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← Environmental Studies - Gaylord Nelson Institute (ENVIRST)
Easiest courses in Environmental Studies - Gaylord Nelson Institute
Looking for a gentler semester? Start with courses where students have earned higher grades.
Highest historical GPA first. At least 100 letter grades over the five years through the selected term. Grades reflect past outcomes, not workload or a guaranteed result.
Find your fit
45 courses
Ranked courses have at least 100 recorded letter grades.
Special topics in the environment focusing on biological aspects, including conservation biology, ecology, ethnobotany, ecotoxicology, biodiversity, and field studies.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026A 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 2026Introduction to global environmental health covering intersections of health and environment, including climate change, disease ecology, and globalization of disease.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Richard Keller
The class was lecture and reading heavy, requiring students to attend or watch uploads. Assessment consisted of three papers worth 25% each and 25% for discussion participation.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026A 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 2026Environmental 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 2026An interdisciplinary Environmental Studies Capstone course emphasizing real-world challenges through examining environmental issues using various academic perspectives and methodologies, often in a team context.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Special topics in social perspectives on environmental studies, covering policy, law, economics, land use, sustainability, food systems, energy, conflict resolution, justice, and development.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Kim Wahl
One student reported that earning an A was not difficult but criticized the course for having a colossal amount of busywork and basic content.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Field-based course on prescribed fire ecology and implementation for wetland, prairie, and savanna fuels, including live fire exercises and PPE training that qualifies students for prescribed fire crews.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Introduces 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 2026Forum on the Environment covers lectures and discussions on historical and contemporary human impacts on the biosphere.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Thea Whitman
The workload was minimal, with very little time spent on homework. The class structure included guest speakers in the first half of the week and group work in the second half.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Explores 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 2026Introduction 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 2026Modules provide training in specific tools and methods related to environmental conservation. Topics may include GIS, conservation finance, conservation governance institutions, biodiversity monitoring, and science communication environmental mediating.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction 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#16 ·ENVIRST 900
Seminar
1–3 creditsA graduate seminar in Environmental Studies covering special topics that change with each offering.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026#17 ·ENVIRST/LANDARC/SOILSCI 695
Applications of Geographic Information Systems in Natural Resources
3 creditsApplications of Geographic Information Systems in Natural Resources covers modern GIS desktop and web-based workflows, analyses, and visualizations for environmental planning, featuring guest lectures from professionals.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Making 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 2026Analyzes sustainability concepts via trends in energy, water, agriculture, GIS, remote sensing, modeling, and climate change within a science, technology, and policy framework.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Survey 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 2026Assessment of Environmental Impact covers methods for collecting and analyzing information about environmental impacts on agricultural and natural resources, monitoring the physical environment, and relating impacts to people and society.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Covers 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#23 ·ENVIRST 215
Sustainability
3 creditsIntroduction 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 2026Wetlands Ecology covers types, origins, structure, physical/biological values, dynamics, and protection, management, and restoration of wetlands.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · David Bart
Students reported insufficient weekly time to complete textbook readings, watch pre-class lectures, and handle numerous end-of-semester assignments.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Surveys American environmental policy and regulation, focusing on specific statutes, policy arenas, and primary-source case material to examine legal/regulatory structures and geographic/social contexts.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Morgan Robertson
The class requires a heavy time commitment for reading and assignments, with outcomes depending significantly on the effort students invest.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025Principles of Environmental Science connects environmental science to daily activities through sustainability, conservation, and systems thinking, covering energy, water, land use, food, power, materials, buildings, transportation, and.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Timothy Lindstrom
The course involved weekly assignments and long lab worksheets that some students found repetitive or time-consuming. Reviewers noted that while the class was generally easy for a lab science, the labs were lengthy and required consistent effort.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026#27 ·ENVIRST/GEOG 333
Green Urbanism
3 creditsGreen Urbanism explores how urbanization impacts ecological processes and environmental outcomes, examining design strategies and policy responses to urban environmental problems.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Introduction to Environmental Health covers the impact of environmental problems on human health, including biological hazards from air and water pollution, radiation, pesticides, noise, and workplace factors.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Vijay Limaye
Vijay Limaye was a tough grader who used quizzes and exams to trick students with specific, unemphasized details. The class relied on only a few assignments and exams.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Ecology of Fishes Lab covers the anatomy and taxonomy of Wisconsin fishes and includes projects in fish ecology.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Ecology of Fishes covers interactions of fishes with physical, chemical, and biotic environments, including physiological ecology, community ecology, and fisheries sciences, with field trips to Lake Mendota and Shedd Aquarium.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026