ENVIRST
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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.
Grades have not been recorded for this term. Historical results remain in the overview above.
Historical grades cover up to five years through the selected term. Grade sorting prioritizes courses with at least 100 letter grades.
Covers the economic analysis of environmental issues including climate change, biodiversity, fisheries, trade, and poverty.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Bradford Barham, Dominic Parker: The course features weekly problem sets and quizzes instead of midterms, with only a final exam. Some students found the econ concepts heavier than expected, requiring preparation if lacking a background in the subject.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS presents welfare economics for evaluating social benefits and costs of government activities.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sampleIntroduction to diverse ecological research at UW-Madison, covering graduate school adaptation, professional development, and faculty research presentations.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
Examines American Indian perspectives, conservation practices, and policy environments to clarify indigeneity and resource sustainability.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Workload varies by review, citing weekly readings, discussion participation, and essays. Some note minimal work, while others report extensive papers, pop quizzes, and heavy reading loads.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025A seminar for graduate students covering various fields of zoological research, including limnology and marine science.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Examines the social, political, and economic factors shaping climate change drivers, impacts, and societal responses.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
ATMOCN/ENVIRST/GEOG/GEOSCI 335 examines climate variability across timescales, focusing on external forcings, earth system feedbacks, and human activity.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course is not too hard, with exams that are manageable if students use the textbook to understand the material covered.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025CLIMATE AND CLIMATE CHANGE describes basic climate principles, variability, and the science behind the greenhouse effect and model forecasts.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Michael Notaro: Quizzes are described as easy if students study the provided study guide document.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2024–Spring 2026PROBLEMS IN OCEANOGRAPHY introduces techniques for studying the biology, chemistry, geology, and physics of the marine environment.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2024 · limited sampleConservation Biology investigates nature protection and biodiversity preservation through biological and socioeconomic factors.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
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Fall 2025–Spring 2026 · limited sampleIntroductory Ecology covers organism-environment relationships, population dynamics, community organization, and human-environment action programs.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Tony Ives: Tests carry the most weight, so students emphasize completing all extra credit to boost their final grade. Quizzes are short but tricky, requiring careful attention to lecture material and readings.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Covers state-of-the-art renewable energy applications and engineering calculations for power availability and system integration.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Doug Reinemann, Troy Runge: The RETScreen group project is a major time commitment. Exams require substantial preparation, with some reviewers noting questions outside lecture scope, while others find them similar to homework.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Examines how education addresses environmental and social sustainability challenges through behavior change, empowerment, and community action.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
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Spring 2022–Fall 2025Sociological analysis of economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social justice in the developing world.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Jane Collins: Workload includes three 2-page papers, two exams, and a book review, with attendance recommended for paper content.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Fall 2025An introduction to Geographic Information Systems focusing on the design and implementation of automated procedures for spatial data storage, analysis, and display.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course is challenging with tough exams and harsh grading. Labs are difficult to follow with general instructions, and the workload includes pop quizzes.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026CIVENGR/ENVIRST/LANDARC 556 teaches techniques for the enhancement, quantification, and processing of remote sensing imagery from various sensors.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sampleA seminar for planning the activities of the Water Resources Management practicum.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
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Fall 2023–Fall 2025 · limited sampleExplores how literary texts represent, imagine, and re-imagine the environment.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The workload is light, involving only a handful of poems per week, with an easy path to high grades.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026A survey course examining the importance of insects in the environment, including beneficial species, disease carriers, agricultural pests, and issues related to insect control agents.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Workload consists of seven short essays, weekly quizzes, a moth-raising project, and a mini-documentary. While some find the volume of assignments significant, most report that the tasks are straightforward and manageable if students stay on top of deadlines.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026ENTOM/ENVIRST 205 introduces global health principles, disease disparities, and the impact of human-mediated global change on human health and ecosystem services.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course is considered very easy with minimal difficulty, relying almost solely on Canvas discussions rather than in-depth material coverage.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026ENVIRST 112 explores social science perspectives on the relationship between environment and society from local to global scales.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Robert Beattie, Samer Alatout: Grading relies heavily on four to five short papers, often supplemented by open-note quizzes and a final. Students note that attending lectures helps clarify paper prompts, and extra credit opportunities are available.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025ENVIRST 199 is a directed study course allowing students to conduct independent work in environmental studies under faculty supervision.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
ENVIRST 203 is a variable-topic course within environmental studies.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The historical review indicates low difficulty with a rating of 1.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Fall 2025 · limited sampleENVIRST 215 introduces sustainability as a transdisciplinary field, surveying global challenges and solutions through a social-environmental systems approach.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Reviewers report that changing assignments, unclear expectations, and a late syllabus release caused confusion and stress, making it difficult to pace work.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2025–Spring 2026A seminar for Community Environmental Scholars analyzing environmental issues and community engagement through work with organizations and professional skill development.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026An independent study focusing on community engagement and applying sustainability concepts through work with a community organization.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
ENVIRST 399 is a directed study course allowing students to conduct independent work in environmental studies under faculty supervision.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sampleENVIRST 400 covers special topics in environmental biological sciences including conservation, ecology, and health.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026ENVIRST 401 covers special topics in physical environmental sciences including energy, measurement, modeling, and climate change.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Annemarie Schneider: Labs require outside work, and exams are difficult, though they are curved generously with extra credit available.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026 · limited sampleENVIRST 402 covers social perspectives in environmental studies, examining policy, law, economics, and justice issues.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Kim Wahl: One reviewer reported a colossal amount of busy work and basic material for a 400-level class, while noting that getting an A is not very hard.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026No released grades for this term.
Offering snapshots currently cover Fall 2026. Earlier grade records do not provide a complete offering history.