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Fall 2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Ecosystems and Human Impact, BA
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School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Arts in Ecosystems and Human Impact
Note: Effective Spring 2023, students may not declare the major in Ecosystems and Human Impact. Students may instead enroll in the Ecosystems and Human Impact track in the BA in Sustainability Studies .
The Ecosystems and Human Impact major, leading to a Bachelor of Art degree, provides the skills, knowledge, and preparation for students to assess and address the complex interaction of humans and natural environments. The curriculum integrates principles and methodologies from ecology, biology, genetics, anthropology, human ecology, and geography, combined with an understanding of economics, ethics, and policy within a greater global perspective.
The major prepares students for entry-level employment in the public, private, or non-profit sectors concerned with a wide range of issues, such as: conservation of ecosystems, ecosystem restoration, loss of biodiversity, and development of sustainable bioresources. The major prepares students for graduate study in anthropology, geography, environmental science, sociology, natural resource management, and biology among other fields.
The major builds on the interdisciplinary sustainability core curriculum. Students will enroll in major-specific courses in their junior and senior year. In their junior or senior year students will have the opportunity to enroll in the study abroad program at Ranomafana, Madagascar, which provides training in field biology, ecology, primatology, and anthropology. Students enrolled in this program will take courses and conduct independent research that contributes to a better understanding of Ranomafana National Park and the link between the park and the people of the region. Local internships, research courses, and field courses are also available to students to build up real-world experience.
The Ecosystems and Human Impact minor is intended for students who seek to complement their chosen major with a coherent set of courses emphasizing the interaction between humans and ecosystems from an interdisciplinary perspective.
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Required Foundation Courses for Major (27-28 credits)
Core Courses (24-25 credits)
Elective Course Groups (15-18 credits)
Other classes may be substituted with permission of undergraduate director Group I: Technical Skills
Choose one of the following three courses: Group 2: Solutions for Environmental Problems
Choose three courses from the following list. Students may take a three credit SUS 488 , SUS 487 , ANP 387 , ANP 487 , or ANT 487 with permission of their faculty advisor. Group 3: History and Policy of Environmental Issues
Choose one of the following courses: Notes:
*Course has a pre-requisite that is outside the major. Communications and Writing Requirement
The advanced writing component of the major in EHI requires registration in the 0-credit SUS 459 and approval of either a term paper or a laboratory report written for an advanced course in the appropriate major at Stony Brook (including Readings and Research courses). Completion of SUS 459 with a grade of S will result in approval of the WRTD requirement. A list of preapproved courses can be obtained through the department. Students should consult with the department advisor to ensure that their plan for completing the Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent with university graduation requirements for General Education. Students completing the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) must complete a course that satisfies the “Write Effectively within One’s Discipline” (WRTD)learning objective to graduate. The Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent in most cases with the SBC learning outcomes for WRTD. Note: No more than one course (4 credits maximum) with a passing grade lower than C can be credited towards the major. Course taken with the Pass/NC option may not be applied to the major. Study Abroad
Stony Brook University offers study abroad experiences that are focused on issues of sustainability in Cuba, Madagascar, and the Turkana Basin (Kenya). While issues of climate change, water and energy security, sustainable agriculture, environmental justice, sustainable economic development, conservation of unique and threatened ecosystems, population growth, and human health are important everywhere, viewing these issues through the lens of a different place and a different culture provides a valuable perspective. Students are encouraged to participate in study abroad experiences and to talk with their major director to determine how study abroad coursework can be used to fulfill some requirements for their major. SBC Courses
This table illustrates major courses that can also be used to fulfill SBC requirements. (See Note 1 & Note 2) | SBC Category | Required Major Courses | Optional Major Courses (see Note 3) | | ARTS | | | | GLO | | AFS 374/SUS 374, SOC 344, SUS 314, SUS 316, SUS 374 | | HUM | | SUS 203, SUS 316 | | LANG (see Note 4) | | | | QPS | | AMS 151, MAT 125, MAT 131 | | SBS | ECO 108 | | | SNW | ANP 120, BIO 201, ENV 115 | ANP 307, ENS 101, SUS 111 | | TECH | SUS 201 | CSE 101, GSS 313, CSS 317 | | USA | | SUS 317 | | WRT | | | | STAS | | ANP 401, BIO 371, ENS 311, ENV 301, ENV 304, GEO 304, GEO 313, MAR 315, MAR 340, MAR 392, MAR 394, SUS 307, SUS 311, SUS 340, SUS 344 | | EXP+ | | ANP 487, ANT 487, MAR 388, SUS 316, SUS 351, SUS 352, SUS 487, SUS 488 | | HFA+ | | SUS 325 | | SBS+ | SUS 305 | SOC 344, SUS 206, SUS 317, SUS 374 | | STEM+ | BIO 351, SUS 204, SUS 322, SUS 326 | ANP 326, ATM 305, BIO 211, BIO 353, ENV 340, MAR 384, MAR 388, SUS 319, SUS 351 | | CER | | SUS 203 | | DIV (see Note 5) | | | | ESI | | ANP 401, BIO 319, BIO 352, ENV 340, GEO 313, MAR 315, MAR 388, MAR 394, SUS 401 | | SPK | SUS 301 | ENV 301 | | WRTD | SUS 459 | SUS 203, SUS 325 | Note 1: Some course information may be subject to change. Please contact your major advisor for additional consultation. Note 2: For majors that require study in a related area or completion of a minor, visit the respective program’s “Major SBC Courses” page to view expanded SBC options. Note 3: Denotes any course in which students can choose from more than one option. These may include, but are not limited to, major electives, concentration/track/specialization courses, or calculus/physics/chemistry sequences. Note 4: CEAS majors, the Athletic Training major, the Respiratory Care major, and the Clinical Laboratory Sciences major are exempt from the LANG learning objective. Students enrolled in the major in Social Work are exempt from the LANG learning objective, but are required to enroll in and pass with a letter grade of C or higher the first semester of an elementary foreign language course numbered 111, or satisfy through alternate methods. Note 5: Students are responsible for completing the general education requirements published in the Bulletin that was current as of the first semester of matriculation (or rematriculation). The following student groups must satisfy the DIV learning objective as part of their degree requirements: - Freshmen who matriculate in the Fall of 2019 or later
- Transfer students who matriculate in the Spring of 2020 or later
- Students who rematriculate in the Fall of 2019 or later
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