Courses Offered in Fall 2026
SCSS 301 “Mapping the States”
The effects of climate change (drought, erosion, flooding) and classifications required for coordinating a government response will be in the final unit of the class. The purpose is to challenge the idea that maps and regional designations are static.
NTSS 302 “Weather, Climate, & Conflict”
This course will examine the science behind extreme weather and how it has been and will continue to be an ally or adversary in military preparedness and warfare. Climate change is a threat multiplier and may lead to new armed conflicts from the melting of Arctic sea ice to resource depletions and the empowerment of terrorist groups. The course will also examine the science of weaponizing extreme weather and meteorological intelligence.
NTSS 305: “Environmental Science”
Human impact on our environment has never been so intensive or so far-reaching. Fundamental conditions in global nutrient cycling, biological diversity, atmospheric composition, and climate are changing at an unprecedented rate. This course will use real world case studies to investigate the complex interactions among ecology, geology, chemistry, ethics, policy, and economics.
ELES 302 “Global Environmental Change & Security”
Global Environmental Change is reshaping the systems that sustain human societies and, in doing so, transforming patterns of risk, vulnerability, and conflict. This course examines the major issues of global change, including anthropogenic climate change, land use and land cover change, biodiversity issues, environmental pollution, potential global change-related impacts on human health, climate as a driver of migration, and relevant social policies. The course integrates geographic analysis with security studies frameworks to evaluate how states, institutions, and communities assess and respond to environmental risk. For the final project, students will engage with scenario-based analysis to explore how a plausible global change–driven event could impact the Charleston region, assess whether existing local and national policies are prepared to respond, and evaluate how localized environmental shocks may cascade across economic, political, and security systems.
NTSS 310 “Biology, Environment and Law”
This course explores the relationships between biological systems in the environment, and the environmental laws that regulate them. We will examine the profound influence that environmental laws have on species, ecosystems, and landscapes, and the effects of regulation of air, water, and land in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem health. The course begins with an exploration of the legal system, and how it relates to the science of environmental biology. We then consider ecosystems biology, the effects of regulations on plant and animal communities, and the importance of land use regulation on ecosystems. We then explore the specific laws that control pollution of air, water and land, and their effects on natural ecosystems. Finally, we review the influence of international laws and agreements on the health of natural communities.
HISS 305 “Changing American Landscapes”
In this course, students will explore changing interactions between American society and the natural world, from pre-contact through the 21st century. From hunting practices to urban planning, agriculture to landscape design, and exploration to automobile tourism, how have people shaped the landscape and environment around them, and how have they been shaped by it? How and why have attitudes toward the landscape and natural resources changed? How has changing technology shaped our relationship to the natural world?