University of Calcutta
Under Graduate Curriculum under Choice Based Credit System (CBCS)
for Ability Enhancement Compulsory Course-2 (AECC-2) in
Environmental Studies
Semester-2
Total Marks-100(Credit -2)
(50 Theory-MCQ type + 30 Project + 10 Internal Assessment + 10 Attendance)
[Marks obtained in this course will be taken to calculate SGPA & CGPA]
The Environmental Studies Programme at University of Calcutta focuses on worldwide environmental challenges.
Through interdisciplinary academic courses, internships, experiential, and co-curricular activities our students become passionate stewards of the environment, scholars in sustainability and environmental management, and experts in environmental studies. With a focus on environmental justice, students develop critical-thinking skills, analyze real-world problems, and understand the power of narrative to create sustainable solutions for local and global communities.
To provide students with a broad interdisciplinary liberal arts framework for understanding the relationship between humans and their environment;
To provide students with informed perspectives on biological and physical processes relevant to environmental problems, to help students understand responsible environmental policy and practice, and to engage students in ethical reflection regarding environmental problems in local, regional, national, and global communities;
To prepare students for careers, citizenship and environmental stewardship through experiential curricular and co-curricular opportunities;
To equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue professional careers and advanced study related to the multi-faceted nature of environmental studies; and
To serve as an environmental resource, through service, outreach and engagement, to the Chicago metropolitan region.
Students will integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines representing physical and life sciences perspectives, political and economic perspectives, and social and cultural perspectives on humans’ interactions with their environments;
Students will contribute to and facilitate interdisciplinary research and problem solving, through independent and collaborative work; and
Students will use quantitative and qualitative research tools and techniques to analyze, implement, envision, assess, and report sustainability efforts.
Learning outcomes:
The intention of learning outcomes is to make it clear to the students what they, as learners, are expected to achieve as a result of having successfully completed the Under Graduate course.
The Environmental Studies prepares students for careers as leaders in understanding and addressing complex environmental issues from a problem-oriented, interdisciplinary perspective.
After completing the major in Environmental Studies, students will be able to:
Articulate the interconnected and interdisciplinary nature of environmental studies;
Demonstrate an integrative approach to environmental issues with a focus on sustainability;
Use critical thinking, problem-solving, and the methodological approaches of the social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities in environmental problem solving;
Communicate complex environmental information to both technical and non-technical audiences;
Understand and evaluate the global scale of environmental problems; and
Reflect critically on their roles, responsibilities, and identities as citizens, consumers and environmental actors in a complex, interconnected world.
#About Environmental studies:
* Students develop their awareness about immediate/wider surroundings through lived experiences on various themes related to daily life for example Family, Plants, Animals, Food, Water, Travel, and Shelter etc.
*They can understand the multidisciplinary nature of environmental studies;
Scope and importance;
*They can learn the concept of sustainability and sustainable development and it’s importance. They will have better understanding about their surroundings.
#About Ecology and Ecosystems:
The students will describe major theories of the concepts and methods from ecological and physical sciences and their application in environmental problem solving.
* They can understand ecology and ecosystem, the structure and function of ecosystem; energy flow in an ecosystem; food chains, food webs; Basic concept of population and community ecology; ecological succession.
* They will able describe the characteristic features of the following:
a) Forest ecosystem
b) Grassland ecosystem
c) Desert ecosystem
d) Aquatic ecosystems (ponds, streams, lakes, wetlands, rivers, oceans, estuaries)
#About Natural Resources:
* The students will identify the characteristics of Renewable and Non-renewable resources and also able to describe following facts and impacts-
• Land resources and land use change; Land degradation, soil erosion and desertification.
•Deforestation: Causes, consequences and remedial measures
•Water: Use and over-exploitation of surface and ground water, floods, droughts,
conflicts over water (international & inter-state).
•Energy resources: Environmental impacts of energy generation, use of alternative and
non-conventional energy sources, growing energy needs.
#About Biodiversity and Conservation:
*Understand the transnational character of environmental problems and ways of addressing them, including interactions across local to global scales Biological Resources. They will able to describe the following facts and factors-
•Levels of biological diversity: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity;
• Biogeographic zones of India; Biodiversity patterns and global biodiversity hot spots
•India as a mega-biodiversity nation; Endangered and endemic species of India
•Threats to biodiversity: Habitat loss, poaching of wildlife, man-wildlife conflicts,
biological invasions;
•Conservation of biodiversity: In-situ and Ex-situ conservation of biodiversity.
•Ecosystem and biodiversity services: Ecological, economic, social, ethical, aesthetic and
Informational value.
#About Environmental Pollution:
*The students will explain the following facts and factors of Pollution-
• Environmental pollution: concepts and types,
• Air, water, soil, noise and marine pollution- causes, effects and controls
• Concept of hazards waste and human health risks
• Solid waste management: Control measures of Municipal, biomedical and e-waste.
They will able to predict the consequences with their skill of knowledge in this regard.
#About Environmental Policies and Practices:
*Students will be more concerned and able describe following global issues with clear vision and mission-
•Climate change, global warming, ozone layer depletion, acid rain and their impacts on
human communities and agriculture.
*The students will explain the major tenets of the following laws-
•Environment Laws: Wildlife Protection Act; Forest Conservation Act. Water
(Prevention and control of Pollution) Act; Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act;
Environment Protection Act; Biodiversity Act.
•International agreements: Montreal Protocol, Kyoto protocol and climate negotiations;
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
•Protected area network, tribal populations and rights, and human wildlife conflicts in
Indian context.
So that, they appreciate the ethical, cross-cultural, and historical context of environmental issues and the links between human and natural systems.
#About Human Communities and the Environment:
*Students will reflect critically about their roles and identities as citizens, consumers and environmental actors in a complex, interconnected world. They will describe the following -
•Human population growth: Impacts on environment, human health and welfare.
•Case studies on Resettlement and rehabilitation.
• Environmental Disaster: Natural Disasters-floods, earthquake, cyclones, tsunami and
landslides; Manmade Disaster- Bhopal and Chernobyl.
•Environmental movements: Bishnois , Chipko, Silent valley, Big dam movements.
•Environmental ethics: Role of gender and cultures in environmental conservation.
•Environmental education and public awareness.
*They will apply their learned systems concepts and methodologies to analyze and understand interactions between social and environmental processes.
#Regarding Project/ Field work
*Students will demonstrate their proficiency in quantitative methods, qualitative analysis, critical thinking, and written and oral communication skills to conduct high-level work as interdisciplinary studies for the preparation of their project work on the following topic-
•Visit to an area to document environmental assets: Natural resources/flora/fauna, etc.
•Visit to a local polluted site-Urban/Rural/Industrial/Agricultural.
•Study of common plants, insects, fish, birds, mammals and basic principles of identification.
•Study of ecosystems-pond, river, wetland, forest, estuary and agro ecosystem.
Environmental Studies Programme Outcomes (PO) for Under Graduate students :
The following program outcomes have been identified for Under Graduate students of Environmental Studies :
PO1: Ability to recognize the need for learning the topic and develop foundational knowledge on the topic
PO2: Ability to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills to solve interdisciplinary issues related to the topic
PO3: Ability to understand the relationships between natural and man-made systems
PO4: Ability to apply statistical methods, ICT and innovative techniques in classroom, field and laboratory to analyze scientific data
PO5: Ability to develop lifelong learning and professional skills
PO6: Ability to design and execute a scientific project, write scientific reports, develop research and communication skills
PO7: Ability to spread awareness about the environment around us, sustainable development and conduct outreach activities
PO8: Ability to gain empirical knowledge on the topic and contribute in decision making processes.