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ENVIRST

Environmental Studies - Gaylord Nelson Institute

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The department at a glance

All recorded grades
average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades

How grades break down

Grades over time

Red: department · Gray: UW–Madison

About these statistics

GPA and percentages are weighted by recorded letter grades. UW comparisons use the same terms. Cross-listed courses count once within this department and once across UW; department totals should not be added together. Grade counts are not unique students. Offering counts reflect captured records, not a complete historical schedule.

Spring 2027

Recorded this term
courses with offerings
instructors recorded

Grades have not been recorded for this term. Historical results remain in the overview above.

Across course levels

Recorded this term

No released grades for this term.

Recorded offerings over time

Find your next class

72 courses

This course examines energy markets using economic analytic tools, covering supply from fossil and renewable sources, demand across key sectors, and electricity as an intermediate market to understand global resource allocation.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2025–Spring 2026 · limited sample

Environmental Economics applies microeconomic principles to natural resources like air, water, forests, and energy, examining pollution control and preservation versus development.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Corbett Grainger

The course required minimal reading and relied heavily on PowerPoint slides. Exams were described as challenging but fair, with one student noting the material was not easy but manageable.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2026

Introduction to agroecology as a science, practice, and movement, analyzing agricultural and food systems through social and ecological lenses.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

Indigenous Environmental Communicators focuses on indigenous environmental scholarship, the legacy of oral traditions, and developing research, writing, and public speaking skills.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2023 · limited sample

Making the American Landscape traces the history and evolution of the American cultural landscape from precolonial times to present.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2024–Spring 2026

Limnology and Marine Science Seminar covers sections in various fields of zoological research.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

This course introduces air quality by linking chemistry, meteorology, engineering, policy, and public health to pollutant impacts and regulation.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Tracey Holloway

Students noted that the class was definitely difficult and that they had to work hard to achieve a passing grade.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Polar Regions and Their Importance in the Global Environment reviews Arctic and Antarctic history, geography, circulations, ice, and future states via earth system models.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2024 · limited sample

Fundamental study of global warming causes, scientific evidence, future predictions, impacts on humans and ecosystems, and societal debates over solutions.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Jack Williams

The course involved lots of readings, though assessments focused on lecture content rather than external sources.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2026

Covers basic climate principles, present climate variability, past evolution, and future projections of climate change.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Michael Notaro

One student found the quizzes manageable after studying the provided guide, noting the lectures were in-depth.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2024–Spring 2026

Conservation Biology explores the science of protecting nature and preserving biodiversity, examining biological and socioeconomic factors underlying conservation challenges and impacts from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2025–Spring 2026 · limited sample

Introductory ecology covering organism-environment relationships, population dynamics, community organization, human-environment interactions, and action programs.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Tony Ives

Anthony Ives used quizzes worth 20 points each, with a 60-point final. A student warned that even a couple of wrong answers lowered scores, but extra credit could raise a grade.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Covers state-of-the-art renewable energy applications including biomass, wind, solar, and hydro. Students practice engineering calculations for power/energy availability and integration into production and distribution systems.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Doug Reinemann

Exams were described as thorough but not impossible. Homework and quizzes were clearly laid out for completion.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

An introductory course on Geographic Information Systems covering automated procedures for storing, analyzing, and displaying spatial information, including databases, software systems, and case studies.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Axing Zhu

The course covered a large volume of material, making it challenging. Exams were described as tough and difficult, with some students noting that grading on them was harsh.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Seminar II for planning field work, analysis, and reporting in the Water Resources Management practicum.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2026 · limited sample

Introduction to English literature about the natural world and humanity's relationship with it. Topics vary by section.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Frederic Neyrat

One student reported that the class had required eight of eleven weekly reading responses, one short paper, and two multiple-choice exams, and that lecture attendance was not required.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

A topic course exploring how literary texts represent, imagine, and re-imagine the environment, applying analytical methods to assess their relevance.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Heather Swan

The weekly reading load consisted of a handful of poems, and one student stated it was very easy to get an A in the class.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Survey course on insects' role in the environment, covering beneficial species, disease carriers, agricultural pests affecting food supply, and environmental issues from control agents.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Sean Schoville

Assessments included weekly writing assignments, a mini-documentary, small online quizzes, and a moth-raising project, with no midterm or final exam. Students reported needing to maintain a high percentage to achieve an A.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Introduction to global health determinants, disease burden, and the intersection of ecosystem stability, planetary boundaries, and human health.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Jonathan Patz

The class was very easy and almost solely relied on Canvas discussions for assessment, without going super in depth about the material.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Environmental Humanities explores five understandings of 'environment' with a global perspective, introducing key American texts like Carson and Kimmerer, and concepts such as sustainability and the Anthropocene.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Anna Gade

The course required five weekly writing assignments, an essay, a midterm, a final, and participation to determine the overall grade.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2026

Directed Study offers independent work in environmental studies overseen by a qualified instructor.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

No recorded grade history

Explores career opportunities for environmental professionals through discussions with practitioners and in-class training on job hunting and professional preparation.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2026

Special Topics in Environmental Studies covers varying topics within the scope of environmental studies.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Timothy Lindstrom

The course required weekly meetings and involved creating connections with professors and community members.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2023–Fall 2025 · limited sample

Introduction to sustainability science, surveying global challenges and solutions via an integrated social-environmental systems approach.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Kim Wahl

Assignments lacked clear expectations and a consistent rhythm, which made it difficult for students to pace themselves and caused unnecessary stress.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2025–Spring 2026

A seminar for Community Environmental Scholars analyzing environmental issues and community engagement through work with local organizations.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Introduces systems thinking and life cycle assessment (LCA) as tools for analyzing sustainability issues from local to global scales, covering supply chains, stocks, flows, and feedback loops.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Examines climate change mitigation efforts across international treaties, government policies, corporate programs, and individual behavior, evaluating their successes and obstacles.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Leah Horowitz

The course included two weekly readings and mandatory discussion participation. One student noted that keeping up with weekly assignments and studying a bit for the midterm made earning a good grade manageable.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

Systems Thinking explores concepts and practices to define systems, building competencies to describe, assess, understand, and manage complexity from local to global scales.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2025–Spring 2026 · limited sample