Secondary Field Requirements (Classes of 2014 & 2015)

The purpose of the secondary field in ESPP is to offer students in other concentrations in the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities an opportunity to complement their studies with courses that will provide an environmental science and policy perspective. The structure of this secondary field is intended to offer a range of options that best address student interests and at the same time provide some measure of breadth across the perspectives of science and policy.

This tailoring of course selections will be done in consultation with the ESPP secondary field advisor.  It is expected that most of the courses selected for a secondary concentration will be drawn from a list of options below, substitutions may be made with the prior approval of the ESPP secondary field advisor.

Course Requirements

Six half courses are required for a secondary field in ESPP.  The specific course requirements are listed below.

Other Information

Substitutions with courses offered in Study Abroad programs, at the Harvard Summer School or any of Harvard’s other schools may with prior permission count toward secondary field requirements. Freshmen seminars do not count toward secondary field requirements.  All courses counting towards the ESPP secondary field must be taken for a letter grade.  A grade of “C” or better is required for secondary field credit.

ESPP junior seminars have limited enrollment and ESPP concentrators will be given preference. We anticipate there will be room for some secondary field students in most junior seminars.

Advising Resources and Expectations

Students who wish to pursue a secondary field in ESPP are required to submit a registration form.  This form must be submitted no later than the study card submittal date of the penultimate term.  However, we strongly encourage students to submit this form as early as possible following the submittal of a concentration Plan of Study.  Once the registration form is signed and approved, the student will be assigned a faculty advisor.  Once the secondary field course requirements have been completed, students must complete and submit the Registrar’s secondary field form to confirm that the secondary field requirements have been met.

Course Requirements

Secondary Field in ESPP: Six half-courses

Required for all

  • I. At least one half course chosen from the following list
    • ESPP 10 Environmental Policy
    • ESPP 78 Environmental Politics

Additional Requirements Social Science or Humanities Concentrator

  • II. Three half courses chosen from the following list
    • OEB 55 Ecology: Populations, Communities and Ecosystems
    • OEB 157 Global Change Biology
    • EPS 21 The Dynamic Earth: Geology and Tectonics Through Time
    • EPS 22 The Fluid Earth: Oceans, Atmosphere, Climate and Environment
    • EPS 109 Earth Resources and the Environment
    • EPS 135 Physics and Chemistry: In the Context of Energy and Climate at the Global and Molecular Level
    • ES 6 Environmental Science and Technology
    • ES 164 Soil and Environmental Chemistry
  • III. Two half courses chosen from the following list
    • Ec 1010a Microeconomic Theory (Ec 1011a may be substituted)
    • Ec 1661 Fundamentals of Environmental Economics and Policy
    • Ec 1687 Advanced Economics of the Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change
    • ESPP 78* Environmental Politics
    • Gov 1100 Political Economy of Development

Additional Requirements for Natural Science Concentrator

  • II. Three half courses chosen from the following list
    • Ec 1010a Microeconomic Theory (Ec 1011a may be substituted)
    • Ec 1661 Fundamentals of Environmental Economics and Policy
    • Ec 1687 Economics of the Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change
    • ESPP 78* Environmental Politics
    • Gov 1100 Political Economy of Development
  • III. Two half courses chosen from the following list
    • OEB 55 Ecology: Populations, Communities and Ecosystems
    • OEB 157 Global Change Biology
    • EPS 21 The Dynamic Earth: Geology and Tectonics Through Time
    • EPS 22 The Fluid Earth: Oceans, Atmosphere, Climate and Environment
    • EPS 109 Earth Resources and the Environment
    • EPS 135 Physics and Chemistry: In the Context of Energy and Climate at the Global and Molecular Level
    • ES 6 Environmental Science and Technology
    • ES 164 Soil and Environmental Chemistry
  • IV. Optional Additional Elective

    With the permission of the instructor, one of the ESPP 90 Junior Seminars may be substituted for a course in Section II or III. Examples of current ESPP 90 topics include Environmental Crises and Population Flight, Ecology and Land-Use Planning, , China's Energy Economy, Technology, Economics and Public Policy of Renewable Energy , and Environmental Health.

*If ESPP 10 were selected in Category I.