfer Credit toward coursework required for the major
- count Direct Credits from a UVA Study Abroad program toward the major
- count UVA-approved Transfer Credit from a Study Abroad program toward the major
- create an independent study course in Global Studies – Environments + Sustainability
- receive 1 credit for an internship. See detail here.