Degree Plan

Overview

While completing my undergraduate degree at Cal Polytechnic University Humboldt, I had the opportunity to design an Individualized Degree Plan (IDP) as an Interdisciplinary Major. I titled my degree plan "Environmental Humanities", as it was an integration of three broad fields of study: environmental studies, cultural studies, and humanities. My degree plan was a way for me to formalize my previous educational, professional, and personal experiences into a comprehensive academic pathway in which to situate future research and career opportunities.

Environmental Studies

Environmental Studies forms the practical and theoretical foundation of my degree. Centering Environmental Studies in my educational career is a way to honor land as the basis of knowledge; nature as the basis for culture. My formal study within this field began at Sierra College where I earned an AS and Certificate of Achievement in Sustainable Agriculture.  But my informal study began much before this - as an avid hiker and lifelong gardener. Pursuing this field of study helped me to develop an in-depth understanding of the scientific method and natural sciences. It also helped me develop my understanding of how the philosophy of science informs and underpins the current state of human-nature relationships. 

Environmental Studies is, on its own, an inherently interdisciplinary field. I feel I was able to further expand this field of study by integrating my two other areas of focus, Critical Sociocultural Studies and Arts in Health and Narrative Medicine. The delineation between the three fields is not always clear - much of my coursework at Cal Poly Humboldt served as a bridge between two or more disciplines. For example: Environmental Philosophy, Environmental Sociology, Wicked Problems of the Anthropocene, and Radical Futures (which examined environmental issues through the lens of critical race and gender studies). 

Cultural Studies

I received my AA in Psychology from Sierra College.  My study of Psychology helped me understand how individuals might cognize or relate to the natural world, and it illuminated the role of human behavior in environmental issues. After transferring to Cal Poly Humboldt, I furthered my understanding of sociocultural studies by taking courses in sociology, critical race and gender studies, and anthropology. As mentioned above, many of these courses similarly examined environmental issues through their different theoretical lenses. I found this immensely helpful for situating my understanding of human-nature relationships in an interdisciplinary framework, and for learning how to problem-solve through the dialects of different disciplines.

Arts in Health and Narrative Medicine

My minor in Arts in Health and Narrative Medicine has included coursework in art (including color theory, textile studies, and socially engaged art practice) and literature (writing, editing, and publishing). This field of study has helped me develop skills and strategies for integrating art and literature as a way of communicating about environmental and social issues. 

For a more in-depth exploration of my degree plan, its development and execution, see the document below.